Collaborative Approaches to Resolving Conflict

"It provides a very good overview of the field of conflict resolution, an overview that is not to be found in any other existing volume. I very much like the breadth of coverage, as well as the use of the profiles of conflict resolution professionals. The authors write very well, and the book will be accessible to a wide audience." ¯Eban Weitzman, Ph.D., Graduate Programs in Dispute Resolution, University of Massachusetts, Boston

"I liked this book quite a lot. Its combination of theory, practice, and professional profiles is an innovative and very useful approach." ¯Heidi Burgess, Conflict Research Consortium, University of Colorado, Boulder

"Whether you are dealing with a conflict on Capitol Hill or in a local community, this book will be an extraordinarily useful tookit for helping you to turn paralysis into progress." ¯Mark Gerzon, author of A House Divided: Six Belief Systems Struggling for America′s Soul

If you′ve ever wondered how best to approach a conflict, Collaborative Approaches to Resolving Conflict will help you choose the right method for your problem. Using the same tool for different kinds of conflict often leaves us feeling stuck and frustrated. Authors Myra Warren Isenhart and Michael L. Spangle explain the major approaches to managing disputes at home, in the workplace or school, within communities, or in the international arena. The reader will find that each approach is illustrated with recent examples of what can go wrong and how to respond most appropriately. This book includes the following approaches:

• Negotiation
• Mediation
• Facilitation
• Arbitration
• Judicial Processes

Profiles of experienced and respected practitioners accompany each approach. These well-known men and women describe how they entered their chosen field, what their work is like, and what topics are controversial in their areas.

Myra Warren Isenhart teaches, writes, and consults about topics in organizational communication. Currently a faculty member at the University of Denver, she has also served on faculties at the University of Colorado at Denver and St. Thomas Theological Seminary. Her MA & PhD are in Human Communication. She is a speaker and author on conflict management in the workplace. She has published a articles in communication journals and coauthored Collaborative Approaches to Conflict Management also published by Sage. Her clients are broad based, with concentrations in health care, software development, and government. She serves on several nonprofit boards.

For more than two decades, Michael Spangle, Ph.D. has provided training or consulting for a wide variety of organizations including J.D. Edwards, Time/Warner, I.B.M., Inflow Inc., the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, The National Association of Realtors, and the U.S. Navy, as well as schools, churches, and hospitals. He served as Director of Graduate Studies in Applied Communication and Alternate Dispute Resolution at the University of Denver and Director of Faculty and Curriculum for the School of Professional Studies at Regis University. In addition to a Ph.D. in Speech Communication from the University of Denver, he completed an M.S. in Education from Kearney State College and an M.Div. from Luther Theological Seminary. He teaches university courses in negotiation, mediation, facilitation, team communication, and leadership. He is co-author of two other books, including Collaborative Approaches to Resolving Conflict, also published by Sage.