The Complete Guide to Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

There are all sorts of opportunities for conflict in the work environment. Personal issues, varying perspectives, separate agendas, labor issues, and mental difficulties. When conflict escalates to violence-from shouting to shooting, it's time to start paying attention to the problem. Marick Masters is the Executive Director of the Center on Conflict Resolution and Negotiation at the University of Pittsburgh. Robert Albright is also a professor in the field and both have done their share of corporate consulting. They obviously know their topic. The author suggest that conflict occupies thirty percent of a manager's time, so streamlining the process of dealing with conflict-and improving effectiveness-can be a significant value for an employer. This book is worthwhile as a read-through and as a reference text. Executives, human resource professionals, consultants, and behavioral scientists working in the organizational arena will be delighted with the presentation of the material. It's surprisingly readable and, thanks to some good design, is easy on the eyes. Decent-sized type and open leading are a welcome benefit.The book is organized into five parts. The first, appropriately, Getting a Handle on Workplace Conflict, has chapters on understanding, diagnosing, and dealing with conflict. The second section explores alternative resolution methods: negotiation, facilitation, mediation, arbitration, and potpourri. Lots of understandings here. Part 3, Special Topics, gets into Confronting Workplace Violence, EEO Disputes, Unions, and international issues. Part 4 takes the reader through the how-to of establishing an Integrated Conflict Resolution System, Education, and Training. The last section provides a brief map and guide, summarizing the essence of the book. There are two appendices in this publication. The first gives the solutions to the twenty exercises in the chapters. The other offers a simulation of an EEO Mediation. The source list is a special treasure-a dozen pages of books, journals, web sites, and government publications to open more doors to learning for readers. Everything you wanted to know in this field-if it's important in the workplace-is between the covers of this book. Certainly recommended for those responsible for keeping conflict at a minimum in any organization.