How can effective governance prevent conflict? By Kyong Mazzaro In the international arena there is considerable consensus around the notion that democratic institutions and economic development are pivotal in reducing and preventing conflict. According to the United Nations, democracy is a core value and a universally recognized ideal. At the same time, in regards to economic development international organizations such as the World Bank have long been advocates of economic growth for reducing conflict and increasing prosperity. However, although developed countries with stable democratic governments tend to be more peaceful, history shows that conflict can become protracted in rich, poor, democratic, and non-democratic countries alike. Continue reading → Do unethical leaders foster conflict among followers? By Nick Redding Recent events, such as the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill, questionable accounting practices at Enron, and illegal hiring practices among Silicon Valley’s most prominent companies, are just a few among many examples of unethical organization leadership practices today.While the impact of unethical leadership practices on local communities is often times immeasurable, what is less well understood is the impact of this type of leadership inside the organization. Specifically, how does unethical leadership impact those individuals working under it? Continue reading → Is being adaptive in conflict better than being purely cooperative? by Regina Kim Recent studies have shown that being adaptive in conflict situations (employing resolution strategies that fit with different types of situations) is associated with more satisfaction with conflict outcomes and well being at work than using cooperative approaches. This finding largely contradicts decades of research showing that more cooperative forms of negotiation, mediation and conflict management work best at work. Coleman & Kugler (in press) found that managers and executives who were adaptive – or had the capacity to use various conflict strategies (i.e. benevolence, dominance, support, appeasement, autonomy) in a way that fit the demands of the situations they faced were more satisfied with their conflict outcomes and processes. On the other hand, using chronic cooperative approaches to conflict did not show a significant relationship to conflict and job satisfaction. Continue reading →
Published October 16, 2014
