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Manager as Mediator: Attitude, Technique, and Process in Constructive Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

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Book cover Advancing Workplace Mediation Through Integration of Theory and Practice

Part of the book series: Industrial Relations & Conflict Management ((IRCM))

Abstract

How a manager addresses conflict can have a profound effect on the workplace. A manager can adopt a flexible model of constructive conflict resolution which incorporates the five components attitude, technique, process, attention to power, and attention to trust. Although attitude and attention to power and trust should remain stable components, technique and process may change depending on the particular situation. This chapter sets out scenarios that demonstrate factors which affect the techniques and process the manager uses in constructive conflict resolution, including whether the manager is a party to the conflict, the characteristics and needs of the parties, the characteristics of the conflict, and the objectives of the manager and the organization.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Butts Associates, Conflict Management & Dispute Resolution, Butts Institute for Conflict Resources, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Thelma Butts

  2. Madrid, Spain

    Thelma Butts

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  1. Thelma Butts
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Correspondence to Thelma Butts .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Educational Research and Development, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Limburg, The Netherlands

    Katalien Bollen

  2. Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Martin Euwema

  3. Faculty of Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain

    Lourdes Munduate

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Butts, T. (2016). Manager as Mediator: Attitude, Technique, and Process in Constructive Conflict Resolution in the Workplace. In: Bollen, K., Euwema, M., Munduate, L. (eds) Advancing Workplace Mediation Through Integration of Theory and Practice. Industrial Relations & Conflict Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42842-0_11

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