Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Conflict management'

Thesis (M.S. in Defense Analysis)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2006.
Thesis Advisor(s): Peter Gustaitis. "December 2006." Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-83). Also available in print.

This dissertation examines, both theoretically and empirically, the effects of international policies, especially of sanctions, on conflicts. In theoretical analysis, we consider conflicts (both civil and inter-state) related to natural resources and examine how sanctions on natural resource exports affect the intensity of conflicts. However, for the empirical analysis, we consider only the civil conflicts and examine how international sanctions affect the duration of civil conflicts. In chapter 1, we develop a two-period general equilibrium model on the relationship between natural resources and civil conflicts. Contrary to the most of the existing literature, we assume that resource extraction and wage rate are endogenous during the conflict. We find that the effects of current international sanctions on civil conflict depend critically on whether the budget constraints of the warring groups are binding or non-binding, and whether wage rate is exogenous or endogenous. Under both binding and non-binding budgets, the current sanction can be counter-productive. However, a threat of future sanction reduces conflict intensity, when the budget constraint is non-binding. An improvement in agricultural productivity may also limit the conflict. Our results also suggest that the most effective policy for conflict resolution would be bilateral piece-meal reduction in war efforts. Chapter 2 develops a two-period general equilibrium model linking natural resources to inter-state conflict, treating resource extraction and wage rate are endogenous. First, we characterize the war equilibrium and derive a number of properties of it. Second, we examine the effects of different types of trade sanctions imposed by the international community on war efforts of the two countries. We find that a temporary current sanction on both countries, or even on one of the countries, will be counter-productive, and an anticipated future sanction on both countries will unambiguously reduce war intensity. Whether an anticipated future sanction on one of countries will reduce war intensity will depend on the level of resource stock; the effect of a permanent sanction on both countries is ambiguous: war intensities will fall only if the resource stocks of the countries are sufficiently high. Finally, in chapter 3, we examine empirically the effects of international sanctions on the expected duration of civil conflicts. Contrary to the most of the previous findings, we find that sanctions reduce the expected duration of civil conflicts. Our finding is robust for different controls, different parametric models, and with consideration of endogeneity of sanctions. However, not all types of sanction are equally successful in shortening conflicts. Total economic embargoes and arms sanctions are effective, but trade sanctions, aid suspension, and other sanctions do not work. We also find that both multi-lateral and unilateral sanctions (mainly US sanctions) can reduce duration of civil wars.

In the recent years, majority of African countries have been faced by conflicts during election periods. Some of the electoral related conflicts escalated into violence, and they have been transformed or managed. While other electoral related conflicts have just been prevented during the election periods but remain latent conflicts that would escalate triggered by future elections. This study focuses specifically on electoral conflicts in Kenya and its conflict management perspective from 2002-2013. To transform and manage the conflict, peacebuilding initiatives have been integrated in the study. The prime actors in Kenya electoral conflict includes the; the ruling party coalition, the leading opposition coalition and ethnic groupings affiliated to the ruling party and opposition. Other peripheral actors include: the Independent, Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC), the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the judiciary. Triangulation (the combination of two or more methods of collecting and analysing data) has been adopted both in data collection and analysis. Focus group interviews, selected individual interviews, and literature reviews were used to collect data, while research findings were analysed systematically using the constructivist grounded theory. Moreover, the liberal peace theory, Institutionalisation before Liberalisation (IBL) and findings from other researchers like (Elder, Stigant and Claes 2014:1-20), and the Afrobarometer research findings (Kivuva 2015) have been used to authenticate the research findings. Research findings indicates that claims of election rigging, numerous institutional failures, negative ethnicity and economic disparity, among other factors heighten the fear and anxiety that escalates during elections. Towards achieving peacebuilding and sustainable peace, the following reforms were undertaken: constitutional changes and reviews, electoral body reform, judicial reform, pursuit of transitional justice, extensive range of local initiatives reforms and police reforms. However, findings in the study also reveal that despite the latter reforms, peacebuilding measures have been short-term, temporal, and not fully successful, leaving behind a latent conflict that could be triggered again with future electoral conflicts. Besides that, negotiation, dialogue and mediation played a role in restoring trust and confidence in the democratic structures after escalated elections. We also recommend that multi-ethnic composition for electoral coalitions should also be adopted as a means to mitigate ethnic triggered conflicts.

Human resource management, or people management, is concerned with the philosophies, policies, programmes, practices and decisions that affect the people who work for an organisation. The various people management functions are aimed at helping the organisation achieve its strategic goals and as such are an integral part of the management process. People management consists of several aspects and sub-divisions of which pro-active conflict handling and management is one and which is also the subject of this study. The objective of this study was to assess causes of conflict and interventions and styles of conflict management in the workplace. Workplace politics, change management, diversity, cultures and religious views are but a few major sources for the emergence of conflict. We are currently in the era of fast change or more aptly put “hyperchange” and conflict is inevitable and management styles can also create and/or escalate conflict situations including, the composition of diversity in the workplace. This adds to the new challenges of management. Organisations in this decade need to acknowledge that their management styles of days gone by are not relevant anymore and one must understand to recognise conflict and resolve it in an appropriate manner. This study assessed the major causes of conflict in the workplace and whether the managerial style of managers and management interventions impacts on the overall conflict situations experienced by staff members in organisations in Cape Town and Windhoek. It also gave an indication if interventions and conflict management training/programmes are in place or used, if at all. Sometimes conflict is resolved successfully or unsuccessfully and what impact it has on the managers, his/her staff and colleagues and the organisation as a whole. This can have a detriment impact on the business and the culture within the organisation and which could result in or give rise to high labour turnover, underlying unhappy staff and disempowerment of managers and staff and poor production and service levels.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The costs of conflict within organizations is higher than is often realized due, amongst others, to lowering morale and lower productivity of employees. One of the most common reasons provided during exit interviews when employees resign from organizations, is the manner in which conflicts were addressed by management. A high turnover of employees has a significant cost to organizations as companies have to spend more money to recruit new employees than they would have needed to had the conflicts that had arisen were effectively resolved. Often as a result of poor conflict resolution within organizations, companies are faced with high litigation costs when employees seek resolution from labour courts and other dispute resolution bodies. The main objective of this study was to identify the role line managers play in resolving and preventing conflicts and to establish strategies that line managers can implement when faced with conflict in their teams. The research methodology for this study first involved a study of relevant literature to determine the theory regarding conflict resolution within organizations. Research reports, dissertations, internet websites, articles and books were used in an attempt to formulate a theoretical basis for this study. Thereafter an empirical survey was conducted among employees of an organization that had already undergone a restructuring process as well as an organization that is currently undergoing a restructuring in order to determine the employees’ views on how conflict within their organizations has been or is being resolved. Questionnaires were formulated by the writer and submitted to responders. The reason the writer had used organizational restructuring as a point of departure for the empirical study, is that organizational restructuring is an example of a project within companies whereby many conflicts arise and line managers need to be proficient in being able to handle these conflicts as well as be able to prevent conflicts from arising. Finally, an analysis of the empirical study was performed so that adequate and relevant conclusions and recommendations could be established.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die koste van konflik binne organisasies is hoër as wat dikwels besef as gevolg van, onder andere, tot die verlaging van moraal en laer produktiwiteit van werknemers. Een van die mees algemene redes wat gedurende afrit onderhoude wanneer werknemers van organisasies bedank, is die wyse waarop konflikte deur die bestuur aangespreek is. 'N hoë omset van die werknemers het 'n beduidende koste vir organisasies as maatskappye het meer geld te spandeer om nuwe werknemers te werf as wat hulle sou nodig het om die konflikte wat ontstaan het is effektief opgelos. Dikwels as gevolg van swak konflikoplossing binne organisasies, maatskappye uitgedaag word met 'n hoë litigasie koste wanneer werknemers soek resolusie van arbeid howe en ander geskilbeslegting liggame. Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie was om te identifiseer die rol lynbestuurders speel in die oplossing en voorkoming van konflikte en strategieë wat lynbestuurders kan implementeer wanneer hulle gekonfronteer word met die konflik in hul spanne te vestig. Die navorsingsmetodologie vir hierdie studie het die eerste keer betrokke by 'n studie van die relevante literatuur om die teorie te bepaal ten opsigte van konflikhantering binne organisasies. Navorsingsverslae, proefskrifte, internet webtuistes, artikels en boeke is gebruik in 'n poging om 'n teoretiese grondslag vir hierdie studie te formuleer. Daarna was 'n empiriese opname uitgevoer onder die werknemers van 'n organisasie wat reeds 'n proses van herstrukturering ondergaan sowel as 'n organisasie wat tans herstrukturering ondergaan om die werknemers se menings te bepaal oor hoe konflik binne hul organisasies opgelos was en/of huidiglik opgelos word. Vraelyste is deur die skrywer geformuleer en aan individue uitgehandig. Die rede waarom die skrywer gebruik het organisatoriese herstrukturering as 'n punt van vertrek vir die empiriese studie, is dat organisatoriese herstrukturering is 'n voorbeeld van 'n projek binne maatskappye waarby baie konflikte ontstaan en lynbestuurders moet vaardig wees in staat is om hierdie konflikte te hanteer, asook in staat wees om die ontstaan van konflikte te voorkom. Ten slotte is 'n ontleding van die empiriese studie uitgevoer sodat voldoende en relevante gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings vasgestel kon word.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--George Mason University, 2008.
Vita: p. 253. Thesis director: Wallace Warfield. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Mar. 16, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 235-252). Also issued in print.

Organizational conflict manifests in misalignment of individuals and groups, and is often discussed in terms of the effect that leadership and management have on the state of affairs. It is built-in for any organization, yet its root causes are not fully understood. It is not uncommon to characterize leadership/management conflicts in terms of the style or personality type of the individuals involved; however, conflicting leadership and management objectives that are not style or personality dependent may also be a significant factor. If conflict is actually disagreement about the role-driven management objectives and leadership objectives at hand, rather than being based on style and personality, knowing how objectives-driven conflict manifests would be valuable to an organization for identifying the root cause of the conflict.

The researcher posited that a portion of organizational conflicts may be predestined by way of conflicting objectives that are intrinsic to management and leadership, and defined a perspective that utilized the historical bases for leadership and management to illuminate the possibilities. A Delphi study was conducted, which iteratively utilized a diverse group of industry experts to explore the roles, objectives, and actions of leaders and managers from a practitioner perspective. Although the study found that organizations can be in conflict due to conflicting management objectives and leadership objectives, the interchange of ideas during the study led to the conclusion that the nature of the objectives is largely conditional or subjective rather than predestined, and therefore the conflicts are also conditional or subjective.

Thesis (S.B. and M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1999.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-90).
by Joyce P. Lo.
S.B.and M.Eng.

The relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and conflict management was investigated using 229 college students and 4 3 participants from organizational settings. A positive correlation was found between emotional intelligence scores and use of the integrating style of handling conflict with one's bosses, one's subordinates and one's coworkers. Of the five styles of handling conflict, emotional intelligence had the highest significant positive relationship with the integrating style; this style is generally considered to be the best approach to handling conflict. High levels of emotional intelligence were associated with high levels of socially desirable responding. Emotional intelligence scores decreased with age, and no significant differences were found between scores for males and females. Regression analysis revealed that the three integrating styles of handling conflict, socially desirable responding, age and years of education explain 24% of the variance in emotional intelligence. A significant positive relationship was found between being happy in the workplace and use of the integrating style with subordinates and co-workers. The findings in this study may be applicable for organizations, in that incorporating programs aimed at increasing employees' emotional intelligence skills may be conducive to a more satisfying work environment, as well as an increase in profitability for the organization.

This thesis focuses on two under-researched areas of consumer behaviour: conflict handling styles and consumer bargaining. As illustrated in this thesis, consumer bargaining is a substantial and important behaviour that has rarely been studied from a consumer perspective. Further, conflict handling, which is considered an important and wellresearched phenomenon in an organisational context, has been rarely applied to consumer behaviour, despite the potential for conflict in many areas. The aims of this thesis were to a) examine consumer bargaining behaviour across a variety of culturally diverse nations; b) develop and validate a new instrument to measure conflict handling styles; and c) examine the relationships between the likelihood of consumer bargaining, preferred conflict handling styles, and personal values. Consumer bargaining was found to be common in both developed and developing nations. Respondents from Australia and Germany reported bargaining for a broad range of products that vary in their prices, including cars, electronics, appliances, clothing, and computers. Bargaining in South Korea was even more common, including everyday purchases like clothing, and food and drink. Finally, bargaining in Brazil was almost as common as in South Korea, and also included expensive consumer durable purchases, such as electronic products and cars, in addition to everyday purchases, such as clothing, and food and drink. The conflict handling style instrument developed in this project had convergent validity with existing ratings scales, reproduced the theorised structure of the dual-concerns model of conflict handling, and had predictive validity in a service recovery context. The benefits iii of the new scale over existing ratings scales include: a) capturing relative preference for the conflict handling styles; b) reduction of sources of common method variance; c) reduction of ratings scale response biases; and d) reduction of numerical effect biases, such as different perceived distances between response categories. The newly developed scale was also used to assess the hypothesised relationships between personal values, conflict handling styles, and consumer bargaining intensity in a developed Western country (Germany). As expected, the dominate conflict handling style was positively related, while the avoid conflict handling style was negatively related to consumer bargaining intensity. Although no relationship was found between personal values and consumer bargaining intensity, personal values were found to be an antecedent of conflict handling styles. Specifically, the power value type was found to be a positive predictor of the dominate conflict handling style, while benevolence and social universalism were found to be positive predictors of the integrate conflict handling style.

This study sets out to investigate how conflict is managed at schools. The literature review clearly indicated the complexity of the management of conflict in school organisations. Schools, by virtue of being social organisations aiming at providing education services to learners, cannot thrive under conditions of dysfunctional conflict. However, it is also clear that not all conflict is bad and can be functional in school improvement and renewal. The most important aspect pertaining to conflict in schools, is that it must be managed. This actually implies that conflict has to be managed from its sources, apparent or potential and that, this must involve a process that ranges from conflict diagnosis to school organisational learning and effectiveness. This clearly relates to all types of conflict and includes, conflict resolution, prevention and management. The empirical study established that school principals largely used the dominating and avoiding styles of handling conflict. The variance between categories of responses indicated that conflict handling styles were used contingent on situational conditions. To this end, it was found that educators from big schools showed statistically significant differences with educators from small schools in so far as principals' conflict handling styles are concerned. Based on this finding and nothwistanding the results of the frequency analysis which generally indicated almost equal responses in terms of the agree and disagree responses, it was concluded that the dominating and avoidng styles, and to an extent, the compromising styles were used predominantly in the surveyed schools. The study thus recommends that peer group and needs-specific capacity building programmes for school principals should be initiated so as to expose principals to conflict management learning experiences from practice, and in relaxed atmospheres facilitated by peer coaching and mentoring. Keywords: conflict; conflict management; conflict management styles, conflict theories, conflict models; conflict resolution; organisational conflict
Thesis (M.Ed. (Education Management))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

This study examines and analyzes conflict management and effective communication from several complementary perspectives. The purpose of the study is to identify common types of conflicts that learners confront in the process of EFL learning
to examine and analyze EFL learners'
own strategies to deal with conflicts based on the conflict handling modes in the process of EFL learning
to find out their needs in terms of effective communication skills necessary to manage conflicts
and to analyze their attitudes toward conflict management learning and their needs for conflict management strategies. In order to achieve this aim, a survey research is preferred and the quantitaitve data gathered through the questionnaires were supported with the qualitative data obtained from the interivews with participants EFL learners. In the questiionnaire, there were two parts. The first one was a demographic inventory designed to gather the demographic characteristics of the participants. In the second part, four sub-sections were desgined: (1) a rank answer questionnaire to identify common types of conflicts that learners confront in the process of EFL learning
(2) a slightly adapted, Likert scale questionnaire which was translated to Turkish by Gü
mü
seli (1994) from the Rahim Organizational conflict Inventory II (ROCI II) to identify EFL learners'
conflict management strategies
(3) another Likert scale questionnaire to find out their needs in terms of effective communication skills necessary to manage conflicts
and (4) an alternative answer questionnaire to analyze learners'
attitudes toward conflict management learning and their needs for conflict management strategies. The result of these questionnaires were analyzed by SPSS 15.0. This data gathering instrument was implemented on 339 students at the preparatory school TOBB University of Economics and Technology. Data gathered from 171 students from the same school were used for the piloting of the stduy. The data gahthered from 339 students at ETU Preparatory School represented the results of the main study. In analyzing the data, descriptive statistics as frequency, percent, average, and standard deviation and inferential statistics as ANOVA was used. As the second scale of the current study, semi-structered interviewsw were conducted with 12 students studying at the same university. The results of the interviews were analyzed through content analysis. The results of the study revealed that there is a relationship between EFL learners'
conflict managament strategies, need for effective communication skills, and their gender, scholarship status, last school graduated, and duration of study at a particular university. Additionally, the study displayed that students confornt various types of conflict and they need to learn conflict management skills and effective communication skills to deal with conflicts successfully.

This thesis has eight chapters, each organised according to interwoven themes that permit easy linkages between the salient questions of the study. The thesis utilises a multi-disciplinary approach in the analysis of deprivation occasioned by scarcity. The concept of masculinity is also crucial for understanding the issues related to violence escalation, conflict management and peace in Mbale, Uganda. Employing qualitative methodologies, the study examines the way that violence in Mbale has been understood by the survivors, perpetrators, witnesses and state officials. The study analyses the experiences of those involved in these violent conflict situations and seeks to understand the way in which scarce resources and violent masculinity among the Bagisu people impact upon the dynamics of conflict, particularly in terms of violence escalation, conflict management and peace development in the area. The study also seeks to understand why the various processes and structures of government, civil society and traditional authority failed to prevent widespread violence. Subsequently, I examine the questions of effective conflict management, both as a deterrent to violence and as a means of maintaining the peace necessary for sustainable development. I examine the efficacy of alternative policies that might promote a wider, more inclusive and more gender sensitive strategy towards conflict management that might fully tap into the existing and powerful resources within the socio-economic and political fabric for promoting sustainable peace and development. Whilst many commentators would posit witchcraft as a major factor behind the violence, others would stress the importance of socio-economic deprivation, scarcity and violent masculinity as factors contributing to the dynamics of the Mbale violence and its management. The thesis concurs with the latter assessment, exposing violent masculinity and scarcity as powerful influences for the dynamics and management of conflict and violence in Mbale. Violent masculinity inculcates a culture of violent conflict, whilst economic scarcity and deprivation acted as social catalysts for its explosive manifestation. Whilst the violent struggle witnessed in Mbale officially came to an end in 1996, the road to peace was still long and far from easy, having major repercussions, not only for the socio-economic and political developments of the area, but also for the East African region as a whole. A decade on and there have been no significant initiatives to secure 'peace', neither from community leaders nor from responsible government departments, which thereby poses serious questions concerning the sustainability of peace and development, given their inextricable fate. Peace is a vital component to a country's further development: sustainable development requires a peaceful environment. Although this study recognises the importance of formal structures for peace keeping and its maintenance, it also recognises that where such institutionalised structures are not fully developed, as in the case of Mbale, then alternative initiatives tapping into existing grass-root traditions must be employed as supplemental capacities for bringing about and maintaining lasting peace and sustainable development.

Das Leben in Gruppen beinhaltet neben vielen Vorteilen auch zahlreiche Nachteile. Gruppenmitglieder konkurrieren über dieselben begrenzten Ressourcen oder verfolgen unterschiedliche Ziele. Während eines Interessenkonfliktes durchläuft jeder Konkurrent einen Entscheidungsprozeß, in dessen Zentrum die Frage steht, ob es sich lohnt für eine bestimmte Ressource zu kämpfen. Dabei muß einbezogen werden, daß aggressive Auseinandersetzungen Kosten verursachen. Diese Kosten können zum einen in Aggressionskosten, z.B. ein erhöhtes Verletzungsrisiko oder hohen Energieverbrauch, und zum anderen in Sozialkosten, z.B. die Störung kooperativer Beziehungen oder Streßreaktionen, aufgeteilt werden. Die unter dem Begriff Konfliktmanagement zusammengefaßten Verhaltensweisen helfen Konfliktkosten zu verringern. So können in Interessenkonflikten Aggression vermieden, deren Stärke gedämpft und soziale Konsequenzen verringert werden. Konfliktmanagement kann vor (pre-conflict management), während (peri-conflict management) und nach (post-conflict management) dem Auftreten von Aggression eingesetzt werden. Die Hypothese, die einem optimalen Konfliktmanagement zu Grunde liegt, ist daß der Nutzen eines Konfliktes seine Kosten übersteigen muß, wobei der Profit (Nutzen – Kosten) aus dem Konflikt maximiert wird. Vereinfachend nenne ich aggressive Auseinandersetzungen von nun an Konflikte. Das Konfliktmanagement von freilebenden Schimpansen (Pan troglodytes verus) wurde im Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire (Westafrika), untersucht. Von 1071 beobachteten Konflikten, die ich während ganztägiger Beobachtungen an 4 männlichen und 11 weiblichen Fokustieren gesammelt habe, wurden 876 zwischen erwachsenen Schimpansen beider Geschlechter analysiert. Multivariate Analysemethoden wurden angewandt, um die entscheidenden Faktoren des Entscheidungsprozesses bei Konflikten aufzuspüren, während überwiegend Paarstatistik für einfaktorielle Analysen verwandt wurde. Dominanzbeziehungen können den Zugang zu Ressourcen regulieren und damit den Ausbruch von Aggression verhindern (pre-conflict management). Frühere Studien haben gezeigt, daß häufig lineare Rangordnungen unter männlichen, nicht aber unter weiblichen Schimpansen bestehen. Die vorliegende Arbeit konnte hingegen eine lineare Rangordnung auch unter den Weibchen der Taï Schimpansen nachweisen, welche auf Grußlauten der untergeordneten Weibchen gerichtet an die Dominanten beruhte (Wittig & Boesch, 2003a). Im Nahrungskontext waren die Taï Weibchen untereinander direkter Konkurrenz (contest competition) ausgesetzt. Dieser Wettstreit wurde intensiver, sobald eine Nahrungsquelle monopolisierbar war oder die Anzahl von Konkurrentinnen anstieg. Der Rang in der Hierarchie unter den Weibchen war abhängig vom Gewinn der Wettstreite aber unabhängig vom Alter. Warum zwischen einigen Weibchen keine Begrüßungen beobachtet wurden, konnte nicht mit dem Fehlen sozio-positiver Beziehungen erklärt werden. Ein Vergleich zwischen Populationen von Schimpansen zeigte Unterschiede in der Nahrungskonkurrenz, dem Raubdruck und der Beobachtungszeit. Diese Faktoren könnten der Grund für die unterschiedlichen Dominanzbeziehungen unter den Weibchen sein. Anschließend untersuchte ich Variablen, die darüber entscheiden, ob und wie intensiv Individuen kämpfen. Dazu erweiterte ich das Relational Model (de Waal, 1996), um die gesamte Dynamik des Entscheidungsprozesses bei Taï Schimpansen beschreiben zu können. Das erweiterte Relational Model basiert auf der Annahme, daß der zu erwartende Profit den Ausbruch von Aggression bestimmt (Wittig & Boesch, 2003b). Schimpansen beider Geschlechter kämpften häufiger um Ressourcen, die von besonderer Bedeutung für sie waren: Nahrung für Weibchen und sozialer Rang für Männchen. Schimpansen benutzten zwei Strategien, die auf ihre Wahrscheinlichkeit diesen Kampf zu gewinnen zurückgeführt wurden. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit einen Kampf zu gewinnen wurde durch die Dominanzbeziehung der Gegner bestimmt. Dominante Angreifer initiierten längere und intensivere Kämpfe, aber bemühten sich Sozialkosten zu begrenzen, indem sie selten Kooperationspartner angriffen. Untergeordnete Angreifer kämpften kürzer und weniger intensiv, riskierten jedoch höhere Sozialkosten, die sie anschließend durch Versöhnungsmechanismen wieder zu verringern versuchten. Beide Strategien resultierten in einem positiven Profit für den Angreifer. Mit dem erweiterten Relational Model kann die gesamte Komplexität von Konflikten zwischen Taï Schimpansen beschrieben werden. Es erlaubt eine größere Flexibilität im Vergleich zur ursprünglichen Version des Models. Das Post-conflict Management sozial lebender Tiere kann dazu eingesetzt werden, Kosten zu reduzieren, die am Ende des Konfliktes bestehen. Dazu werden eine Vielzahl von Verhaltensweisen angewandt, so z.B. Versöhnung (reconciliation), Trost (consolation) oder Weiterleitung von Aggression (redirected aggression). Jede dieser Interaktionen, die erst nach dem Konflikt initiiert werden (PCI = post-conflict interaction), bietet unterschiedliche Vor- und Nachteile, die gelegentlich überlappen. Um den bestmöglichen Vorteil aus einer Konfliktsituation zu ziehen, können Individuen unter verschiedenen PCIs wählen. Die vorliegende Arbeit untersuchte, welche Konfliktsituation bei Taï Schimpansen zu welchen PCIs führten, und überprüfte, ob die Vor- und Nachteilen der ausgewählten PCI mit den Bedürfnissen zur Kostenbegrenzung der Konfliktpartner übereinstimmte (Wittig & Boesch, in press). Ehemalige Gegner versöhnten sich nach Konflikten, wenn ihre Beziehung wertvoll für sie war, und wenn eine Annäherung aneinander nur unwahrscheinlich zu erneuter Aggression geführt hätte. Das Trösten durch Dritte schien manchmal die Versöhnung zu ersetzen. Trost wurde von Dritten angeboten, wenn zwischen ehemaligen Gegnern keine wertvolle Beziehung bestand oder eine Annäherung der Gegner vermutlich wieder zu Aggression geführt hätte. Taï Schimpansen nahmen einen Konflikt wieder auf, wenn die vorherige Auseinandersetzung unentschieden war oder einen unerwarteten Verlierer aufwies. Nach lang anhaltenden Konflikten, oder wenn es wahrscheinlich ausging, daß friedliche PCIs fehlschlagen würden, leiteten Taï Schimpansen die Aggression häufig an Unbeteiligte weiter. Im Gegensatz dazu verhielten sich Taï Schimpansen nach kurzen Konflikten so, weiter als wäre nichts geschehen, und verweigerten jede Art von Interaktion (keine PCI), wenn die betreffende Ressource nicht an Ort oder Zeit gebunden war. Taï Schimpansen schienen Vor- und Nachteile klar gegeneinander abzuwägen, um die geeignetste PCI (Strategie) auszuwählen. Insgesamt scheint Versöhnung die einzige PCI zu sein, mit der es möglich ist, die aggressionsbedingte Störung einer Beziehung zu beseitigen, d.h. eine Beziehung zu reparieren. Obwohl der Nutzen von Versöhnungen allgemein anerkannt ist, war annähernd keine Kenntnis darüber vorhanden, wie ehemalige Gegner eine solche Reparatur durchführen. Frühere Studien gaben Anhaltspunkte über unterschiedliche Längen, Latenzen und Verhaltensweisen von Versöhnungen innerhalb einer Art. Die Gründe für die Variabilität im Versöhnungsverhalten waren jedoch weitgehend unbekannt. Aus diesem Grund untersuchte ich besonders das Versöhnungsverhalten der Taï Schimpansen (Wittig & Boesch, in review). Die Daten bestätigten, daß die Versöhnung eine Beziehung reparieren kann. Aggression störte die Toleranz zwischen den Gegnern, Versöhnung normalisierte diese wieder. Ehemalige Gegner mit wertvollen Beziehungen versöhnten sich häufiger als Partner mit weniger wertvollen Beziehungen. Die Latenz und Dauer der Versöhnung verändern sich in Abhängigkeit voneinander, da kurze Versöhnungen schnell nach einem Konflikt erfolgten. Lange Versöhnungen hingegen dauerten auch lange, bis sie zustande kamen. Hinzu kam, daß Taï Schimpansen eine lange Latenz wählten, wenn ein erneutes Aufflammen der Aggression wahrscheinlich erschien, aber nur kurze Zeit in die Versöhnung investierten, wenn die Zeit anderweitig vorteilhafter genutzt werden konnte. Dahingegen war die Komplexität der Versöhnung abhängig von der Stärke des Konfliktes. Je härter zuvor der Kampf geführt wurde, desto komplexer war di
Besides many advantages, social living also holds several disadvantages. Social partners compete for the same resources or seek contrary goals. When facing such conflicts of interest, competitors go through a decision-making process of whether or not to fight over a resource. However aggressive interactions, which I will refer to here as conflicts, incur costs, which can be separated into costs of aggression (increased risk of injury, higher energy usage) and social costs. Social costs are created by the consequences for the social life, such as the disturbance of cooperative relationships or stress. Conflict management should diminish the costs of conflicts by avoiding escalation to aggression, regulating the intensity of the escalation or dealing with the social consequences (e.g. relationship disturbance or social stress) of the conflict. Thus conflict management can be used before (pre-conflict management), during (peri-conflict management) and after the conflict (post-conflict management). The underlying hypothesis for optimal conflict management is that the benefits prevail over the costs, meanwhile the net-benefit is maximised. I investigated the conflict management of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. Of the 1071 conflicts observed during full-day focal animal follows of adults (4 males, 11 females), I analysed 876 dyadic conflicts among adult chimpanzees of both sex. Multivariate analysis was carried out to detect the variables that influence the decision-making process, while dyadic statistics were usually conducted for mono-factorial testing. Dominance relationships can regulate access to resources and thus help to avoid aggression (pre-conflict management). Although linear hierarchies are commonly found among male chimpanzees, they are believed to be absent among females. However, I detected a formal linear dominance hierarchy among the Taï females based on greeting behaviour directed from the subordinate to the dominant female. Females faced contest competition over food, which increased when either the food was monopolisable or the number of competitors increased. Dominant females usually possessed the food after the conflict. Winning contests over food, but not age, was related to the dominance rank. Affiliative relationships among the females did not help to explain the absence of greetings in some dyads. However post hoc comparison among chimpanzee populations made differences in food competition, predation risk and observation time apparent, which may explain the difference in dominance relationships. I also examined the decision-making process of whether or not to initiate aggression and how strong to fight. An extended version of the Relational Model (de Waal, 1996a) was developed to describe the dynamics of the decision-making process in Taï chimpanzees, such that the net-benefit determines the occurrence of conflicts. Both sexes fought more frequently for the resources that were most important to them: food for females and social contexts for males. Individuals used two different strategies according to their likelihood of winning the aggressive interaction, which was determined by the dominance relationship of the conflict partners. Dominant initiators had longer and more intense aggressive interactions, but they limited their social disadvantages by fighting non-cooperative partners. Subordinate initiators had shorter and less intense aggressive interactions, but risked more social costs, which they could reduce afterwards by reconciliation. Both strategies included a positive overall net-benefit. The extended Relational Model fits the complexity of wild chimpanzee conflicts and allows for more flexibility in the decision-making process compared to the original model. Post-conflict management in social living animals can reduce costs that remain after aggressive interactions by means of a variety of interactions implemented after aggression (e.g. reconciliation, consolation, redirected aggression). Each post-conflict interaction (PCI) provides different advantages and disadvantages, although the functions may sometimes overlap. Individuals can therefore choose a PCI to achieve the most favourable outcome within a given conflict situation. I investigated which conflict-condition led to which type of PCI and related the choice of PCI to its advantages and disadvantages. Taï chimpanzees used reconciliation to resolve conflicts among high value partners and when approaching the former opponent was unlikely to entail further aggression. Consolation seemed to substitute for reconciliation, when opponents were low value partners or approaching the former opponent was too risky, such as when further aggression was likely. Taï chimpanzees renewed aggression after undecided conflicts and when losers were unexpected. They used redirected aggression after long conflicts, possibly because friendly PCIs were likely to fail. However, Taï chimpanzees continued with business as usual when conflicts were very short, and they avoided further interactions when the accessibility of the resource was unlimited. Taï chimpanzees appeared to follow a clear-cut evaluation process as they seemed to weigh advantages against disadvantages for the appropriate choice of PCI. However reconciliation appears to be the only PCI that is able to repair the relationships of former opponents after being disturbed by aggressive interactions. Despite a consensus about the benefits of reconciliation, it remains unclear how former opponents achieve these benefits. Variation within reconciliation is evident in many species, but understanding what causes the variation has been mostly neglected until now. Therefore I investigated how Taï chimpanzees reconciled. This study provides evidence for the repair function of reconciliation, since aggression disturbed tolerance levels among former opponents and reconciliation restored tolerance to normal levels again. Partners with highly beneficial relationships reconciled more often compared with partners of low mutual benefit. Latency and duration of reconciliation varied in combination, such that short reconciliations were initiated soon after the conflict, while long reconciliations were initiated later. Latency increased with the risk of further aggression, while duration decreased when costs were incurred from interruption of beneficial activities. In contrast, the complexity of reconciliation varied according to the intensity of the preceding conflict, such that reconciliation was more complex after more intense conflicts. My results suggest that relationships between opponents are increasingly disturbed with increasing conflict intensity and reconciliation repairs all relationships independent of their relationship value. I propose that the function of reconciliation is to reduce the disturbance created by aggression, but that reconciliation occurs more frequently the more beneficial it is for former opponents. Taï chimpanzees engaged in conflict management before, during and after the conflict. The decision-making process of Taï chimpanzees is based on economic rules in terms of costs and benefits. Conflict management provides Taï chimpanzees with a tool to minimise the disadvantages of group-living

This thesis consists of three different papers summarized as follows. In The political economy of environmental regulation, I study how enforcement of national environmental legislation differ across municipalities in Sweden depending on the local political situation. While the legislation is national, enforcement is decentralized. I find that municipalities where the Green Party joins the ruling political coalition issue more environmental fines than other municipalities. In pricing on the fish market I use Swedish data to study how size affects the price per kilo of fish for several species. In traditional fishery biomass models, fish stocks are treated as homogenous. New theoretical heterogeneous fishery models, where size is allowed to differ in a fish stock, have important implications for regulation, for example that it is optimal to regulate on numbers of fish instead of weight. However, prices in these models are assumed to be constant. My estimates can be used to shed some light on how prices change when the size composition of the catch changes. In my third and final chapter, Settlement under the threat of conflict - The cost of asymmetric information, I present a theoretical model where two players can divide a good peacefully or engage in a contest in order to obtain the entire good. I assume that one player's valuation of the good is private information and show how this affects the expected cost of the contest and thus the probability of peaceful settlement.

The purpose of this study is to describe and provide a critical review of a program called peer mediation currently adapted by a Montreal Area Anglophone School Board or MAASB. This program was implemented to address the growing incidence of violence and conflict within MAASB high schools. This study focuses on the objectives that the MAASB established in addressing the problem of violence in their high schools and the peer mediation programs' ability to meet these objectives based on the claims it purports to. Described and examined in this study is the setting in which peer mediation becomes a suitable "response" to conflict and violence in high schools and including: the role and responsibilities of schools; some of the sources and causes of violence; some of the challenges facing adolescents; and the links between violence as the problem, peer mediation as a possible solution, and the role schools play to make this happen. Of specific interest and addressed in this study is whether or not the peer mediation program is resolving violence and conflict at the source, or if the program serves primarily as problem management. Following a qualitative approach to research, observation and interviews were conducted using semi-structured and open-ended methods. This study also includes some recommendations for further research.

(Trade union recognition for the Swaziland Sugar Manufacturing and Refining Industry 1982 - 1992 from a human resources management perspective). This study has attempted to consider the complexities of labour relations and industrial conflict within a developing African country. A major case study was followed. The research covers the ten year period 1982 - 1992 and follows the interaction and conflict between management Representative of employers and trade union leaders in Swaziland's major strategic industry. The specific conflict issue was that of recognition by the employers of a trade union, as the sole collective bargaining agent for workers within the sugar manufacturing and refining industry. Both parties were constrained within the parameters of legislation more applicable to an industrialised nation than to a third world state. Interaction between participants in an industrial work place occurs within the ambience of the wider society but values, norms and ideologies are reflected individually and in the various sub-systems of that society. A prevailing ideology however pervades the total socio-economic and political system ordered through a framework of rules and regulations determined and approved by the governing elite. In one developing country, Swaziland, the authoritative framework for the industrial relations sub-system during the years 1982 - 1992, was based upon the Democratic Socialist ideology of Western industrially developed states, as catalogued and promoted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Organised labour's values and norms were identical to I. L. O. norms but the rank and file of the worker collectives in Swaziland rarely understood the concepts involved. Employers and managers marginally identified with the concepts but did not fully support their operationalisation. The hypothesis is that it was the impact of the respective values and norms of the employers and their representatives and union leaders which determined the processing of the conflict. The values and norms of industrialised society encapsulated in industrial relations concepts and the notion of collective bargaining embodied in Swaziland's labour legislation contributed little to the resolution of conflict over union recognition. Collective bargaining with its inherent compromise approach provided a model for conflict management and a forum for the exercise of attitudes and actions arising from individual and group values and norms; it did not provide guidelines for conflict resolution. Overt conflict was avoided but the underlying differences and the basic conflict itself were reinforced and prolonged for ten years. The study concludes with the suggestion that a locally developed conflict resolution strategy providing a structure for a consensus approach might have resulted in a long term collaborative environment for industrial relations. Such an environment could lead to economic stability and capital investment of benefit to employers and employees and of vital concern to a developing society.

Conflict has been viewed as an ugly element in human relationships which should be avoided at all costs. According to an article by Chanin and Schneer (1984) the traditional approach to conflict in organizational theory views conflicts as “Undesirable, detrimental, destructive, and unacceptable in organizations”. This thesis will examine the relationship between conflict handling strategies and Jungian personality dimensions. Since previous research has established preliminary findings about this relationship, it is the intention of this author to expand upon them.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Florida, 2002.
Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 52 p.; also contains graphics. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Dissertação apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Psicologia, ramo de Psicologia Clínica e da Saúde
O conflito faz parte da nossa vivência enquanto seres sociais em constante interação com os outros. Está cientificamente comprovado que a sua existência não é prejudicial, antes pelo contrário, promove o crescimento e o desenvolvimento. A Saúde é uma área em que, devido às dinâmicas que nelas se desenvolvem, se torna suscetível ao surgimento de conflitos entre os diversos atores intervenientes. Assim sendo, os estudos da gestão de conflitos e da negociação associada aos contextos de saúde têm vindo a ser tema de investigação, nomeadamente no contexto dos Cuidados de Saúde Primários, em modernização desde 2006. Neste sentido, os instrumentos de avaliação apresentam-se com um elemento chave para podermos caracterizar a situação em Portugal e, assim, podermos investir nas áreas em défice, planeando eventuais formações dirigidas às reais necessidades da nossa sociedade, o que seria benéfico não só para os utentes dos serviços de saúde, mas também para todos os profissionais de saúde e as próprias instituições de saúde. Deste modo, o presente estudo tem como objetivo analisar a qualidade da interação profissional de saúde-doente, bem como as estratégias de gestão de conflitos dos sujeitos selecionados na nossa amostra. Para tal, recorreu-se à aplicação do questionário da Qualidade da Interação Profissional de Saúde-Doente (QQPPI) e do Questionário DUTCH- Test For Conflict Handling. No que concerne aos participantes no estudo, estes são 150 utentes de uma Unidade de Saúde Familiar da Zona Centro. Os resultados obtidos foram positivos, e no que se refere ao seu cruzamento com as variáveis sócio-demográficas da amostra não há um estilo que se destaque em particular, tendo obtido diferenças significativas em todas elas á excepção da variável sexo. Quanto á qualidade da interação profissional de saúde-doente constatou-se que os utentes avaliam a mesma como razoável.
Conflict is part of our lives as social beings in constant interaction with others. It is scientifically proven that their existence is not harmful, on the contrary, promotes growth and development. Health is an area where, because of the dynamics that develop, becomes susceptible to the emergence of conflicts between the different agents. Therefore, the study of conflict management and negotiation associated with health contexts have been subject to research, particularly in the context of Primary Health Care in modernization since 2006. In this sense the assessment tools are presented with a key to be able to characterize the situation in Portugal and so we can invest in the areas in deficit, planning any training courses for the real needs of our society, which would be beneficial not only for users health services but also for all health professionals and the very health institutions. Thus, this study aims to analyze the quality of professional interaction Health-patient as well as the conflict management strategies used by them. To this end, based on a quantitative study, we used the questionnaire of Quality Interaction-Ill Health Practitioner (QQPPI), and the Questionnaire DUTCH- Test For Conflict Handling. Regarding the study participants, these are 150 users of a Family Health Unit in Downtown Area. The results were positive, and with regard to its intersection with the socio-demographic variables of the sample there are highlights that style in particular, having died significant differences in all of them with exception of the sex variable. As for the quality of professional interaction of health sick it was found that users evaluate the same as reasonable.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the causes and the ramifications of the political conflict in Ivory Coast from 2002 to 2009. A purposive sampling was used to select fourteen respondents. Qualitative methodology was used for the study. The data collection instruments were semi-structured interview questions, open-ended Semi-structured questionnaire and documentary analysis. The analysed data revealed that the causes of the conflict were: competition for scarce resources, bad governance, media incitement, xenophobia, incessant political power struggle and the proliferation of small fire arms entering the country. The effects experienced during the conflict were human rights violation, destruction of property including UN premises and displaced people both internally and externally. Some recommendations made include: Efforts should be made by the Government to strengthen good relationship among different ethnic groups and help them adapt to new challenges that confront democratic developments in the country. The Government should organise the South African style of Truth and Reconciliation Commission to revisit the horrors of the past in order to heal wounds and prevent future occurance of the conflict. Employment opportunities and other income generationg ventures for Ivorian should be created by the Government by attracting local and foreign investors. The numerous rebels should be given special skills training in other for them to be able to live among the communities in Ivory Coast. Government of national unity should be encouraged in situation like this. ECOWAS as well as AU should make sure that when disarmament instituted, it should be done properly. They should always monitor it and not to allow the arms to get into the country again. It is the hope of the researcher that this study makes a contribution towards the prevention of similar conflicts in Africa in the future.

Dissertação apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciências Empresariais
This research project explores the nature of conflict, the conflict process, conflict resolution skills and conflict management techniques in the case of workplace conflict in Centro Comunitário S. Cirilo. Conflict is a normal and natural aspect of life. Conflict becomes a problem in organizations when excessive levels of destructive conflict occur. Problematic levels of workplace conflict occur in approximately 10% of organizations. Attempts to address problem levels of destructive conflict are proving ineffective. Even in the US, Portugal and other parts of the world, where there has been widespread implementation of ADR based workplace conflict management systems, levels of destructive workplace conflict are raising. As ADR includes all the options to solve conflicts, this is a troublesome trend. A partial explanation for this is that there are many problematic areas in the theoretical framework on workplace conflict. For example, conflict theorists are focusing efforts on trying to consistently achieve win-win outcomes with conflicts that have become escalated and destructive, despite the evidence that once conflict has reached this point, win-win outcomes are unlikely to be achieved. The theoretical chapter gives an overview of sources and discusses types of conflict, conflict resolution skills and conflict management techniques. A semi-structured interview was used to reach both target groups: people that live and come in contact with the Center for psycho-social help, as well as the staff who are working in Centro Comunitário S. Cirilo (CCSC). We used in-depth interviews to reach the staff while using focus group discussion (FGD) to target other people who live and go for psycho-social help in the centre. During the interview a total of 23 people were reached: five staff and eighteen persons who live and come in contact with the Center. The results were analyzed using a Colaizzi's process for phenomenological data analysis approach. Open coding identified significant inconsistency and themes between much of what the conflict literature claimed and what was actually being experienced by workers, managers and other conflict professionals. The theoretical framework identifies the following as factors that contribute to destructive conflict in workplace: power, gender, culture and organizational culture. The conclusions of this research are that managers at Centro Communitário S. Cirilo (CCSC) are quite familiar with the conflict resolution process and the majority of them apply conflict resolution techniques. It is easy to achieve a win-win outcome when it comes to a person who lives in the Center with negotiation mediation and reconciliation but among the employees it is always difficult to achieve that because of tension and friction associated with their workplace. Finally, the research findings showed that the individuals holding the ultimate power in organizations, who are usually the CEOs/Directors, should be made personally responsible for the levels of conflict in their organizations. Potential implications of this research are that it has identified a theory that may help reduce problem levels of destructive workplace conflict both in Centro Comunitário S. Cirilo (CCSC) and in other countries experiencing the same workplace conflict dynamics.

The focus of this study was to determine whether sex-typed traits (instrumentality, expressiveness, androgyny) and type of conflict (interpersonal and moral) differentiate conflict management styles (dominating, integrating, and compromising) of women managers. The data were collected from 134 supervisors and managers (M age 40.1) from 12 branches of the federal government and 25 ministries and offices of the provincial government (British Columbia and the Yukon Territories). Each respondent completed the Bern Sex-Role Inventory and the Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory-II. Two research questions were posed. The first question examined whether managers resolved conflicts differently according to their sex-role orientation, regardless of the type of conflict. It was hypothesized that (a) high-instrumental managers would report greater use of the dominating conflict handling style, compared with low-instrumental managers, and (b) high-expressive managers would report greater use of the compromising conflict handling style, compared with low-expressive managers. The second research question examined whether managers resolved conflicts differently according to their sex-role orientation and the type of conflict engaged in (interpersonal or moral). It was hypothesized that high-instrumental managers would report greater use of the integrating conflict management style for interpersonal conflict, whereas they would report greater use of the dominating style for moral conflict. Also, it was predicted that androgynous managers would report greater use of the integrating conflict management strategy for both types of conflict, compared with managers who score high on the undifferentiated dimension. One 2 X 2 X 2 (High vs. Low Instrumentality X High vs. Low Expressiveness X Conflict Type) MANOVA was employed to test the hypotheses. Conflict type was used as the repeated measures factor as it was assessed twice (interpersonal conflict and moral/ethical conflict). Results supported the hypothesis that high-instrumental managers report greater use of the dominating conflict management strategy, compared with low-instrumental managers, F (1,130) = 10.20, p <.002. Analyses also revealed that both high-expressive and high-instrumental managers reported greater use of the integrating conflict management strategy (F (1,130) = 9.26, p <.003, and F (1,130) = 6.21, p <.01, respectively). This finding supports the hypothesis that androgynous managers report greater use of the integrating conflict management strategy, compared with undifferentiated persons. MANOVA, however, found no significant main effects by conflict type for expressiveness or instrumentality, thus failing to support the remaining hypotheses. Based on the study's findings, implications for future research and application are discussed.
Education, Faculty of
Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of
Graduate

This thesis discusses the work of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the field of conflict prevention, management and resolution, from 1990 until late 1998. Two theoretical perspectives, neo-realism and neo-liberal institutionalism, provide a framework for analysis. Both theories are able to highlight different strengthsa nd weaknesses in the OSCE's approach which are described in three case studies. However, neither theory can fully explain the findings of the case studies. In the thesis's conclusion the shortcomings of both theories are discussed and the gaps in explanation are explored by reference to constructivist approaches. Three case studies are described in order to demonstrate different facets of the OSCE's work. Macedonia provides an example of the OSCE's work in conflict prevention (it is in the field of conflict prevention that the OSCE is seen at its most successful). The second case study, Nagomo-Karabakh, examines the OSCE's handling of an ongoing conflict and attempts to arrange both a peace conference and a peacekeeping mission. The issues surrounding the conflict here demonstrate the complexity of external involvement in mediation and negotiation processes, and the difficulties of trying to find solutions that are acceptable to the parties in a context complicated further by the interests of external actors. The third case study is an analysis of the OSCE's engagement in the post-conflict reconstruction of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This reveals the problems of implementing aspects of an unsatisfactory peace agreement. The case study highlights the enormity of the tasks assigned to the OSCE and the lack of coherent international support for the organisation's work. It also discusses the effects of the interplay of both external and internal power political struggles on the OSCE's operations. The thesis concludes that the OSCE has in limited ways performed valuable work in all three case studies but that its real strengths are most apparent in the field of conflict prevention.

This thesis explores conflict and its management among Quakers by probing deeply the dynamics of cultural and social change. This interpretation is based on three months of participant observation, semi-structured interview with informants, and a brief literature review of Quaker literature regarding conflict management. Conflict was examined by revising the model employed by Clifford Geertz to study social change. The model uses the concepts of social structure, culture and self to identify potential areas of conflict among Quakers. Four constructions are identified. The first, 'The Principled Construction of Conflict is based on Quaker principles of conflict and its management found in their formal statements. The 'Conceptual Definitions' come from the informants conscious attempts to define 'conflict.' A 'Folk Construction' is based on the informants informal discussions about conflict. A'Practiced Construction of Conflict' deals with the manner Quakers go about managing conflict in their daily behavior.
Department of Anthropology

Applied research project (D. Min.)--School of Theology and Missions, Oral Roberts University, 2005.
Includes abstract and vita. Translated from Korean. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 164-167).