An Exploratory, Comparative Perspective on the Dynamics of Conflict in American Professional Organizations

In: Journal of applied sociology - Sociological practice: a journal of applied and clinical sociology ; an official publication of the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology, Volume os-20, Issue 2, p. 42-64

Abstract

Using an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspective, this study explores the dynamics of conflict and its resolution in a group of American professional organizations. The analysis is performed on a convenience sample of 318 professionals. The context for the study covers seminal studies on organizational conflict in national and international settings. Issues explored include the prevalence and intensity of conflict; relationships among power, cliques, and conflict; the use of non-professional decision criteria in professional decisions and their implications for conflict; and conflict resolution styles. The results point out several new directions that may contribute toward the development of a more comprehensive social-psychological theory of organizational conflict.