Psychoeducational Interventions on Conflict Resolution Styles among Individuals Involved in Commuter Marriages

Couples in commuter marriages who live apart face many challenges, such as having ineffective communications which lead to conflict. Couples who use a positive and constructive conflict resolution style, have a better chance of getting a better quality of marital life. This intervention aims to provide psychoeducation to participants in order to understand conflict resolution styles that can be applied when dealing with and resolving conflicts in commuter marriages. The evaluation of the intervention effect was carried out by comparing the knowledge and skill to the application of conflict resolution styles, before and after the intervention. After being given psychoeducation, it was found that 25 participants changed the resolution style they would use when experiencing conflict with their partner. While the other 5 participants still chose the same resolution style. In conclusion, through this psychoeducation, participants have new knowledge about various resolution styles that can be used, and according to the conflict conditions experienced by each partner.

LEVEL OF CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLE AND COMMITMENT OF BACHOK DISTRICT SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

Interpersonal conflict is a very common and unavoidable phenomenon in any organization including schools. Therefore, it requires an approach to handle it to ensure the effectiveness of the organization on an ongoing basis, and whether directly or indirectly it affects the commitment of teachers in the school. The purpose of this study is to identify the level of the conflict management style of teachers, especially in day secondary schools in the district of Bachok, Kelantan. A total of 173 teachers from five schools in the Bachok district in Kelantan participated in this study. The results of the study show that the level of each dimension of conflict management is at a high level. While the level of each dimension of teacher commitment is also at a high level. In addition, the results of the study showed that there were no significant differences in conflict management styles based on gender, age, teaching experience, and educational level. Researchers have suggested that the MOE take several initiatives to reduce conflict among teachers by providing exposure through training, courses, workshops, and seminars on effective and constructive conflict management to increase teachers' commitment towards further excellence in the field of education today.

CURRENT ASPECTS OF STRATEGIC CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN THE SYSTEM OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The article examines the current components of strategic conflict management at the local government level. The importance of constructive conflicts that can prevent stagnation and stimulate further development of systems is emphasized. It is established that conflict management is aimed at choosing a method that will minimize the impact of negative emotions, give an objective description of the situation, determine further constructive actions of the parties to the conflict. It is emphasized that management without conflicts is impossible and the main strategies of conflict management in the system of local government are presented. It is noted that constructive conflict resolution provides certain options. Methods of conflict resolution, as well as their positive and negative sides, are described. The author's vision of an effective conflict management algorithm in the system of local government is presented and the need for proper assessment of the risk of conflicts to increase the effectiveness of this process is emphasized. Keywords: conflict management, local government, risk management, strategic conflict management, conflict resolution.

Unraveling the Role of Shared Vision and Trust in Constructive Conflict Management of Family Firms. An Empirical Study From a Mixed Methods Approach

Family firms are a unique setting to study constructive conflict management due to the influence of family ties of the owning family imprinting a sense of common purpose and shared destiny, and high levels of trust. We study the relationship between shared vision and trust that intervene in the adoption of constructive conflict management. To achieve our purpose, we carried out a systematic indirect observation using a mixed methods approach. We used the narratives of 17 semi-structured interviews, audio-recorded and transcribed, of family and non-family managers or directors from five Spanish family firms in the siblings' partnership stage, combined with documentary data obtained from different sources. Intra- and inter-observer reliability were confirmed. Results show a dynamic relationship between shared vision and specific components of trust (benevolence and ability) at different levels of conflict management. We also provide evidence of specific processes of concurrence-seeking and open-mindedness in family and ownership forums accounting for the relevance of family governance in these type of organizations. Family firms are a sum of several subsystems which exhibit a particular resources configuration. This study sheds light on constructive conflict management in family firms opening interesting avenues for further research and offering practical implications to managers, owners, and advisors.

Adapted Self-Affirmation and Conflict Management in Romantic Relationships

Conflict can threaten our romantic relationships if managed ineffectively. Because destructive conflict responses are often fueled by self-protection motives, we theorized that protecting the self via self-affirmation could foster more constructive conflict responses. But how might people spontaneously use self-affirmation to improve their conflict practices? In a longitudinal intervention study (N=242) with romantic couples, we tested whether instructing partners to place themselves in the frame of mind that self-affirmation theoretically fosters—a big-picture focus that cultivates an expansive view of the self and reflection on one’s important values—could help people manage their conflicts more effectively. Compared to a control condition, couples who were instructed to take this “big-picture” focus reported more constructive conflict responses (e.g., empathy; responsiveness) and greater relationship functioning (e.g., higher relationship quality; lower avoidance) both immediately and one year after the intervention. This study thus offers a strategy people can use at will to improve their relationships.

TRAINING IN MEDIATION: APPLICATION ON THE COMMUNICATION MODEL

Teaching the participants of the conflict to conduct a communication is an important process in the mediation. A positive result of the mediation, i.e., resolution of the conflict, is impossible without teaching the participants the rules of a conflict-free communication; that will allow them to avoid conflict situations in society also in future. The publication considers a model of communication between the participants in the conflict as well as the mediator. The model is built on the basis of an analysis of the principles of existing communication models and experience of a practicing mediator. The types of communication noises (including constructs as communication barriers) have been identified and classified, and techniques for detecting these noises has been proposed. By selecting and studying them the mediator has the opportunity to effectively arrange a training for the participants of the conflict. The objective of the study is to build a communication model in a mediation, taking into account semantic and psychological noises; to demonstrate the role of a mediator in a constructive conflict resolution for dialogue teaching; to determine the mediator’s tools. The theoretical study is based on the analysis and assessment of philosophical, pedagogical and psychological literature and a mediation practice. Results: a model of communication in the process of mediation, questionnaire for identifying noises and a processing algorithm for it to determine the methodology for teaching communication to the participants of the conflict.

Investigating the mechanism linking task conflict with employees’ innovative work behavior

Purpose The effect of task conflict on innovative work behavior has yielded inconsistent results pointing to the need to examine the conditions under which task conflict is helpful for employees’ innovative work behavior. This study aims to develop a comprehensive model linking task conflict and innovative work behavior through constructive conflict, positive conflict value, cognitive flexibility and psychological safety. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 316 supervisor–subordinate dyads working in software development and high-technology companies located in Saudi Arabia. The research model was tested using partial least squares approach. Findings Results show that constructive conflict mediates the relationship between task conflict and innovative work behavior. Moreover, positive conflict value and cognitive flexibility mediate the effect of constructive conflict on innovative work behavior. Finally, psychological safety positively moderates the effect of positive conflict value and cognitive flexibility on innovative work behavior. Originality/value This study suggests that constructive conflict, cognitive flexibility, positive conflict value and psychological safety are important mechanisms that explain the link between task conflict and innovative work behavior.

Pathways to connection: An intensive longitudinal examination of state and dispositional hope, day quality, and everyday interpersonal interaction

Building on hope theory, this study demonstrates that state and trait hope are associated with daily interpersonal experiences. Multilevel modeling of daily diary data ( N = 127 adults) indicated that state hope—composed of the dual factors of pathways (i.e., the ability to devise routes toward goals) and agency (i.e., motivation to pursue devised routes)—was negatively associated with amount of daily interpersonal conflict, positively associated with constructive conflict management when conflict occurred, and negatively associated with daily challenges in maintaining relationships. These relationships were found largely at the within-person level. Further, and consistent with central tenets of hope theory, moderated multilevel models showed that within-person state pathways and agency thinking were more strongly associated with day quality on days when individuals experienced higher-than-usual levels of relational maintenance challenges. Finally, in an extension of hope theory, multilevel models showed that dispositional pathways and between-person state agency were positively linked to momentary feelings of connection as captured by experience sampling over a 7-day period. Overall, the findings contribute to the continued expansion of hope theory into the study of social and personal relationships.