Learning to Manage Conflict: Getting People to Work Together Productively

Tjosvold, a business professor at Canada's Simon Fraser University, maintains that most people view conflict as a villain, and this compels them to mismanage discord, a short-term ``solution'' that Tjosvold severely criticizes. Rather, he argues, we should perceive conflict as an inevitable part of life and work with ``conflict partners'' to manage friction effectively at home and in the office. In this impressive study, he provides a framework designed ``to strengthen your abilities to deal with differences that threaten to divide you.'' Tjosvold's narrative is clear, especially when he is explaining various conflict-management procedures; and his succinct ``guides for action'' and ``pitfalls to avoid'' should be intriguing to readers. Of special interest are Tjosvold's perceptive thoughts about ``managing anger at home and work'' and a lengthy but captivating case history in which he illustrates problems associated with conflict management. Regrettably, there are no footnotes in the book; and the list of references is long on Tjosvold's articles and short on other pertinent studies. (Mar.)