Conflict Management for Managers: Resolving Workplace, Client, and Policy Disputes

Raines masterfully blends the latest empirical researchon workplace conflict with practical knowledge, skills, and toolsto effectively manage and prevent a wide range of conflictepisodes. This is a highly applicable top shelf book that will assist anyone from the aspiring manager to top levelmanagement and leadership in the public, private, and nonprofitsectors. It will also be a fast favorite of professors, trainers,and students of business and conflict management.
– Brian Polkinghorn, Distinguished Professor, Centerfor Conflict Resolution, Salisbury University.
 
With her broad dispute resolution, teaching, and editingexperience, Susan Raines is uniquely qualified to organize what isknown about conflict management in the workplace. She has succeededin providing private, public, and nonprofit managers withaccessible concepts and tools to deal effectively with the internaland external conflicts they must confront every day. Essentialreading for all managers!
– Alan E. Gross, senior director, training coordinator,New York Peace Institute

After reading an advance copy of Raine s impressivebook, I can t wait to begin to use it as a seminal text in myclasses in organizational conflict. I am amazed at her ability tocover so well such disparate subjects as systems design, publicpolicy disputes, small and large group processes, customerconflicts, conflicts in a unionized environment, and conflictswithin regulatory contexts. Her user–friendly writing style isenhanced by her salient examples of exemplary and mistake–ladenpractices within public and private sector organizations. A must–read for scholars, students, and practitionersinterested in organizational conflict.
– Neil H. Katz, professor, Conflict Analysis andResolution, Nova–Southeastern University

Conflict management skills are essential to amanager s success. Raines, a leading scholar andpractitioner, provides a comprehensive and strategic new guide tothese critical skills and how to use them in anyorganization.
– Lisa Blomgren Bingham, Keller–Runden Professor ofPublic Service, School of Public and Environmental  Affairs,Indiana University

Figures and Tables ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction xiii

PART ONE Conflict Management Knowledge and Skills 1

ONE Manager Know Thyself 5

TWO Theory to Practice 33

THREE The Power of Negotiation 69

FOUR The Alternative Dispute Resolution Process Continuum 97

PART TWO Preventing and Resolving Internal Conflict 131

F I V E Causes and Cures for Employee Turnover 133

S I X Building Successful Teams and Organizations 165

SEVEN Conflict Management in Unionized Environments 199

EIGHT Designing Disputing Systems for Organizations 227

PART THREE Preventing and Resolving External Conflicts 267

NINE Prevention and Resolution of Conflicts with Clients, Customers, and Vendors 269

TEN Case Studies of Organizational Success Through Exemplary Customer Conflict Management 293

PART FOUR Collaboration and Conflict Management Between Regulators and the Regulated 315

ELEVEN Public Policy Decision Making and Collaboration 317

TWELVE Designing and Facilitating Effective Large–Group Processes 353

Conclusion 391

Glossary 401

References 423

About the Author 445

Index 447