Acquisition in Multinational Coperation Essay

Purpose This bustleceptual composing aims to draw upon recent complexness and organizational psychology literature to examine hornswoggle gameict incidents, exploring the limitations of the predominant explore paradigm that treats shirkict episodes as f arring in sequence, as discrete isolated incidents. Design/methodology/ surface The paper addresses a long-standing impression in gipict solicitude inquiry, which is that the predominant typology of memoriseict is discoverf utilise. The complexity stance challenges the fundamental paradigm, which has dominated research in the cabbageict age, in which victimiseict episodes bechance in sequence and in isolation, with buss utilize unmatchable predominant put to work of stingict resolution doings.Findings The ndings are dickens-fold rst, the behavioural strategies dealed in the solicitude of these checkicts will be super complex and will be de limitined by a list of inuencing factors and se checkd, t his belongs possibility beyond the dickens attributeal duel bunko gamecern opinion, in that the adaptable manager relations with these multiple, simultaneous filchicts will also need to insect bitesider the possible meanings of their chosen dodge along with the ever-changing little environment in which they operate.Originality/value This paper adds value to the eld of flurryict guess by moving beyond two dimensions and exploring a sequent t severallytingency eyeshot for gipict counseling deep down the organization. It argues that multiple chiselict episodes rear occur simultaneously, requiring managers to use differing behaviors for successful discoverict counseling. Keywords adoict anxiety, readict resolution, Organizational gypict, Individual behaviour, Inter mortalal relationsPaper part flimflamceptual paperInternational daybook of filchict focussingVol. 21 none 2, 2010pp. 186-201q Emerald Group Publishing Limited1044-4068inside 10.1108/10444061011 037404IntroductionIt is now over 40 years since Louis Pondy (1967) wrote his seminal member on seeict inwardly the organization and its care and almost 20 years since his reections on his earlier work were promulgated (Pondy, 1989)1. In 1967 Pondy nominateed what was for two decades the generally accepted paradigm of takeict that seeict episodes occur as temporary disruptions to the new(prenominal)wise cooperative kins which make up the organization (Pondy, 1967). In his later(prenominal) reections on his earlier work and that of opposites, Pondy jut appeard that find outict is an inherent feature of organizational life, quite than an occasional breakdown of cooperation (Pondy, 1989). This radically challenged the previous paradigm. Indeed, Pondy (1989) even suggested that research into the phenomenon of cooperation within the organization could be benecial in providing further insight into memorizeict within the organization, implying that it was cooperation, not to yict, which was the anomalous state requiring investigation. Yet, for almost two decades, Pondys pick upceptualization of instructict as a natural state for the organization has remained largely unexplored despite the emergence of a complexity situation which explores multiple elements of the hookict situation or cooperative state. One possible fountain why Pondys challenge has not been answered is that some surprise has arisen over the legal injury and typologies used for the classication of cabbageict episodes. Consequently, debates around seeict structure or composition perk up tended to dominate the research agenda. The potential for adofusion arising from these various pangict classications will be discussed in this paper. Where conict counseling behaviors agree been studied, researchers put on tended to tenseness on a savourless accession path or dual concern speculation model (Thomas, 1976) which suggests that respective(prenominal)s assume conict cent ering behaviors based on their perceived self interests and those of early(a)s i.e. concern for self (competitive behaviors) versus concern for other (accommodating behaviors). Although this approach to the research of conict and its management ts well with Pondys (1967) original paradigm, it is challenged by the complexity panorama that has emerged in psychology research. The complexity locating of intraorganizational conict maintains that inter personalised affinitys are more complex than even so thought, and that the unfolding conict is inuenced by a wide variety of chassiss. Moreover the complexity perspective encourages the musing of simultaneous complexity (more than wiz event occurring simultaneously) and of how the mode of conict management affects the terminations (Munduate et al., 1999). This fresh perspective has enabled researchers to examine the point at which behavioural personal manner is dislodged and the effect on the conict episode (Olekalns et al., 1996 ) and to depend at how diverse behaviors are combined (Janssen et al., 1999).With the recent developments in the complexity perspective of conict management research (Van de Vliert et al., 1997 Munduate et al., 1999), the time has come to further explore the possible consequences of the complexity perspective whether it is in fact the case that conict is an inherent condition within the organization (Pondy, 1989) whether conict episodes donot occur in isolation but occur frequently and simultaneously (Euwema et al., 2003) and whether complex sequences of adaptive behaviors are require to continually manage the constantly changing intraorganizational, conict environment. Before we house do this, and to provide a common ground for discourse, we rst need to examine some of the theories around conict typology that have arisen in the psychology and management literature and which may be the cause of some confusion.Conict terms and typologiesConict is a bulky construct that has been studied extensively across several disciplines covering a wide govern of social interactions. Previous conict research has identied four main levels of conict in the background of human behavior and relationships as summarized by Lewecki et al. (2003)(1) Intergroup conicts between groups of privates which chamberpot range in coat and complexity due to the m both relationships involved, including international conict between nations.(2) Intragroup or intraorganizational conicts arising within smaller groups which comprise the organization.A re-evaluationof conict theory187IJCMA21,2188(3) Interpersonal conict that is, conict at an single level, conict between individuals, or conict between an individual and a group. (4) Intrapersonal conict on a personal level, where the conict occurs in unmatcheds own mind.Although these four levels of conict all calculate across both the psychology and management literature, it is the third level (interpersonal conicts within the organizati on or the reactions an individual or group has to the comprehension that two parties have aspirations that cannot be achieved simultaneously) that has buzz off the central eld of research within the organization (Putnem and Poole, 1987). In 1992, Thomas proposed a simplied denition of interpersonal conict as the put to work which begins when an individual or group feels negatively affected by another individual or group. The conict consists of a perception of barriers to achieving ones goals (Thomas, 1992). More recently, interpersonal conict has been dened as an individuals perceptions of incompatibilities, differences in views or interpersonal incompatibility (Jehn, 1997). Conict at this level has mostly been seen as adversarial and as having a negative effect upon relationships (Ford et al., 1975). These denitions presuppose that an opposition or incompatibility is perceived by both parties, that some interaction is fetching place, and that both parties are able to inuence or render involved that is. that on that point is some detail of interdependence (Medina et al., 2004). Interpersonal conict could arise within organizations where, for example, customer-facing departments such(prenominal) as Sales make promises to customers that other departments then have to deliver. In this domain of intraorganizational, interpersonal conict, both Pondys (1966, 1967) work and recent developments adopting the complexity perspective are of particular interest This broad area of intraorganizational, interpersonal conict has been further subdivided into two types relationship conict and confinement conict. relationship conict arises between the actors through their subjective sensational positions, whereas occupation conict relates primarily to the more bearing tasks or issues involved (Reid et al., 2004). A series of studies conrmed this duality between relationship and task. Wall and nonean (1986) identied people oriented versus task oriented conict. In the e arly to mid-1990s Priem and Price (1991), Pinkley and nary(prenominal)thcraft (1994), Jehn (1995) and Sessa (1996) all identied relationship and task as discrete aspects of conict. The picture became rather more complicated in the late 1990s. In 1995 Amason et al. redened conict types as affective and cognitive and in 1999 Van de Vliert further redened these types as task and person conict. In working toward a more comprehensive model ofintraorganizational, interpersonal conict, Jameson (1999) suggested iii dimensions for conict(1) content(2) relational and(3) situational.The content dimension encompasses the previously discussed conict types (affective, cognitive, relationship etc) while the relational dimension considers the subjective, perceived variables within the relationships of the actors involved .trust.status....A re-evaluationof conict theoryseriousnessdegree of interdependencerecord of success andthe form of actors involved.The situational dimension examines the varia bles which may be most relevant in selecting an appropriate conict management strategy. These include time pressure, the potential stupor of the conict episode, the degree of escalation and the range of options available in the management of the conict episode (Jameson, 1999). Meanwhile, Sheppard (1992) criticized the multiplicity of terms that were being used to attract types of interpersonal conict, and the needless confusion that this caused. Theresult of the m any approaches describe above is that on that point is no general model for the typology of interpersonal conict within the organization. In the absence of such a model, other researchers have taken different approaches, using the antecedents of the conict episode to describe conict types. Examples of this proliferation include manipulation conict (Walker et al., 1975), gender conict (Cheng, 1995) and goal conict (Tellefsen and Eyuboglu, 2002). This proliferation of terms or typologies has unsurprisingly led to confus ion, most noticeably with the term interpersonal conict being used to describe stringently relationship or emotional conict (Bradford et al., 2004) or conict being dened in terms of emotion only, adding to the wide range of terms already used (Bodtker and Jameson, 2001). Thus, at a time when international, interorganizational, intraorganizational, interpersonal and intrapersonal conicts are being extensively studied with conict dened and operationalized in a variety of miens, no widely accepted and consistent model has emerged to shape conict research (Reid et al., 2004). Table I summarizes the many different conict typologies that have been proposed. Table I illustrates that relationship and task conict are almost universally accepted as distinct types of interpersonal conict by psychology and management researchers. DateAuthor(s)Conict typology198619911994199519951996199619971999199920002000200220032003200420042005Wall and noneanPriem and PricePinkley and nonethcraftJehnAmaso n et al.SessaAmasonAmason and SapienzaJamesonJanssen et al.Friedman et al.Jehn and ChatmanTellefsen and EyubogluBradford et al.De Dreu and WeingartReid et al.Tidd et al.Guerra et al.People oriented, task orientedRelationship, taskRelationship, taskRelationship, taskCognitive, affective caper, person orientedAffective, cognitiveAffective, cognitiveContent, relational, situationalTask, person orientedRelationship, taskTask, relationship, attendGoal conictsInterpersonal, taskRelationship, taskRelationship, taskRelationship, taskRelationship, task189Table I.A summary of thetypologies of conictIJCMA21,2190In addition, many researchers have identied a third type of conict which relates to the environment in which managers operate, draw as situational conict ( Jameson, 1999) or process conict ( Jehn and Chatman, 2000). We believe that a consistent conict typology is called for, to avail future research into the complex nature of intraorganizational conict. In this paper, we propose that future researchers should recognize common chord types of interpersonal conict. However, since the terms relationship and task are vulnerable to misinterpretation we uphold using the terms affective and cognitive (following Amason, 1996 and Amason and Sapienza, 1997), in conjunction with process (Jehn and Chatman, 2000), to describe the three types of interpersonal conict. These terms, which reect the more specic terminology used in the psychology literature, are dened in Table II. As Table II shows, the typology we propose is as follows. Affective Conict isa term describing conicts concerned with what people think and feel about their relationships including such dimensions as trust, status and degree of interdependence (Amason and Sapienza, 1997). Cognitive Conict describes conicts concerned with what people know and understand about their task, roles and functions. edge Conict relates to conicts arising from the situational setting, the organization structure, strategy or cu lture (Amason and Sapienza, 1997 Jehn and Chatman, 2000). development this typology for conict between individuals or groups of individuals within the organization avoids confusion over the use of the terms interpersonal, person or relationship often used when referring to affective conict, while task conict is clearly distingui unload from process conict, addressing all the issues previously describe. These terms will therefore be used throughout the balance of this paper. Having argued that taxonomic confusion has hindered conict research through the misuse of existing taxonomies (Bradford et al., 2004) or where language has resulted in the use of different terms to describe the same conict type (see Table I), we now move on to consider the insinuations or consequences of intraorganizational conict and whether it is al demeanors negative or can have positive consequences (De Dreu, 1997). Consequences of conict usable or dysfunctional?Some researchers exploring attitudes towar ds conict have considered the consequences of conict for individual and group performance (Jehn, 1995) and have found that interpersonal conict can have either functional (positive) or dysfunctional (negative) outcomes for team and individual performance (e.g. Amason, 1996). Moreover, the consequences of conict can be perceived and felt in different focussings by different actors experiencing the conict episode (Jehn and Chatman, 2000). Thus, conict is situationally and perceptually relative.Conict typeAffectiveTable II.A proposed taxonomy ofconictDenitionConicts concerned with what people think and feel about their relationships with other individuals or groupsCognitiveConicts concerned with what people know and understand about their taskProcessConicts arising from the situational context, the organization structure, strategy or cultureThe traditional view of conict takes the view that conict exists in opposition to co-operation and that conict is wholly dysfunctional, putting the focus on resolution rather than management (e.g. Pondy, 1966). This perspective can be traced forrader to more recent work. Where conict is dened as the process which begins when one person or group feels negatively affected by another (Thomas, 1992), there is an implication of obstruction to either party achieving their goals, which is readily interpreted negatively. This can result in conict turning a mien or suppression of conict management behavior, leading to perceived negative consequences on team or individual performance (De Dreu, 1997). Negatively-perceived conict episodes can increase tension and antagonism between individuals and lead to a lack of focus on the required task (Saavedra et al., 1993 Wall and noan, 1986) while avoidance and suppression can also have long term negative consequences such as stiing creativity, promoting groupthink and causing an escalation in any existing conict (De Dreu, 1997). none surprisingly, where interdependence is negative (where one party wins at the expense of the other although they have some dependency in their relationship) any conict will be viewed negatively (Janssen et al., 1999). The perception of conict will also be negative where the conict is personal, resulting in personality clashes, increased striving and frustration. This type of relationship conict can impede the decision-making process as individualsfocus on the personal aspects rather than the task related issues (Jehn, 1995). In contrast to the somewhat negative perception of intraorganizational conict outlined above, more recent conict management theory has begun to suggest that certain types of conict can have a positive effect upon relationships and that the book binding hat route to this outcome is through acceptance of, and effective management of, inevitable conict, rather than through conict avoidance or suppression (De Dreu, 1997). When individuals are in conict they have to address major issues, be more creative, and see diff erent aspects of a problem. These challenges can mitigate groupthink and stimulate creativity (De Dreu, 1997). Naturally, where there is high positive interdependence (an agreeable outcome for both parties), the conict episode will be viewed much more positively (Janssen et al., 1999). Moreover, Jehn (1995) has suggested that task- and issue-based cognitive conict can have a positive effect on team performance. Groups who generate cognitive conict have a greater understanding of the assignments at hand and are able to make better decisions in dealing with issues as they arise (Simons and Peterson, 2000). For example, research has shown that, when individuals are exposed to a devils advocate, they are able to make better judgments than those not so exposed (Schwenk, 1990). Schulz-Hardt et al. (2002) suggested that groups make better decisions where they started in disagreement rather than agreement. In these examples, conict has a functional (useful and positive) outcome. We have ar gued that the notion of functional conict has shifted the eld of conict research a counselling from conict resolution and towards condition of the management behaviors which can be select in dealing with conict in localise to gain the outstrip possible outcome (De Dreu, 1997 Euwema et al., 2003). Next, we examine research into conict management behaviors and explore some of the managerial tools that have been developed to friend managers to deal with intraorganizational, interpersonal conict. Conict management behaviorsConict management can be dened as the actions in which a person typically engages, in response to perceived interpersonal conict, in order to achieve a desired goalA re-evaluationof conict theory191IJCMA21,2192(Thomas, 1976). Demonstrably, conict management pays off previous research has indicated that it is the way in which conict episodes are addressed which determines the outcome (Amason, 1996). However, there is disagreement between researchers as to the degr ee to which managers can and do adopt different conict management behaviors. Previous research has considered three different approaches the one best way perspective (Sternberg and Soriano, 1984) the contingency or situational perspective (Thomas, 1992 Munduate et al., 1999 Nicotera, 1993) and the complexity or conglomerated perspective (Van de Vliert et al., 1999 Euwema et al., 2003). Arguably the simplest perspective on conict management behavior is the one best way perspective (Sternberg and Soriano, 1984), which agues that one conict management style or behavior ( quislingism) is more effective than any other. However, it argues that individuals have a particular preferred behavioral predisposition to the way in which they handle conict. Thus, from the one best way perspective, the conict-avoiding manager may have a behavioral predisposition to avoidance strategies, whereas the accommodating manager may prefer accommodating solutions. In this paradigm, the most constructive sol ution is considered to be collaboration, since collaboration is always positively interdependent it has a joystick best outcome, generally described as win/win (Van de Vliert et al., 1997). The one best way approach suggests that a more aggressive, competitive, negatively interdependent approach (in fact, any conict management approach other than collaborative) can result in suboptimal outcomes (Janssen et al., 1999). However, the one best way perspective raises more questions than it answers. It does not exempt how managers are able to collaborate if theyhave a different behavioral predisposition, nor does it provide evidence that collaboration always produces the best outcome (Thomas, 1992). A more general problem with the one best way approach is that it may not be very useful if managers truly have little or no stop over their approach to conict management, the practical applications are limited. The one best way perspective does not consider the passage of time, that behavi ors could be changed or modied during any interaction, nor the effect any previous encounters may have on the current experience (Van de Vliert et al., 1997). Moving beyond the one best way perspective, in which only collaborative behaviors are considered to provide the most desirable outcome, the contingency perspective maintains that the optimal conict management behavior depends on the specic conict situation, and that what is appropriate in one situation may not be appropriate in another (Thomas, 1992). In this paradigm, the best approach is dependent upon the particular set of circumstances. The implications, which are very different to the one best way perspective, are that individuals can and should select the conict management behavior that is most likely to produce the desired outcome. Thus, conict management behaviors are regarded as a matter of preference (rather than innate, as in the one best way view), and the outcome is dependent on the selection of the most appropria te mode of conict management behavior. Until recently, conict research has been heavily inuenced by the one best way and contingency perspectives, focusing on the strength of a hotshot mode of conict management behavior (primarily collaboration) during a single conict episode (Sternberg and Soriano, 1984). Thus the one best way and contingency perspectives do not unavoidably offer a real-world view in which managers both can and do change their behaviors adapting to the situation perhaps trying different approaches to breaka deadlock or to improve their bargaining position taking into account changing circumstances in the microenvironment and the subsequent inuence upon the actions of individuals involved in any conict episode (Olekalns et al., 1996). A fresh approach is provided by the complexity perspective, which characterizes conicts as being high-power and multi-dimensional. In such circumstances, the best behavioral style in dealing with any one conictepisode may vary dur ing, or between, conict episodes (Medina et al., 2004 Nicotera, 1993). For conict in a complex world, incomplete the one best way nor the contingency perspective would necessarily produce optimal results. If conict does not occur discretely and individually (Pondy, 1992a), existing approaches may not describe the world as managers actually experience it. Arguably, these approaches have articially limited conict research to a at, two-dimensional model. To address the shortcomings of traditional research and to incorporate the complexity perspective into conict management theory, we need to move beyond two dimensions (Van de Vliert et al., 1997).beyond two dimensions of conict management theoryRecent work by Van de Vliert et al. (1997) and Medina et al. (2004) has expanded current theory through consideration of the complexity perspective. The complexity perspective argues that any reaction to a conict episode consists of multiple behavioral components rather than one single conict management behavior. In the complexity perspective, using a mixture of accommodating, avoiding, competing, compromising and collaborating behaviors throughout the conict episode is considered to be the rule rather than the elision (Van de Vliert et al., 1997).To date, studies taking a complexity approach to conict management have adopted one of three different complexity perspectives. The rst examines simultaneous complexity and how different combinations of behaviors affect the outcome of the conict (Munduate et al., 1999). The second complexity approach focuses on the point of behavioral change and the outcome, examining either the behavioral phases through which the participants of a conict episode pass, or apply temporal complexity to look at the point at which behavioral style changes and the effect on the conict episode (Olekalns et al., 1996). The third approach is the sequential complexity or conglomerated perspective, which is concerned with the different modes of conict m anagement behavior, how they are combined, and at what point they change during the interaction.The application of the complexity perspective to conict management researchhas revealed that managers use more than the ve behaviors suggested by the one best way perspective to manage conict. In their study of conglomerated conict management behavior, Euwema et al. (2003) argued that the traditional approach under-represents the individuals assertive modes of behavior and have as a result added confronting and process controlling, making seven possible behaviors (1) competing(2) collaborating(3) avoiding(4) compromising(5) accommodatingA re-evaluationof conict theory193IJCMA21,2194(6) confronting and(7) process controlling.Weingart et al. (1990) identied two types of sequential imitate Reciprocity, responding to the other party with the same behavior and Complementarity, responding with an opposing behavior. Applying a complexity perspective, the effectiveness of complementarity or reci procity behaviors will be contingent upon the situation, the micro-environment, the number of conict episodes, and the types of conict present. The sequential pattern may in itself be complex, being dependent both upon the current situation and on alter behaviors throughout the interaction. A further, often unrecognized implication of complexity in conict is that each conict episode could be unique, being composed of different proportions of each of the affective, cognitive and process conict types (Jehn and Chatman, 2000).The implication for conict management strategy and the choice of the most appropriate behavior is immense. Therefore, a new perspective is needed, in which conict and the response to conict is viewed as dynamic and changing over time, with each conict episode having a unique composition requiring a specic but exible approach in order to obtain the best possible outcome. We propose that this might result in a manager changing behavior during a conict episode, or indeed a manager adopting different behaviors for a number of conict episodes occurring simultaneously. In the next section, we take all these complex factors into account and propose a single, dynamic and comprehensive model of conict management behavior.Multiple, simultaneous conict episodesWe have shown that the eld of conict has become entangled in multiple terms and that research into conict management is struggling to reconcile two-dimensional models with the more complex situation encountered in the real world. A model is needed which considers the complexity of conict episodes and separates conict antecedents from conict types, recognizing that conict can relate to emotions and situations which have common antecedents. We propose that the way forward is to expand the conglomerated perspective into a sequential contingency perspective, in which the sequence of conict management behaviors adopted is dependent upon a number of inuencing factors in the micro-environment, the num ber of conict episodes being dealt with, their composition, and changes in the behaviors of the actors involved.A sequential contingency perspectiveThe sequential contingency perspective for intraorganizational, interpersonal conict proposes the adoption of an pick paradigm which is that conict is ever-present and ever-changing in terms of its nature or composition and that it is the way in which these continuous conicts is managed which determines the outcome of any conict episode and the nature of any subsequent conicts. Figure 1 provides a visual percept of Pondys (1992b) postmodern paradigm of conict and provides a foundation for the investigation of complex, multiple, simultaneous, intraorganizational conicts. This conceptual visualization of conict within the organizationprovides a multidimensional representation of conict from the paradigm that conict is an inherent feature of organizational life. It shows how, at any one given point in time,A re-evaluationof conict theory1 95Figure 1.A conceptual visualizationof multiple, simultaneousconictthere can be a number of conict episodes experienced (y axis), each with different intensities (z axis) and duration (x axis). In addition, we have argued that each conict episode will have a unique composition, being made up of different proportions of cognitive, affective and process elements.The implications for conict management theory are twofold rst, the behavioral strategies adopted in the management of these conicts will be highly complex and will be determined by a number of inuencing factors and second, this moves theory beyond the two dimensional duel concern perspective, in that the adaptable manager dealing with these multiple, simultaneous conicts will also need to consider the possible implications of their chosen strategy along with the changing micro environment in which they operate. Using this three-dimensional conceptual visualization of conict within the organization we propose a sequential cont ingency model for managing interpersonal conict within the organization (Figure 2). The prefatorial elements of the modeling in Figure 2 consider all the dimensions of conict and its management as previously discussed.the conict episode characteristics, the type and composition of any conict episode encountered (Amason, 1996 Jehn, 1995 Jehn, 1997 Pinkley and zero(prenominal)thcraft, 1994).the characteristics of the relationship(s) (Jehn, 1995).the characteristics of the individuals involved.the conict management behaviors and.the outcome of previous conict episodes (Van de Vliert et al., 1997).IJCMA21,2196Figure 2.A sequential contingencymodel for managingintra-organizational,interpersonal conictThe basic postulate of the model is that conict is a constant and inherent condition of the organization (that is, that conict episodes do not occur as isolated, anomalous incidents). Additionally, the effectiveness of the conict management behaviors in terms of its functionality or dysfun ctionality is contingent upon, and moderated by, the nature of the conict, the characteristics of the individuals and relationships involved, and experience of previous conict. Thus, this model provides a framework for dealing with multiple, simultaneous conict episodes moving beyond the tradition two-dimensional approach. future tense researchTo date there has been little empirical research into the degree to which individuals are able to adapt their behavior during an interaction, or on the value of the complexity perspective in dealing with complexintraorganizational conict. The future research agenda needs to explore conict through Pondys (1992b) alternative paradigm and expand on these supposed ndings by investigating intraorganizational, interpersonal conict in a number of ways. We therefore set out a research agenda framed in terms of four research propositions.First, taking the sequential contingency perspective and adopting Pondys (1989) alternative paradigm for conict wit hin the organization, research is needed to establish the occurrence of conict. Pondy (1992b) argues that, rather than a sequence of discrete isolated incidents, conict is an inherent condition of social interaction within the organization and that conict episodes occur simultaneously not sequentially. This would imply thatP1a. Conict is a constant condition of interorganizational, interpersonal relationships.A re-evaluationof conict theoryP1b. Multiple conict episodes occur simultaneously.P1c. Conict episodes are complex, having differing compositions of affective, cognitive and process elements which change over time.The complexity perspective recognizes that different conict situations call for different management behaviors (Van de Vliert et al., 1997). This implies that managers can call upon a much wider range of approaches to conict management than previously thought. Moreover there is a further implication, which is that managers are able to adapt their behavior during conic t episodes. Thus P2a. Managers use different behaviors to manage multiple conicts at any one time.P2b. Managers change their behavior over time during the same conict episode. A substantial branch of recent conict management research has focused on the outcomes of conict and has suggested that not all conict is negative (De Dreu, 1997 Simons and Peterson, 2000 Schultz-Hardt et al.,2002 Schwenk, 1990). accustomed this, we need a greater understanding of the effect that the behavior adopted has on the conict experienced, whether it apologise or agitated the situation, and the consequences for any subsequent conict (Amason, 1996). ThusP3a. The behaviors that managers use affect the outcome of the conict. P3b. The behaviors that managers use affect subsequent conicts. Finally, re-visiting Pondys (1989) alternative paradigm and incorporating the additional perspectives that come from consideration of conict outcomes and the application of the complexity perspective, we argue that more research is needed into the relationship between the behaviors that managers adopt and whether these behaviors represent the conscious adaptation of an optimal approach to conict management. ThusP4.Conict management involves adapting a set of behaviors through which a degree of co-operation is maintained, as opposed to the use of behavior(s) which resolve(s) discrete isolated incidents of conict.Our purpose in setting out a new model and research agenda for conict management research, together with a set of detailed research propositions, is to move the eld beyond the consideration of conict episodes as discrete, isolated incidents and to encourage the investigation of different behaviors in different circumstances and their effectiveness. Future research needs to consider the complexity of conict and adopt a research paradigm which considers the behavioral strategies within long term complex interpersonal relationships.ConclusionThis paper has offered four contributions to the eld of conict and conict management. The rst is the clarication of conict typologies set out in Table II. The197IJCMA21,2198second contribution is the notion that business enterprise managers handle multiple and simultaneous conict episodes that require different approaches to resolving them, so that the existing models proposed for conict management are unlikely to chime with their actual experience. The third contribution is to map this in the form of a new supposed model for conict management (Figure 2). The fourth contribution is to use this theoretical model to set out a set of research propositions to shape research that will shed light on the real conicts that managers have to face. Just 40 years on, and intraorganizational conict theory itself appears to be in conict. In order to resolve the apparent differences in research approach and perspective researchers need to establish some common ground upon which new theory can be empirically tested, allowing conict management theor y to move beyond two dimensions and to explore complexity whilst adding clarity. denounce1. 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Weingart, L.R., Thompson, L.L., Bazerman, H.H. and Caroll, J.S. (1990), Tactical behavior and negotiation outcomes, International Journal of Conict Management, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 7-31.Further readingAmason, A.C., Hochwarter, W.A., Thompson, K.R. and Harrison, A.W. (1995), Conict an important dimension in successful management teams, Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 20-35.Blake, R.R. and Mouton, J.S. (1964), The Managerial Grid, Gulf Publishing Co., Houston, TX. De Dreu, C. and Weingart, L.R. (2003), Task versus relationship conict, team performance, and team member satisfaction ameta-analysis, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 88 No. 4, pp. 741-9.Deutsch, M. (1973), The Resolution of Conict, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. Friedman, R., Tidd, S., Currall, S. and Tsai, J. (2000), What goes around comes around the impact of personal conict style on work conict and stress, International Journal of Conict Management, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 32-55.Guerra, M.J., Martinez, I., Munduate, L. and Medina, F.J. (2005), A contingency perspective on the study of the consequences of conict types the role of organizational culture, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 157-76. Lewicki, R.J. and Sheppard, B.H. (1985), Choosing how to intervene factors affecting the use of process and outcome control in third party dispute resolution, Journal of Occupational Behavior, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 49-64.Tidd, S.T., McIntyre, H. and Friedman, R.A. (2004), The importance of role ambiguity and trust in conict perception unpacking the task conict to relationship conict linkage, International Journal of Conict Management, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 364-84. About the authorsJames Speakman is Assistant prof of International Negotiation at IESEG Business School, a member of Catholic University of Lille, where his attentions are focused on sales and negotiation. After working for 16 years in appoint account management sales he completed his PhD research at Craneld School of Management, where, using the Critical Incident proficiency with an Interpretive Framework for coding to investigate intraorganizational, interpersonal conict and the behavioral sequences adopted in the management of these complex interpersonal, intraorganizational conict episodes. Other research interests include personal selling, past, present and future, where he conducted the US research for a multinational study on the future of personal selling an d negotiation in context where his research interests include multi-cultural negotiation. James Speakman is the corresponding author and can be contacted at I.SpeakmanIESEG.FRLynette Ryals specializes in key account management and marketing portfolio management, particularly in the area of customer protability. She is a Registered exemplar of the London Stock Exchange and a Fellow of the Society of Investment Professionals. She is the Director of Cranelds Key Account Management Best Practice Research Club, Director of the Demand Chain Management community and a member of Craneld School of Managements Governing Executive.To purchase reprints of this article please e-mail reprintsemeraldinsight.com Or visit our web site for further details www.emeraldinsight.com/reprintsA re-evaluationof conict theory201