ABSTRACT
There does exist a theory of conflict, proposed by Karl Marx and developed by others. There is considerable interest in conflict and disputes from a psychological, through a sociological to a commercial perspective. It used to be thought that all conflict was a bad thing. Among the first to question this was Mary Parker Follett, who developed the concepts of functional and dysfunctional conflict. The generally accepted view now is that conflict and dispute are different. The difference however is less easily explained. The widely held view is that conflict, which is all around in Western dialectic, may develop into dispute (although some argue the complete opposite that dispute is all around and conflict is the stronger term).
