ABSTRACT
Conflict is a basic organizational process that needs managing. Some conflict scholars argue that conflict is vital to continuous improvement in organizations and that conflict management is crucial to its successful use. Many managers, however, believe they should eliminate conflict from their organizations. This chapter describes conflict as happening in episodes. As the conflict episodes rise and fall, periods of cooperation might occur. Task groups where members must work together to reach their goals often display a common pattern. The chapter's perspective does not view conflict as bad for an organization or suggest that managers should remove all conflict. This perspective views conflict as an inevitable part of organization life and as necessary for organizational growth and survival. Conflict management, including both increasing and decreasing conflict, is a basic responsibility of any manager. Functional conflict works toward the goals of an organization or a group. Dysfunctional conflict blocks an organization or a group from reaching its goals.
