This chapter dealt with conflict and conflict management. It should be emphasized that conflict may have some desirable consequences for the group. However, conflict that gets out of control may be destructive. Also, conflict between ideas is usually more productive than conflict between personalities.
As for personality and its relation to conflict, we would expect more conflict-producing behaviors from those high in aggression, dominance, and need for autonomy. Conversely, we would expect less conflict and more conflict-resolving attempts from those high in need for affiliation and nurturance. Other background factors that would probably relate to conflict include the degree of difference or heterogeneity in group members' ages, sex, values, attitudes, and beliefs. Consistency theories would lead us to believe that the greater and more numerous these differences are, the greater the group conflict and the lower the satisfaction level resulting from the discussions.
Perhaps one of the most important factors related to conflict is the style of leadership and the resulting group norms regarding conflict. In this chapter, we examined Blake and Mouton's Conflict Grid and Tubbs's (1993a) tells, sells, consults, and joins model. Both models seem to suggest practical methods for developing some leadership expertise in resolving conflicts.
