conflict

Conflict refers to some form of friction, disagreement, or discord arising within a group when the beliefs or actions of one of more members of the group are either resisted by or unacceptable to one or more members of another group. Conflict can arise between members of the same group, known as intragroup conflict, or it can occur between members of two or more groups, and involve violence, interpersonal discord, and psychological tension, known as intergroup conflict. Conflict in groups often follows a specific course. Routine group interaction is first disrupted by an initial conflict , often caused by differences of opinion, disagreements between members, or scarcity of resources. At this point, the group is no longer united, and may split into coalitions. This period of conflict escalation in some cases gives way to a conflict resolution stage, after which the group can eventually return to routine group interaction once again.

The following items are tagged conflict.

Conflict Management: The Challenges of Negotiating Long-Term Concerns

Posted by & filed under Conflict Management.

To protect the future interests of their organization, negotiators sometimes must accept fewer benefits or absorb greater burdens in the short run to maximize the value to all relevant parties – including future employees and shareholders – over time.

Suppose that the operations VPs of two subsidiaries of an energy company are preparing to negotiate the location of a new energy source within the company. Beta, the energy source, is limited in supply, but it is inexpensive and efficient to use in the present and grows in potency over time.

Conflict Resolution Lessons from the Home: How Conflict Management Skills Transform Discord Into Harmony

Posted by & filed under Conflict Resolution.

In Lessons in Life Diplomacy, the New York Times’ Bruce Feiler asks, how do we break out of negative patterns of conduct and proactively approach problems encountered in our everyday lives? His advice, gleaned from his own experiences as well as from the research of experts in the field of conflict management and dispute resolution, is actually quite simple on its face yet very complex in practice.

The Clash of Values in the Wake of the Arab Uprisings

Posted by & filed under Events, Student Events, The Kelman Seminar.

The Herbert C. Kelman Seminar on International Conflict Analysis and Resolution is pleased to present:
 
“The Clash of Values in the Wake of the Arab Uprisings”
with

Souad Mekhennet
Reporter for the New York Times, Der Spiegel, and ZDF (German Television),
2013 Nieman Fellow
and

Denis Sullivan
Professor of Political Science and Director of the Middle East Center for Peace, Culture, and Development,

PON Film Series Event: Mediating Public Disputes on Fracking

Posted by & filed under Events, MIT-Harvard Public Disputes Program, PON Film Series.

The PON Film Series is pleased to present:
Mediating Public Disputes on Fracking

Thursday, April 25, 2013
7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Austin Hall 111, Harvard Law School
Free admission; public welcome.  Pizza and drinks will be served.
About the event:

The Program on Negotiation invites the public to a special PON film series event on the topic of hydraulic fracturing, or

Confronting Evil Conference postponed to Saturday, April 20th

Posted by & filed under Events.

Harvard University is closed today due to an ongoing public safety situation in the area. This afternoon’s first session of the “Confronting Evil” conference is postponed until tomorrow morning, starting at 9:00.

Please check here for further updates later today.

Strategies for Negotiating More Rationally

Posted by & filed under Negotiation Skills.

In past articles, we have highlighted a variety of psychological biases that affect negotiators, many of which spring from a reliance on intuition.

Of course, negotiators are not always affected by bias; we often think systematically and clearly at the bargaining table.

Next Generation Grant Recipient Spotlight: Elizabeth McClintock

Posted by & filed under PON Next Generation Grants.

Twice-yearly, the Program on Negotiation runs the Next Generation Grant program, which supports research in negotiation and conflict resolution by non-tenured faculty and doctoral students. Recently Elizabeth McClintock, a Ph.D. candidate at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, was awarded a Next Generation Grant.

Ms. McClintock applied for the grant in support

Dispute Resolution Using Online Mediation

Posted by & filed under Mediation.

Suppose you want to hire a mediator to help you resolve a conflict that you’re having with an individual or a company, but for various reasons, meeting face-to-face would be difficult.

Perhaps you and the other party are located in different geographic areas. Maybe your dispute originated in an online transaction, and you’ve never even met. Or perhaps one of you feels threatened or intimidated by the other and is reluctant to meet in person.

Conflict Management: Obama Compromises on Birth Control Rule

Posted by & filed under Conflict Management.

On February 1, the Obama administration proposed a compromise to a federal policy requiring health insurance plans to provide free contraceptives to women.

The proposal would expand the number of groups that need not pay directly for birth control coverage, the New York Times reports. Some religiously affiliated hospitals, universities, and social service agencies would join churches and other religious organizations as exempted groups.

To Improve Your Negotiation Skills, Learn from a Pro

Posted by & filed under Negotiation Skills.

On February 16, in the midst of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) All-Star weekend, members of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) unanimously voted to oust Billy Hunter as the union’s executive director.

“This is our union and we have taken it back,” National Basketball Players Association president Derek Fisher said, as reported by ESPN.com. Fisher said the union had been “divided, misled, [and] misinformed,” by its leader. Hunter hinted in a statement that he might contest his firing in court.