Using Conflict-Management Surveys to Extricate Research Out of the “Ivory Tower”: An Experiential Learning Exercise

Abstract

Management scholars have encouraged newer approaches to management education combining cognitive lessons with active experiential activities. This article describes how surveys, originally intended for collecting conflict-management data, can be introduced in the classroom to catalyze a deeper understanding of conflict. This article exemplifies advances in management education paradigms using a data collection instrument to promote experiential classroom learning. It focuses on helping educators step out of their responsibilities as researchers and build bridges between their research and teaching roles. The article provides all information vis-à-vis the conflict-management activity: the survey, exercise guidelines, and detailed debriefing notes including PowerPoint supplements.

The Idea Factory

“…Over the past 30 years, management educators have acknowledged that although intergroup relationships are pervasive and essential to organizational life, they are often underemphasized in management curriculum innovations (Benson & Dresdow, 2000; Berg, 1979; Garcia & Lovelace, 1996; Kern, 2000; Shedlin & Schmidt, 1974). Most group 1 exercises focus on the equally important but incomplete factors of interpersonal or group dynamics (Anakwe & Purohit, 2006; Bigelow, 2004; St. Clair & Tschirhart, 2002).…”

Γυναίκες Σε Θέσεις Διοίκησης Στην Εκπαίδευση

“…Conflict has been studied within different contexts including personal, intergroup, inter-organizational, and societal. (Anakwe & Purohit, 2006) Its antecedents, levels, resolution strategies, and outcomes are other facets that researchers have studied in detail. (Rahim, 1983;Thomas, 1992).…”

“…The need for effective conflict management is heightened by today's increasingly complex work milieu characterized by intense and competitive global markets, advancement in information and increased diversity of the work force. (Tinsley, 1998;Anakwe & Purohit, 2006). Clearly, there is no one best way of managing conflict in organizations.…”

“…A review of existing instruments developed by the researcher to assess conflict management was the first step in deriving an inventory of relevant studies in relation to the purpose of this research. It was decided to use the questionnaire that was adapted from research concerning conflict management prepared by Tinsley (1998) and that was found in the article by Anakwe, & Purohit, (2006. ) The questionnaire requested demographic information such as gender, age, place of birth, marital status, number of children, educational qualifications, position held, number of students and teachers at school and job satisfaction.…”

“…This questionnaire was originally used by Anakwe and Purohit (2006) with MBA students in a Management Theory and Skills course at a private university in the northeastern United States. Typically the class consisted of part-time MBA students with approximately 95% employed full-time.…”