Sometimes it is good and sometimes it is good depending on the situations and circumstances around the group

Sometimes it is good and sometimes it is bad depending on the situations and circumstances around the group

Times of conflict are times of challenge. To get benefit from conflict, we must be open to learning about others and ourselves, and the situation that we are in. We must do our best, and not be over defensive. When it doesn't involve morals or principles, it's better to lose an argument and win a friend.

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Caution: one thing we know about conflict is that few propositions about it are readily generalizable ("all else being equal" does not work here - nothing ever is quite equal enough). The good and the bad and the in-between depend on the context in which the conflict occurs, as well as on many factors related to what is at stake and to the people involved - their interests, relationships, history, and skills for resolving their conflicts. So while in general conflict can be good (or bad), "depends" is a better characterization of what we can expect. To see this, just try out those generalities on a few of the conflicts you are experiencing in your own organization. Winning a friend is good in principle but in specific situations, getting it right might be more important.

socalled "Double-edged sword"

These three articles may be useful:

Hausken, K. (1997), “Game-theoretic and Behavioral Negotiation Theory,” Group Decision and Negotiation 6, 6, 509-527.

Hausken, K. (1996), “Ethics and Efficiency in Organizations,” International Journal of Social Economics 23, 9, 15-40.

Hausken, K. (1996), “Self-Interest and Sympathy in Economic Behavior,” International Journal of Social Economics 23, 7, 4-24.

Article Game-theoretic and Behavioral Negotiation Theory

Article Ethics and efficiency in organizations

Data Self-Interest and Sympathy in Economic Behavior Internationa...