Conflict management from a social network perspective

Abstract

Conflict situations create changes. On the one hand, at the individual level, the subjects involved in the conflict are emotionally affected by it. On the other hand, at a social level, conflict management and its resolution transform in many cases, the context and the relationship of the people involved. How the conflict is managed will determine, to a large extent, the future of the relationship between the parties involved as well as the context. This chapter explores conflict management from a social network perspective in organizations. Scholars have used social network analysis (SNA) to understand the effects of a range of events in organizations. Conflict can spread through the fabric of the organization and disrupt business activity. Based on psychological and managerial literature, we first describe the concept of conflict management and SNA. Later, we analyze the interaction between those concepts. Finally, we explore how SNA becomes a powerful tool to diagnose and manage organizational conflict, as well as the change involved. Areas of future research are discussed.