Cooperative Conflict Resolution Research Articles

Understanding the Paradox in the Results of National Cultural Distance Impact on International Joint Venture Performance: A Narrative Review of Prior Literature

The literature on international joint ventures (IJVs) continues to grow owing to their crucial importance in global market competition. National cultural distance (NCD) between partner firms is conventionally considered one of the main contributors to unsatisfactory IJV performance, leading to its dissolution. Nevertheless, there is no consensus on the extent of the impact of NCD on IJV performance, nor on whether this impact is predominantly positive or negative. Therefore, we conducted a narrative review to shed light on prior research (including the earliest works) to explore and clarify the causes of these apparent inconsistencies in the research’s results. Theoretically, the current research offers guidance for future study on the topic. Researchers should introduce moderator and mediator variables in pursuit of a more nuanced understanding such as mutual trust between partners. Practically, this paper will help IJV managers mitigate the negative effects of NCD and improve overall venture performance by selecting culturally intelligent managers, providing cross-cultural training for IJV staff, and implementing cooperative conflict resolution. Like any study, this paper has some limitations that should be examined by future researchers.

A Framework for Learning Combined Problem Solving Skills

Problem-solving is an important part of a well-rounded 2nd-century education. In his essay "Cognition in the Wild," Hutchins advises readers to look about their local region for artifacts that were not created by the combined efforts of multiple individuals, but also mentions but the only one in their region is the one in their area. A little stone on his desk was the thing that passed this test. Collaboration has a tremendous influence on our everyday lives. Researchers are continuously engaged in situations that need us to employ social skills to coordinate with other people, whether it is in schools, the workplace, or our personal lives. Tasks that need numerous students to work together to achieve a team goal, such as a final report, integrated analysis, or a joint presentation, are common in project-based work. Combined problem solving is rarely taught as a stand-alone ability separate from a specific subject. As a result, combined learning activities are frequently integrated into specialized courses of study, such as science, mathematics, and history, in school-based settings. Cooperative conflict resolution has been highlighted as a highly promising exercise that relies on a broad variety of social or cognitive abilities and can be tested in school settings where skills might well be evaluated or taught. The author of this work conducts a thorough investigation of problem-solving abilities. People with high problem-solving abilities can analyze issues, determine the severity of the situation, and weigh the pros and cons of various solutions. Employees who get problem-solving training in the workplace can collaborate more effectively with coworkers, clients, partners, or suppliers.

Conflict Resolution Model of Automated Vehicles Based on Multi-Vehicle Cooperative Optimization at Intersections

The traditional conflict resolution algorithm is designed for automated vehicles based on the premise of the right of way, but there is an unclear road right of way at unsignalized intersections, which brings trouble to the decision making of automated vehicles. The objective of this work is to provide our system with evolving cooperative and non-cooperative decisions. We achieve this by integrating game theory into the decision making. When the system decides to drive cooperatively, the joint action is planned to optimize the overall revenue of multi-vehicles based on the cooperative game, considering the conflict relationship with its neighboring vehicles. When the system fails to perform cooperative driving or response timeout, the vehicle-mounted unit would take non-cooperative driving to optimize the trajectory considering only its individual benefit. The proposed model can provide our system with stability and robustness, which effectively solved the conflict resolution problem when the right of way was not clear at intersections. We have implemented some simulation experiments of cooperative and non-cooperative conflict resolution, the results show that the revenue among various interest groups is more balanced with a cooperative conflict resolution method. Compared with the non-collaborative driving decision, the conflict resolution time is shortened, and the average delay of each vehicle at intersections is reduced by 1~2 s, with an average reduction of approximately 5%. The research can provide a reference for collaborative driving of automated vehicles at unsignalized intersections.

Cooperative Conflict Detection and Resolution and Safety Assessment for 6G Enabled Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

The increasing number of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the low-altitude airspace and the increasing complexity of the work environment present new challenges for ensuring airspace security, especially the effective conflict detection and resolution (CD&R) of UAVs. In the era of the sixth generation (6G) technology, there is an improvement in communication speed and capacity in comparison with the traditional communication technologies, which contributes to forming a UAV Internet of Things (IoTs) through remote intelligent control platform and improve the effect of CD&R. In this paper, we innovatively develop a cooperative CD&R method in the UAV IoT environment considering UAV relative motion relationships and UAV priorities. Using this method in 6G environment, the real-time and reactive conflict-free paths for UAVs can be generated. The developed method has the advantage of smaller calculation and needs fewer UAVs to take maneuvers than the CD&R methods based on traditional Artificial Potential Field (APF). To verify the effectiveness of CD&R methods, a safety assessment method (evaluate from both conflict feature and network structure perspectives) is also proposed. A Monte Carlo Simulation with ``clone mechanism'' is designed to incorporate the effect of CD&R systems. Three cases of distributed CD&R protocols are simulated and compared. The simulations with different parameter settings are also discussed. Quantitative simulation experiments show that the safety effect of CD&R proposed in this paper is improved a lot due to the improved APF and the UAV priority determination. Meanwhile, the safety assessment method is demonstrated to be feasible for evaluating the safety of CD&R systems.

Velocity obstacle–based conflict resolution and recovery method

ABSTRACTConsidering the shortcomings of current methods for real-time resolution of two-aircraft flight conflicts, a geometric optimal conflict resolution and recovery method based on the velocity obstacle method for two aircraft and a cooperative conflict resolution method for multiple aircraft are proposed. The conflict type was determined according to the relative position and velocity of the aircraft, and a corresponding conflict mitigation strategy was selected. A resolution manoeuvre and a recovery manoeuvre were performed. On the basis of a two-aircraft conflict resolution model, a multi-aircraft cooperative conflict resolution game was constructed to identify an optimal solution for maximising group welfare. The solution and recovery method is simple and effective, and no new flight conflicts are introduced during track recovery. For multi-aircraft conflict resolution, an equilibrium point that maximises the welfare function of the group was identified, and thus, an optimal strategy for multi-aircraft conflict resolution was obtained.

Two-Layered Mechanism of Online Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Conflict Detection and Resolution

This paper presents a study on short-term cooperative conflict detection and resolution (CDR) of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A two-layered CDR mechanism is proposed, which aims at guaranteeing safe separation, minimizing the overall cost of UAVs, and improving computational efficiency. In the first layer, the information from the environment is processed. In the second layer, conflicts among UAVs are resolved by applying the local centralized optimization method, with consideration given to the dynamic constraints of UAVs. This paper studies the safe separation constraints of pairwise conflicts in virtue of a geometry-based method. A heading change and speed change mixed conflict resolution approach is applied. To meet with the online planning requirements, the vectorized stochastic parallel gradient descent-based method is proposed to find the local optimal heading change solutions. The linear safe separation constraints on speeds are derived. A periodicity feature-based method is used to depart the feasible sub-regions for each pairwise conflict. A mixed integer linear programming model is established to find the optimal speed change solutions. The experiments results show that the proposed heading change algorithm could greatly reduce the summation of additional flight distances of UAVs, and influences on air traffic, compared with other short-term algorithms; the computational efficiency of this algorithm satisfies the online planning requirement. Comparing with the existing algorithm, our speed change algorithm reduces the number of feasible sub-regions to $2^{n_{c} }$ times lower, where $n_{c}$ is the number of pairwise conflict, and therefore, it reduces computation time dramatically.

Reciprocal Geometric Conflict Resolution on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Heading Control

This paper presents a novel geometry-based distributed cooperative conflict resolution method for unmanned aerial vehicles to autonomously handle distributed multiple encounters in an integrated airspace. First, the safe separation constraint of pairwise conflicts is studied, with consideration given to the periodic features of the tangent function. Second, the nonlinear safe separation constraint is transformed into a linear constraint through mapping the constraint relationship from the degree space into the sin value space. A consensus-guaranteed rule is designed to decouple the conflict resolution responsibilities of pairwise conflict-related unmanned aerial vehicles from the obtained linear constraint. Each unmanned aerial vehicle can compute its feasible maneuver range individually. Third, a short-term conflict resolution object function is designed, and a reciprocal geometric conflict resolution algorithm is proposed. The proposed method is tested in several simulations and compared with existing algorithms. The results show that the reciprocal geometric conflict resolution method is capable of resolving various conflicts, is robust to time delay, and outperforms existing algorithms in reducing conflict avoidance cost.

How Do Young People Respond to Conflict? A Comparative Study of Argentinean and Portuguese College Students

Questions relating to sociability, relationships concerning conflicts and behaviours of indiscipline and violence among young people have turned out to be of particular importance. Various studies exist about the sociability of young people (e.g. Machado Pais, 1990; Margulis - Urresti, 1998; Cangilini, 2004). Nevertheless, studies focused on sociability and behavior in the face of socially learned conflicts in the context of inter-personal relationships are still very scarce. The investigation carried out falls within the area of Co-operative Conflict Resolution (CCR) - a field of knowledge and practices that emerged in the 1980s (Ury - Fisher, 1991; Aréchaga, Brandoni - Finkelstein, 2004). The work that we present shows the results of a study undertaken with young people attending the first year of university education in public and private universities in Argentina and Portugal. This investigation, which was of an exploratory nature, had two general objectives: i) to analyse the ways of approaching conflicts by young people (aged 18 to 31 years); and ii) to understand the present day social dynamics that characterise these young people. The descriptive analysis of the data, which was obtained from the responses to a questionnaire with open and closed questions completed by around 700 young university students, revealed some differences concerning the behaviour adopted towards conflicts by these young Argentineans and young Portuguese.

Cooperative conflict detection and resolution of civil unmanned aerial vehicles in metropolis

Unmanned air vehicles have recently attracted attention of many researchers because of their potential civil applications. A systematic integration of unmanned air vehicles in non-segregated airspace is required that allows safe operation of unmanned air vehicles along with other manned aircrafts. One of the critical issues is conflict detection and resolution. This article proposes to solve unmanned air vehicles’ conflict detection and resolution problem in metropolis airspace. First, the structure of metropolis airspace in the coming future is studied, and the airspace conflict problem between different unmanned air vehicles is analyzed by velocity obstacle theory. Second, a conflict detection and resolution framework in metropolis is proposed, and factors that have influences on conflict-free solutions are discussed. Third, the multi-unmanned air vehicle conflict resolution problem is formalized as a nonlinear optimization problem with the aim of minimizing overall conflict resolution consumption. The safe separation constraint is further discussed to improve the computation efficiency. When the speeds of conflict-involved unmanned air vehicles are equal, the nonlinear safe separation constraint is transformed into linear constraints. The problem is solved by mixed integer convex programming. When unmanned air vehicles are with unequal speeds, we propose to solve the nonlinear optimization problem by stochastic parallel gradient descent–based method. Our approaches are demonstrated in computational examples.

Intentions for cooperative conflict resolution in groups

Purpose – The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to test to what extent a cooperative conflict management style can be related to attitudes, norms and perceived volitional control. Second, because conflict resolution is an activity that unfolds at the team level, the validity of the theoretical model was tested at the team level of analysis. The aim was to extend the understanding we have on antecedents of conflict management styles and to build a bridge between two different levels of analysis. Design/methodology/approach – This was done by building on the theory of planned behavior, which, to the authors’ knowledge, has neither been related to organizational behaviors nor to small group dynamics. A questionnaire was distributed to subjects that have experienced working together in teams. In total, 131 team members (grouped in 33 teams) provided answers on the key concepts of the model. Findings – First, perceived norms and high volitional control relate to individuals’ intentions to engage in cooperative conflict management activities, with intentions not mediating to role of norms on behavior. Second, at the team level, a high level of perceived norms relates to a higher occurrence of a cooperative resolution style. Additionally, high diversity on the attitudes over the value of this style negatively impacts its occurrence. Research limitations/implications – This study offers a cross-sectional image of an important process in the team. Additionally, relying on the subjects’ self-reports represents a limitation in the current study, considering the goal of the model is to predict behavior. Future research could address this, and additionally, consider team characteristics or individual traits that could add to the model of planned behavior. Originality/value – This paper adds to the literature as an attempt the bridge individual level constructs team-level processes. Moreover, it provides evidence for potential antecedents of conflict management styles. This latter contribution can be relevant for practitioners as well, that could invest in the institutionalization of favored resolution style to benefit from it.

The Effectiveness of Cyberprogram 2.0 on Conflict Resolution Strategies and Self-Esteem

PurposeIn recent years, the problem of youth violence has been a cause of increasing concern for educational and mental health professionals worldwide. The main objective of the study was to evaluate experimentally the effects of an anti-bullying/cyberbullying program (Cyberprogram 2.0; Pirámide Publishing, Madrid, Spain) on conflict resolution strategies and self-esteem. MethodsA randomly selected sample of 176 Spanish adolescents aged 13–15 years (93 experimental, 83 control) was employed. The study used a repeated measures pretest–posttest design with a control group. Before and after the program (19 one-hour sessions), two assessment instruments were administered: the questionnaire for measuring conflict management message styles and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale. ResultsThe analyses of covariance of the posttest scores confirmed that the program stimulated an increase of cooperative conflict resolution strategies, a decrease in aggressive and avoidant strategies, and an increase of self-esteem. The change was similar in both sexes. ConclusionsThe study provides evidence of the effectiveness of Cyberprogram 2.0 to improve the capacity for conflict resolution and self-esteem. The discussion focuses on the importance of implementing programs to promote socioemotional development and to prevent violence.

Least Restrictive Supervisors for Intersection Collision Avoidance: A Scheduling Approach

We consider a cooperative conflict resolution problem that finds application, for example, in vehicle intersection crossing. We seek to determine minimally restrictive supervisors, which allow agents to choose all possible control actions that keep the system safe, that is, conflict free. This is achieved by determining the maximal controlled invariant set, and then by determining control actions that keep the system state inside this set. By exploiting the natural monotonicity of the agents dynamics along their paths, we translate this problem into an equivalent scheduling problem. This allows us to leverage existing results in the scheduling literature to obtain both exact and approximate solutions. The approximate algorithms have polynomial complexity and can handle large problems with guaranteed approximation bounds. We illustrate the application of the proposed algorithms through simulations in which vehicles crossing an intersection are overridden by the supervisor only when necessary to maintain safety.

Conflicts between accommodation establishments and travel agencies

The paper discusses sources of conflicts that arise between accommodation establishments and travel agencies in Bulgaria, their bargaining power and conflict resolution approaches. The sample includes 119 accommodation establishments and 81 travel agencies. Results reveal that agencies more often face conflicts with accommodation establishments than vice versa. From the viewpoint of the accommodation establishments, most conflicts are connected with delayed payments, level of prices, late submission of rooming lists and timing of contract negotiation. Travel agencies consider frequent conflicts as unfavourable contract terms, prices, accommodation establishment price/quality ratio, incorrect information provided by accommodation establishments. Contrary to general belief, accommodation establishments perceive their bargaining power as equal to agencies, while agencies consider accommodation establishments to have stronger bargaining power than them. Both agencies and accommodation establishments prefer cooperative conflict resolution approaches. Managerial implications, research limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Transformational leadership in the consumer service workgroup: competing models of job satisfaction, change commitment, and cooperative conflict resolution.

This paper discusses the effects of transformational leadership on cooperative conflict resolution (management) by evaluating several alternative models related to the mediating role of job satisfaction and change commitment. Samples of data from customer service personnel in Taiwan were analyzed. Based on the bootstrap sample technique, an empirical study was carried out to yield the best fitting model. The procedure of hierarchical nested model analysis was used, incorporating the methods of bootstrapping mediation, PRODCLIN2, and structural equation modeling (SEM) comparison. The analysis suggests that leadership that promotes integration (change commitment) and provides inspiration and motivation (job satisfaction), in the proper order, creates the means for cooperative conflict resolution.

The effects of conflict resolution education on conflict resolution skills, social competence, and aggression in Turkish elementary school students

The purpose of the study was to implement ‘we can resolve our conflicts’ training program to elementary school students and to assess the effectiveness of this school-based conflict resolution training program, designed to enhance students’ conflict resolution skills and social competence and consequently decrease aggression. Three hundred and ninety-four elementary school students participated in the study. The training group consisted of 327 students and the control group consisted of 67 students. A pretest–posttest control group design was used. The training students received the conflict resolution training two times a week in 40 min sessions over a 10-week period. The conflict resolution training program included empathy, anger management, social problem solving, and cooperative conflict resolution skills. Before and after the training, both training and control groups were assessed in terms of their conflict resolution skills, social competence, and reactive and proactive aggression levels. Results indicated that the conflict resolution training increased students’ constructive conflict resolution skills and social competence and consequently decreased reactive and proactive aggression levels.

Evaluation of a core team centred professional development programme for building a whole-school cooperative problem solving approach to conflict

This study evaluated a professional learning approach using a core team (CT) model to assist primary (elementary) schools to develop whole-school collaborative conflict resolution processes. Thirteen schools were matched and randomly assigned to the enhancing relationships in school communities programme (n = 10) or a non-programme control group (n = 3). Programme schools provided a core (professional learning) team, who attended professional learning days, and disseminated programme content throughout their schools. Programme schools also received one full school staff workshop. After one year, CT participants were more likely to apply a collaborative conflict resolution model to problem scenarios and report greater knowledge and skills compared to non-programme-school control participants. Compared to the non-programme control group, non-core team programme school staff described using more cooperative approaches to handling conflict, especially when they had received more professional development from their CT. Programme school teachers taught more hours conflict resolution curriculum, and increases in hours taught by programme (but not control) teachers were associated with teacher reported increases in student understanding and use of cooperative methods. Patterns also supported a role of self-efficacy in implementation. The potential usefulness of a CT professional learning model for assisting schools to develop cooperative conflict resolution approaches was supported.

Effects of Cooperative Learning and Conflict Resolution Training Integrated into Curriculum on Academic Achievement, Social Problem Solving Skill

The aim of this study is to analyze the effects of practices in cooperative learning and conflict resolution training integrated into Turkish and Social Studies Curriculum of 5th grade primary school students on their academic achievement, and social problem solving skills. This study was included 133 primary school students at 5th grade. There were 3 experimental and 2 control groups in the study. In the first experimental group, 19 hours conflict resolution training was given and then integrated Turkish and Social Studies curriculum were applied by using cooperative learning method. In the second experimental group, Turkish and Social Studies Curriculum was implemented by using cooperative learning method without making any integration. In the third experimental group was given 19 hours conflict resolution training, integrated Turkish and Social Studies Curriculum were applied by using traditional teaching method. In the control groups 2005 Turkish and Social Studies Curriculum were implemented. “Turkish Achievement Test” , “Social Studies Achievement Test”, and “Social Problem Solving Skills Scenarios” were used as data instruments. Findings showed that using integrated curriculum with cooperative learning method was significantly more effective on academic achievement and social problem solving skills. Beside, applying integrated program by using traditional method had significant difference on social problem solving skills except academic achievement.

Studies of Transformational Leadership in the Consumer Service Workgroup: Cooperative Conflict Resolution and the Mediating Roles of Job Satisfaction and Change Commitment

The present paper evaluates the effect of transformational leadership on job satisfaction and change commitment along with their interconnected effects (mediation) on cooperative conflict resolution (management) in customer service activities in Taiwan. The multi-source samples consist of data from personnel serving at customer centers (workgroups), such as phone service personnel, customer representatives, financial specialists, and front-line salespeople. An empirical study was carried out using a multiple mediation procedure incorporating boot-strapping techniques and PRODCLIN2 with structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. The results indicate that the main effect of the leadership style on cooperative conflict resolution is mediated by change commitment and job satisfaction.

Cooperative conflict-solving during adolescence: Relationships with cognitive-behavioural and predictor variables

The purpose of the study was to analyse the existence of sex differences in three styles of interpersonal conflict resolution, to explore the relationships between cooperative and aggressive conflict resolution with diverse cognitive-behavioural variables, and to identify predictor variables of cooperative interpersonal conflict resolution. The sample included 313 adolescents, aged 15 to 17 years. Descriptive and correlational methodology was used, and 6 assessment instruments were administered. The ANOVAs showed significantly higher scores for the females in cooperative conflict resolution, and for the males in aggressive conflict resolution. Pearson coefficients confirmed that adolescents of both sexes who used a cooperative conflict-solving style also had a high self-concept, many positive cognitions and empathy towards victims of violence, a high consideration of prosocial values and behaviours, high empathy, many positive and few aggressive social behaviours. Regression analysis identified 3 predictor variables of the use of a “cooperative resolution” style: many behaviours of social sensitivity, a good self-concept and a high level of empathetic concern.

Struggles for cooperation: conflict resolution strategies in multicultural groups

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to examine the influence of group composition in cultural values on conflict management styles in groups.Design/methodology/approachA field study using data from 125 groups was conducted.FindingsThe results show that in groups where members feel they are equal and connected (horizontal collectivism) cooperation is better, and contending and avoiding conflict management styles are used less. When people view themselves as unequal and independent (vertical individualism (VI)) the avoiding style of conflict management is more frequently used. Within‐group similarity (low variety) in VI leads to more cooperation and less avoidant conflict management strategies as well as less third party interventions. High group variety in views of being unequal, but interconnected (vertical collectivism), as well as in the views of being equal but independent (horizontal individualism), leads to more cooperative conflict resolution strategy.Practical implicationsThe results show that small and consistent within‐group differences in cultural values are beneficial (with the exception of VI) for cooperative strategies. By showing that group compositional configurations in cultural values (vertical/horizontal individualism and collectivism) impact on conflict management strategies, the study has important implications for team design.Originality/valueThe paper extends current research by conceptualizing cultural values (it considers the horizontal vs vertical orientation in individualism‐collectivism) as configural group properties and by testing the impact of specific team configurations in cultural values on conflict management strategies.