- 1 - Management of Conflicts Hamburg, December 2002 - 2 - • Describing the nature of conflicts • Providing concepts of individual and group conflicts...
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Management of Conflicts Hamburg, December 2002
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Goals of this session
• Describing the nature of conflicts • Providing concepts of individual and group conflicts • Presenting concepts to solve conflicts
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Agenda
• The nature of conflicts • Types and processes • Group conflicts • Ways to solve conflicts
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Conflicts are everywhere
Conflicts are fueled by human interactions and fierce competition in a dramatically changing environment
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Conflicts are an inherent part of human interactions What is true about conflicts? • Conflicts are always bad • 20% of available time are used by managers to deal with conflicts • Conflicts must be avoided by all means • Conflicts are essential part of day-to-day business • Conflicts are part of team management • Conflicts can be steered and managed • Conflicts can be avoided
Decide yourself and mark the statements with a T or an F, according to whether you think they are true or false -5-
Managers identify the following reasons for conflicts
Manager’s responsibility
Personal issues
Facts based issues
Communication is insufficient Mutual dependency Sense of unfair treatment Unclear responsibilities Little constructive criticism Distrust Incompatible personalities Fights for power and influence Resentment, anger, sensibility Membership in different units Fight for responsibilities Reward systems Lost of face Competition for scarce resources
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Managers are trapped in a sandwich position
Superiors
Manager Subordinates
Managers have to cope with this net of conflict potentials and have to find their own role
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Managers have to slip into different shoes
Develops visions
Holistic thinking
Self motivated and initiative
Manager‘s Characteristics Strong communicator
Decides cooperatively and integratively Wants to decide (loves risks)
These different roles bear additional conflict potentials
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Managers are confronted with three classes of conflicts Decision conflicts
Criticisms and controlling conflicts
Communication conflicts
Good news – there are tools to cope with all these conflicts
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Decision conflicts are daily business Lack of Information
Paralysis
Hectic
Leverage & Influence
Time constraints
Decision conflicts can lead into two behaviors
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A rational approach should help to avoid impasse situations
Headstand
CAF
+/-
PME
Creative ideas and facts should help to overcome mental barriers
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The headstand tools helps to overcome mental barriers
Formulate the question? What is your task?
Turn the question around
Rephrase the answers
Select the interesting solutions
Headstand, brainstorming, and other tools should help you to free your mind
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An example should help to illustrate this tool How can I make this project a striking success? ple How can I help the project to succeed? amWhat can I do to lead it down the drain? x E Bringing together a group a conflicting Building a high-performance team characters No powerful sponsor Discourage the project team Limit information flow Hide the progress Avoid conflicts
Top Management sponsor Give them special training and create an elite Establish clear lines of communication Ensure transparency of progress and outcome Use breakdowns for breakthroughs
Play with this tool to come up with a world of issues. Don’t limit yourself by the right side!
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The “consider all facts” tool should help you to rationalize your decision
Brainstorm all facts which are important for your decision
Prioritize the facts
Match alternatives with the prioritized facts
The CAF – method is a good start….
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If possible, use a quantitative analysis
…but should be combined with the PME – Tool PME – Plus/Minus Evaluation helps to quasi-rationalize decisions
Gather arguments (CAF)
Weight arguments
Evaluate arguments (+/-)
Be aware of cheating yourself when using this method!
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Calculate!
An example should illustrate this tool Promoting Paul? le p + amEasy to communicate x + E Reward seniority No big raise in salary He’s a man He’s quite old Thinks in old ways Sum of positive issues Sum of negative issues Grand total
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3 6 5 3 6 3 14 9 5
Promoting Jane? Helps to keep a high potential + Implements new spirit + Keep innovative ideas inside the firm + She’s expensive She creates trouble sometimes Sum of positive issues Sum of negative issues Grand total
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4 3 6 6 5 13 11 2
Conflicts related to criticism and controlling are inevitable – therefore, critics should be fair and based on facts
Transparent
To the point
?Clear goals, norms
?Immediate feedback
?Transparent procedures
?Not offending or intimidating ?Restricted to the actual facts
Fair ?Open, no hidden agendas
Respectful
?Sufficient, not overdone
?Based on facts
?Conveying the reason
?Friendly and constructive ?Initiating self-controlling
Criticism has to be fair and independent of the person
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A concept helps to formulate the respectful criticisms Introduction and building rapport
Trustful introduction to build rapport
Observed behavior
Clear description of facts and figures
Interpretation
Tell your own interpretation of the incident
Own feeling (be careful!)
Be careful with your own judgment, emotions can run your mouth of
Asking for other side’s perspective
Ask the other party for his/her own perspective
Order, request, wish
Tell the other party exactly what you want
Conclusion
Define next steps
Don’t be indirect in your words. Better: “I want you to ....”
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Conflicts are mainly based on “miscommunication” 85% of managerial time is used for communication 80% of our communication is non-verbal or para-verbal communication These facts may illustrate the potential for communication conflicts
Verbal Words, Message
Non-verbal
Communication
Gestures Mimic
Para-verbal Tone Voice Loudness
Avoid further conflicts by phrasing your criticism clear and with next steps
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We have four ears for verbal communications with more potentials for conflicts Self declaration
Facts
What sort of person is he/she?
Which are the facts and figures?
Request
Relation
What does he/she want from me?
Which relation do we have?
In analyzing conflicts you should listen with all your four ears
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That all sounds good, but….
• We don‘t have time for a long analysis in the real world • We are always under enormous stress to come up with a decision • They are so many interdependent issues influencing our decisions • Conflicts are not easy to calculate • Organizational politics determine our decisions • Somebody has to suffer anyway...
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...but be aware of this first impression trap
• People are influenced by the first impressions of the other party • First impressions are not objective impressions but a complex response of your inner believes and ideas to external information • You cannot avoid the misguiding effect of first impressions • The danger exists that first impressions become fixed impressions • Emotionalizing your decisions can increase conflicts!
So, try to find time to use objective methods to come to your decision
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Time for a break
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Agenda
• The nature of conflicts • Types and processes • Group conflicts • Ways to solve conflicts
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Conflicts are based on social interactions ?Two partners are involved at least
?Parties are mutual dependent
?Different goals and interests
?Room for movement exists
Formal / Informal conflicts
Role conflicts
Four dimensions of conflicts
Conflicting issues
Hot / Cold conflicts
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Role conflicts are based on social positions
?Role conflicts are based on interdependent social positions and relations (sandwich position of managers, private relationships…) ?Different expectations of other parties and selfexpectations clash with reality and lead to conflicts ?Own expectations cannot be matched sometimes ?Role overload is a typical conflict potential not only in project management settings
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Structural conflicts
Conflicting perceptions
Value conflicts
Communication conflicts
Emotional conflicts
Conflicting targets
Social conflicts
Conflict of interests
Background issues can be more important than foreground conflicts
Facts conflict
Hot and cold conflicts differ in their expression
Cold conflicts
Hot conflicts
?Disappointed by the other side
?Very motivated
?Self doubting, insecure
?Very emotional
?Does not believe in solutions
?Seeking confrontations
?Block progress wherever possible
?Feeling of superiority
?Does not want direct contact
?Tries to convince outsiders
?Aversions against other party
?Does not respect rules
?Withdrawn on procedures and rules
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Clear signs signal conflicts
?Withdrawal – Partners avoid direct eye contact ?Disparagement – Negative expression about other party ?Ignoring – Other party ignores message or decision ?Distance – No cordial relation; formal procedures dominate relationship ?Silence – A very specific expression of lack of respect ?Gestures, mimic – Negative non-verbal or para-verbal signals
Be aware of cultural differences!
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Mediation
Complete mutual destruction
Splitting up
External Moderation
Limited destructions
Threats
Lost of face
Self Moderation
Images, coalitions
Actions instead of words
Fierce debate
Prevention
Hardening of positions
Latent conflict
Conflicts can escalate due to self propelling dynamics External decision
Win - Win Win - Lose Lose - Lose
Win-Win Strategies can be created in the first steps of the escalation
?Open conflicts ?Conflicting goals and interests are discussed openly ?Partners are creative and look for solutions ?Respectful treatment, partners are respected ?All sides are willing to cooperate ?Able to stop further escalation in a discussion and find solutions for the conflict ?The Harvard Model is a typical concept for this strategy
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Win – Lose Strategies: Partners do not seek for cooperation but want to win by all means
?Emotions and relations dominate; facts become less important ?Emotions block rational solutions ?Both sides want to win by all means ?Third parties get dragged into the struggle ?Mutual provocations, threats and ultimatum limit room for movement and solutions ?Competitive thinking dominates ?External help is necessary to solve the conflict
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Lose – Lose Strategies lead to disaster, but solutions might still be possible
?Both sides will loose ?No side achieves its goal ?There is no reality beyond the conflicting situation for both parties ?The other side becomes the enemy which must be destroyed ?Destroying the enemy becomes more important than achieving own goals ?The only alternatives are withdrawal or compromise ?Otherwise, both parties will be destroyed
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Signs warn of an escalating conflict (1) „Don‘t trust anybody“ ?Mutual dependency is ignored ?Fear and distrust dominates ?Relations are superficial
„Emotions are always right“ ?Details block the discussion ?Emotions overwhelm facts ?Facts move to the background
„The other side is bad – I am different“ ?Fantasies replace reality ?Black & white perspective ?Own hostile actions are perceived as necessary reactions - 34 -
Signs warn of an escalating conflict (2) „We have nothing to do with each other“ ?Limited contacts ?Information are restricted ?Common goals and objectives are no longer important
„The other side should just get away“ ?Enemies are confronting ?Solutions are no longer interesting ?Direct communication is no longer requested ?Destruction of the other side becomes the dominant goal
Interventions by external parties can help to prevent further escalation
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Time for a break
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Agenda
• The nature of conflicts • Types and processes • Group conflicts • Ways to solve conflicts
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Conflicts are inevitable elements of group development
High Performance
Organization
Conflicts
Orientation
Complex tasks need complex teams associated with high conflict potentials
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“Warming” – Group and members have to define their roles
To Do:
Roles are not clear Acceptance of behavior
?Create commitment to goals Introverted members
?Goals and milestones must be described clearly ?Information channels should be defined transparently
Dependent on team leader
Wait & See
?Clear structures and processes have to be established
Acceptance of person and emotions
?Building networks and social relations
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“Storming” – The hours of conflicts
To Do:
Experimenting
?Leading into the right roles Challenging the leader
Stretching rules and norms
?Honing structures and processes ?Mediating between opponents
Struggle for status
Politics
?Group training and development ?Setting high goals
Fight for power and territory
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“Norming” – Time for cooperation
Risk of loosing contact to environment
Get together Group feeling Strategies to avoid conflicts
Signals: ?Interest of sponsor decreases ?Management wants to control more ?Moving targets ?Milestones and priorities are changed
Consensus
?Group becomes increasingly separated from organizational environment
Authentic and open communication
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“Performing” – The group is aligned with the target
Group alignment
To Do: ?Reflecting on group work Committed to success
?Avoiding group think
Group wants to achieve
?Continuous 360° feedback ?Team development ?Celebrating success
High Performance Team
There is a specific conflict potential when the goal is achieved
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Role conflicts are typical for group development Leaders
Followers
?Leader
?They look for leaders
?Manager
?Dangerous as hoppers
?Formal vs. informal
Individualists
Scape goat
?They stay away
?Deviates from norms and standards
?Can provide essential input
?Extreme characteristics
?Can break group think and mediate
?Standards are enforced by punishment - 43 -
Managing Diversity – the way to capitalize on differences within a group
?Insiders educate outsiders to „behave“
?Everybody is integrated with his/her special assets
?Outsiders are perceived as potential trouble makers
?Differences are perceived as value ?A complex blend opens horizons
?Little cultural differences
?Many potentials for conflicts but also for solutions
?Uniformity is encouraged
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Managing Diversity is a MUST in various fields
Anti discrimination policies
Targeting new customer groups / New market entry strategies
Establishing a global learning organization
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But diversity bears inherent risks for conflicts
?Little affective relation with strong bonds ?Problems in communication and understanding ?Different interpretation of goals ?Increasing trend towards homogenity reduces the positive effects of diversity
Diversity itself is neutral – it is up to the manager to use it as valuable resource
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Some concepts help to capitalize on diversity
? Managing diversity must be a top-down process ? Cascading mobilization waves help to unfreeze the organization and to implement the new concept ? Milestones, guidelines, and quotas help to signal strong commitment to diversity ? Personnel development must be influenced by this managing concept ? Job description and job reality have to be designed to implement the concept ? Holistic training and transparent communication supports the implementation
Leaders and managers must be positive examples
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Every organization has to cope with six organizational conflicts
Target and value conflicts
Facts conflicts
Method and process conflicts
Role conflicts
Distribution conflicts
Relation conflicts
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There are strategies to prevent these conflicts (1)
Preventing target and value conflicts ?Clear description of targets and milestones ?Aligning targets through the whole organization ?Cooperation should drive individual reward ?Select employees matching the corporate culture and philosophy ?Strong values and rules ?Participate employees in target finding
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There are strategies to prevent these conflicts (2)
Preventing method and process conflicts ?Promote structured information flow ?Capitalize on experiences ?Enhance participation of employees by organization and processes ?Underline common goals and frameworks
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There are strategies to prevent these conflicts (3)
Preventing distribution conflicts ?Define clear rules ?Treat everybody fair and equal ?Reconsider the rules periodically and look for consensus ?Competitive interests have to be tamed by rules ?Establish sanctions to reinforce the rules
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There are strategies to prevent these conflicts (4)
Preventing relation conflicts ?Transparent and clear description of competencies ?Implement a culture of trust and cooperation ?Bring conflicts into the foreground. Deal with them ?Promote right feedback ?Encourage criticism
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There are strategies to prevent these conflicts (5)
Preventing role conflicts ?Clear description of tasks, competencies, and functions ?Promote finding the own position by group and individuals ?Support self-reflective thinking ?Establish periodic 360° feedback ?Stress tolerance training
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There are strategies to prevent these conflicts (6)
Preventing facts conflicts ?Agree on clear and well defined goals ?Goals must be measurable ?Check achievement of goals periodically ?Use facts discussions and debates to stimulate creativity ?Promote information flow in all directions ?Define conflict milestones – discuss potential fact conflicts before the become evident
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Time for a break
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Agenda
• The nature of conflicts • Types and processes • Group conflicts • Ways to solve conflicts
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First step is to identify the potential for conflicts within an organization
Conflict Management Systems
Defining the room for decisions for each employee
Defining – Who can order whom to do what
Defining rules and norms
Implement tools of leadership, motivation, etc.
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A conflict management system helps to structure and solve organization conflicts
Associate potential for conflicts with the following issues of an organization: ?Corporate identity – Are employees committed to the corporate identity or philosophy? ?Strategies – Are strategies and tactics well accepted and implemented? Any weak points? ?Structures and processes – Are structures and processes aligned in order to implement the strategy? Are they accepted or bypassed by informal systems? ?People management – Hidden agendas? Clear and transparent communication? Right social interactions? ?Resources – Are there fights for resources? Nature of fights? ?Adaptability – Is there any change culture? How can the corporation cope with change?
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There are six ways to implement a conflict management system
?Focus on interests of conflicting parties ?Establish options to allow all parties to move back to negotiations ?Look for cost efficient alternatives ?Anticipate conflicts and structure processes accordingly ?Prioritize solution strategies by costs/reward relations ?Ensure motivation, know-how, and resources on all levels
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Conflict management system
#1 – Focusing on interests of conflicting parties Union representatives
Minority boards Coordinated structures Board of directors
Formalized rules and processes
Specific committees
Minority representatives
Focusing on interests of conflicting parties avoid emotionally dominated fights beyond control
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#2 – Establish options to move back to negotiations helps to avoid escalation
Conflict escalation
Need for external help
?Mediation is a „pre-court“ process. It is still under control by partners and avoiding costly formalized legal settlement ?It formalizes the negotiation process with external help ?Mediation should be used before proceeding in the escalation process ?Confidentiality is a MUST in mediation; mediation is based on trust
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#3 – Provide cost effective alternatives if negotiations fail
?Is it possible to employ the persons in another positions? ?Are lay-offs inevitable? ?Are reasons transparent and acceptable for the other employees? ?Are there any ways to socially outplace the persons? ?How to communicate it to the employees which have to be fired? ?Who has to be involved in the lay-off process? ?How to deal with internal and external reactions?
Are there any other cost effective alternatives?
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#4 – Anticipate conflict processes and design them accordingly
?Plan change carefully by involving internal change agents ?Define milestones for change events ?Avoid conflicts in late stages by initializing them in the lab phase ?Involve employees early in blueprinting the new corporation ?Design communication and mobilization strategies ?Implementing mobilization campaigns timely ?Provoke conflicts to create breakthroughs
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#5 – Prioritize conflict solutions by cost effectiveness
Quantitative Evaluation
Qualitative Assessment
? NPV ? IRR ? Option Modeling ? ….
? Pro / Con Assessment ? PMI ? External Consultants ? ….
#1 – Alternative B #2 – Alternative A #3 – Alternative C
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#5 – Typical Alternatives are...
?Reconcile diverging interests
• Channel the conflict in formalized legal processes
?Find compromises
• Use external partners or court
?Avoid win/lose or lose/lose solutions
• You have to fight for your decision in a court in front of the eyes of the public
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• Use power to solve the conflict and to defend your position • The dominant side will win • Use all levels of interaction to dominate (emotions, physical forces, hierarchy,…)
#6 – Provide motivation, know-how, resources on all levels
• Conflict management tries to achieve win/win solutions • Learn from past conflicts and use your assets accordingly • Create points of contacts on all levels of the organization • Implement processes and systems to encourage avoiding conflicts in early phases • Create cascading bottom-up solution processes • Provide transparent conflict solutions • Train superiors and subordinates in soft skills • Create a climate of trust
There are no generic ways to find solutions applicable to all conflicts
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Eight steps characterize the moderation process STEP 1 – First discussion to define the conflict STEP 2 – Detailing the issues STEP 3 – 360° radar STEP 4 – Creating alternatives STEP 5 – Evaluate solutions (cost plausibility, …) – Prioritize them STEP 6 – Design the implementation plan STEP 7 – Implementation STEP 8 – Controlling and feedback
The moderator catalyzes the process but does not influence it
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Mediation uses an external person to solve the conflict
• Both parties volunteer to embark on the mediation process • Mediators exercise more influence than moderators – they balance the parties • Mediators control the process firmly
Preparation
First meeting
Individual meetings
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Joint meetings
Final meeting
Using sheer power to decide can be the last option
• Be decisive and clear • Avoid lost of face of one party • Define action plan • Control the implementation • Provide feedback
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This presentation was inspired by own experiences in conflict situations and – among others - the book „Konflikt Management“ (P. Höher, F. Höher)
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