Conflict and Its Resolution in the Changing World of Work
From ILR Review
by Harry C. Katz
The papers in this special symposium collection examine conflict resolution with a specific focus on workplace conflict. Although managers sometimes claim that workplace conflict is a thing of the past having been eliminated by attitude surveys, open door policies, or other complaint procedures, there is much evidence that conflict persists. Just look at the conflicts that have surfaced over allegations of sexual harassment, including claims that firms such as Google have rewarded alleged perpetrators with large severance bonuses. Also in the news are stories about Starbucks baristas and Amazon warehouse workers who feel dissatisfied and disrespected. Among other things, these stories show that workplace conflict is found in firms that are otherwise thought of as cutting edge and innovative. There clearly is a need for research that clarifies the issues at hand and policy alternatives that can address employee concerns.
Distinctive features of the papers in this special issue are their focus on workplace conflict, their analysis of original data guided by innovative theory, and the fact that although a number of the papers examine US developments, several provide comparative analysis.
The papers examine one or more of the following questions:
Why do parties choose to make use of one or another particular procedure to address conflict?
Which procedures are especially effective at resolving conflict and why?
Do particular procedures produce outcomes that favor labor or
management?
How do conflict resolution procedures fit within the evolution of
national employment relations systems?
To what extent are other countries imitating US conflict resolution
procedures, and if not, why not?
In addition to their attention to contemporary issues, the papers in this volume are analytically sharp and provide a wealth of new insights and evidence.
Guest Editor for the Special Issue on Conflict and Its Resolution in the ILR Review.
Harry C. Katz is the Jack Sheinkman Professor and Director of the Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution at the ILR School, Cornell University. He is President-elect of the International Labor and Employment Relations Association (ILERA) and Past-president of the U.S. Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA). Katz served as the Dean of the ILR School 2005–2014 and as Interim Provost, Cornell University (2014–15). He received his PhD in economics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1977. His major publications include Labor Relations in a Globalizing World (with Thomas Kochan and Alexander Colvin) and Converging Divergences (with Owen Darbishire), ILR/Cornell University Press. Since 2006, Katz has been a member of the UAW Public Review Board.