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Conflict Management in a Different Light--and Economics

  • 1.  Conflict Management in a Different Light--and Economics

    Posted 12-04-1998 18:01
    Gentle Readers:

    DidacticRa@AOL.COM wrote on Friday, December 04, 1998 1:01 PM


    >I have attempted to make it clear that I am speaking of 'potentially
    damaging' conflict,
    >because, as everyone is aware, competition is a special form of conflict.

    Hmmmmm . . . indeed.

    I've sort of been waiting for someone to stumble on this thought in the
    conversation. Didn't we recently have someone ask if economics was relevant
    to business education (and a response from an economist)?

    If you are a firm humbled or driven from the marketplace by a
    competitor,
    I'd say you, your employees, stockholders, community, and other stakeholders
    may have been significantly damaged.

    I know it's nice to be nice these days, maybe even fashionable (in our
    politically correct world), but conflict seems to be an essential element in
    the universe, business, polite societies no matter how enlightened or where
    one is. I would think
    economics has said a great deal about this.

    With that said, I also admit that cooperation is ok too. But neither
    all or nothing, please. I'll have mine equally measured for the best of
    worlds.

    M.

    Michael Levenhagen
    High Technology Strategy & General Management
    College of Business, California Polytechnic
    San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
    805-756-1563 (off), 756-1473 (fax)
    408-456-0704 (hm)