Organizational Conflict Revisited: A Conceptual Review through the Selected Chapters of M. Afzalur Rahim’s Managing Conflict in Organizations

Abstract

Organizational conflict is both inevitable and multifaceted, and have the potential for constructive or deleterious outcomes. This article provides a conceptual review of organizational conflict, drawing primarily on Managing Conflict in Organizations (3rd ed., 2001) by M. Afzalur Rahim, a foundational and seminal work in the field of conflict management. We synthesize key frameworks, typologies, and strategies from selected chapters (1–2, 4–9) of Rahim’s work to illuminate how conflict operates at intrapersonal, interpersonal, intragroup, and intergroup levels. We clarify the dual nature of conflict – how moderate, task-oriented conflict can spur creativity and performance, whereas unmanaged affective conflict impedes effectiveness. We review prominent conflict management frameworks, from classic two-dimensional style models to comprehensive five-style taxonomies, and examine strategies for conflict resolution and management, including the importance of organizational learning and structural interventions. Through an analytical synthesis, we demonstrate that effective conflict management transcends mere reduction of discord; it involves leveraging conflict for learning and innovation while mitigating its dysfunctional aspects. Contemporary relevance is discussed, affirming that the frameworks and strategies reviewed remain vital in today’s organizations. The partial scope of this review (limited to select chapters of Rahim’s book) is acknowledged as a constraint, suggesting avenues for further exploration. This conceptual review shows that with appropriate frameworks and proactive strategies, conflict can be transformed from a source of organizational disruption into a driver of growth and effectiveness.

Keywords: Organizational conflict; Conflict typologies; Conflict management; Conflict resolution; Conflict styles; Intrapersonal conflict; Interpersonal conflict; Intragroup conflict; Organizational learning