Conflict Management for Economic Developers

Abstract

"Economic developers are inevitably confronted with conflict situations on the job. For better or for worse, these conflicts usually become public. The role economic developers take in conflict situations and the ways in which they manage conflict may well influence the course of their careers. This paper describes an experiential exercise which is designed to enable economic developers to identify and analyze (1) conflict situations in the context of their jobs and (2) their conflict styles in such situations. The exercise promotes an understanding and appreciation of a range of conflict styles (competition, accommodation, avoidance, compromise and collaboration) and stresses the strengths, weaknesses and situational appropriateness of each style in the context of economic development work. "