Tension, problems and conflict behaviour

This paper reports the initial findings of an on going research project. The research is investigating the process by which construction projects deal with unexpected problems from the client's perspective. Unexpected problems appear to trigger conflict episodes by providing opportunities for project members to redress their own financial concerns by manipulating in their own favour, the resource redistributions that accompany problems. It has become apparent that the effective resolution of conflict is an important requirement for effective problem solving. This paper concentrates upon the behavioral aspects of the conflict resolution process. Few contributions have been made in this area because of the pre-occupation of the industry with procedural and contractual approaches to this issue. The objective of the paper is to report the observations that have been made of people's behaviour in conflict situations and to suggest strategies which may help to harness the positive aspects of conflict. It is also hoped that this work will point the way to more detailed research in this area