Conflict is unavoidable in today’s work environment. In order to resolve conflict we must first define what conflict is. According to Hellriegel, Slocum and Woodman conflict is the process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party (p. 362). Workplace managers must be sensitive to the consequences of conflict. These consequences range from negative outcomes (such as loss of skilled employees, sabotage, low quality of work, stress and even violence) to positive outcomes (such as creative alternatives, increased motivation and commitment, high quality of work, and personal satisfaction) (Hellriegel, Slocum and Woodman, p. 365).

Conflicts (whether they are negative or positive) will arise in organizations whenever interests collide -- and when these differences affect the relationship between interdependent people, they must be constructively managed (Hellriegel, Slocum and Woodman, p. 365). According to Hellriegel, Slocum and Woodman, conflict includes meanings, judgments, and values that crowd our minds move us to conflict. Feelings are an important dimension of conflict. For example, anger, hostility, fear, jealousy, insecurity, pain or sadness, inadequacy, are some of the feelings underneath conflicts. Although most conflicts involve disagreements of some kind, some of them can be more about feelings than thoughts. Many societies, including our own, express opposing views of conflict-sometimes it is bad, sometimes it is good. Therefore, we grow up with a confusing perspective on when conflict is helpful and OK or when it should be avoided. Most conflict is thought of in a negative way because it evokes images of war, battles, and shouting matches. But conflict has also a positive potential. Constructive advice can create new and innovative ideas because it forces individuals to challenge