Conflict pervades virtually all aspects of human society, from the simplest interpersonal relationships to the most complex geopolitical confrontations. Not surprisingly, conflict management techniques have had to be adapted to deal with the many different settings in which these conflicts occur. The result is a highly diverse field in which conflict practitioners take on a broad array of roles. This book, better than any other we know, describes the many different settings in which the basic principles of conflict management are being applied. It focuses upon tractable conflicts in which the parties have common, agreed upon goals and need only decide the best way of achieving those goals.
Chapters address the general problems of management as well as many different types of mediation.
Here the focus is upon situations in which there is no agreement on common goals. In these settings some sort of adjudicatory process is needed to decide whose goals take precedence. In this section the book discusses arbitration, adjudication, and ombudsing. You should discuss the each approach and the situations in which it might be applicable. Your should also pay particular attention to describing the role that third parties such as mediators and arbitrators should play.