• STUDY NOTES • REVIEWS

• CAREER COACH • INDICATOR

STUDY NOTES
Research topic: group conflict
One of the most common questions
about group conflict is whether it furthers
or threatens group goals in organisations.
This research summarises findings on the
most current thinking about the impact
of conflict on groups and teams.
METHODOLOGY
Intervievis, surveys, archival document
and diary analysis, and controlled
behavioural experiments.
Individual differences can be used by
managers to foster or avoid conflict For
example, status differences among team
members detract from gaod team
decision-making by reducing information
sharing and increasing emotional conflict
The impact of these differences can be
managed by considering the range of
^ differences among staff. Demographic
g differences become less salient over time.
tü vifhile personality differences become
3 more so. Team member selection should
consider the configuration of personality
traits desired for the task. Employees with
empathy, self<ontrol and persuasiveness
tend to be the most compatible with people
in constructively confronting conflict.
Managers can also foster different
norms in team process. For example, trust
and respect among team members are • Kristin Behfar is assistant professor,
important far different reasons: trust, for organisation and management at the
getting members to live up to their team Paul Merage School of Business,
commitments; respect far constructive University of Colifornia: kbehfar@uci.edu
task discussion and debate. • Conflict in Organizational Groups:
When designing teams, it is important New Directions in Theory and Practice
to consider the balance between individual is published by Northwestern
and team autonomy. Managers should University Press. US
not assume that more autonomy is more
desirable to team members.
LEARNING POINTS
When deciding how to intervene in
team dynamics, take care to avoid further # Conflict is dynamic by nature and its management requires
escalation of the problem or an careful attention.
overdependence on the manager for • Team members with empathy, self-cantrol and
direction. The most successful managers persuasiveness tend to deal best with conflict.
have strong conceptualisation and 4 Managers should consider personality traits and levels of
diagnostic skills, fluency with a repertoire of autonomy when forming teams.
interventions, and a good sense of timing.

REVIEWS
If you read only one book this year,
A WOMAN'S make It this one. Whatever your role
PLACE and gender I guarantee the ideas
IS IN THE explored in only 120 pages of
BOARDROOM pragmatic text will bring rich rewards.
Thi5 book is a companion volume
to one written in 2005 in which the
authors documented a compelling
case for increasing the number of
women on FTSE boards. It is a
response to repeated requests for a
roadmap of how this might be done.
As such, it is insightful, concise and
very readable. The practical style
ensures benefits for the reader, both
TITLE A Woman's Place is in the personally and as a guide to taking
Boardroom: The Roadmap corporate action.
AUTHORS Peninah Thomson and While it is an acknowledged fact
Jacey Graham that women areraiseddifferently from
PUBLISHER Palgrave Macmillan men. the implications for the way
ISBN 978 0230 53712 5 women tackle corporate careers often
tend to be overlooked. Corporate
boards are predominantly male and it
is men who set the unwritten and
unspoken rules of how to reach the
boardroom. As might be expected,
much of this book focuses on helping
women to understand the rules so they
can engage on a level playing field.
Less expected, but welcome, is the
underlying message that once they
know the rules, it's not necessary for
women to behave like men to
succeed. Indeed, the authors assert it
would be foolish to try since this
places women in a double bind where
they cannot meet social expectations
either way. The considered advice
is to be authentic, something which is
increasingly echoed in leadership
literature. Of course, the converse is
that male board directors must be
open to valuing women's authentic
experiences and strengths, even
where these differ markedly from
those of men. I liked the non-
judgmental tone, suggesting that.
while male culture is often seen as the
obstacle, men's obstructions are rarely
conscious. The key for both sexes is to
challenge outmoded thinking.
Particularly heartening for ambitious
HR professionals is the suggestion that
boards re evaluate the function as a
potential source of candidates. HR is
predominantly a female profession
and this is likely to have considerable
Implications for the type of people likely
to be attracted to the function in future.
In the meantime, colleagues who read
this book could find it life changing.
• Anna Allan is director,
HalsAllan Ltd

Ik JULY 2008 vi/ww.peoptemanagem ent.co.uk/bread-butter