Computerized DSS for Construction Conflict Resolution under Uncertainty

Due to the inherent nature of construction projects, conflicts are unavoidable among the various parties involved. Such conflicts often delay projects and cause losses for all parties. This paper presents the development of a decision support system (DSS) to help in resolving construction disputes. The DSS integrates the elimination method to shortlist promising resolutions to a conflict, the graph model for conflict resolution to determine the best resolution that satisfies all decision makers’ preferences, and the information gap theory to consider uncertain decision preferences. A prototype system has been developed and a case study of a construction conflict used to demonstrate its features. The presented methodology for construction conflict resolution is useful for both researchers and practitioners to better deal with the dispute-prone nature of the construction industry under uncertainty and lack of information. In this paper, the proposed prototype successfully simulated and predicted the sequence of decisions that took place in the case study dispute, in the presence of uncertainty.     

The relationship among work-family conflict and enhancement, organizational work-family culture, and work outcomes for older working women.

This article examines the relationship among work-family conflict and enhancement, organizational work-family culture, and four work outcomes for 489 working women over the age of 50. Survey results from two U.S. health care organizations and one U.S. financial services organization indicate that older working women experience differing amounts of work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict, work-to-family enhancement, and family-to-work enhancement. Hypotheses relating organizational work-family culture to work-family conflict and enhancement were partially supported, and hypotheses relating conflict and enhancement to four work outcomes were partially supported. Work-to-family conflict and work-to-family enhancement partially mediate the relationship between organizational work-family culture and selected work outcomes. Implications for theory and practice, limitations of this study, and directions for future research are also presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Managerial third-party dispute intervention: An inductive analysis of intervenor strategy selection.

Managers as 3rd-party conflict intervenors differ from other, more formal 3rd parties, such as arbitrators and mediators (B. H. Shepperd, D. M. Saunders, & J. W. Minton, 1986). The study described in this article was conducted to identify the conflict intervention strategies as recalled by managers in the role of 3rd party. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) techniques were used to determine the dimensions necessary and sufficient to distinguish among the types of intervention strategies described by managers. The MDS procedures revealed 5 dimensions: attention given to stated versus underlying problem, disputant commitment forced versus encouraged, manager versus disputant decision control, manager approaches conflict versus manager avoids conflict, and dispute is handled publicly versus privately. Confirmatory analysis supported the selection of dimension labels. Additional analysis provided preliminary support for the notion that the nature of the conflict and intervenor goals influence manager selection of intervention strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Lessons Learned from Rigid Conflict Resolution in an Organization: Construction Conflict Case Study

Success in construction projects mainly depends on how well project managers handle conflicts. There are in general five conflict resolution approaches: withdrawal, compromise, forcing, smoothing, and problem solving. Conflict results are very relevant to the interaction of the approaches. Improperly managed, the interaction often generates psychological residue such as anger that ruins the project. The main objective of this research is, through a case study, to enhance the comprehension of the approaches, their interactions, and the psychological changeovers involved. Although conflict resolution among the contractual parties with privity has been studied widely, the conflicts among the parties either in an owner or in a contractor organization have been rarely researched, although they frequently cause destructive claims to the contractual parties. This research identifies a real construction conflict as the case study that occurred between two functional entities of a local Korean government. The case illustrates that a badly managed conflict in an owner organization causes undesirable claims between contractual parties. Based on the previous research regarding the five approaches and psychological transitions in a conflict resolution process, the case is analyzed to recognize the approaches and psychological changeovers absorbed. Useful lessons from the case are identified through a graduate class discussion.     

Work and nonwork outcomes of workplace incivility: Does family support help?

This study extended incivility research beyond the confines of the workplace by exploring the relationships between incivility, work-to-family conflict and family support. Data collected from 180 employees from various organizations in Singapore showed that incivility is not a rare phenomenon in Asian cultures. Employees experienced more incivility from superiors than coworkers or subordinates, and these experiences were related to different outcomes. Coworker-initiated incivility was associated with decreased coworker satisfaction, increased perceptions of unfair treatment, and increased depression. On the other hand, superior-initiated incivility was associated with decreased supervisor satisfaction and increased work-to-family conflict. Results also revealed that employees with high family support showed stronger relationships between workplace incivility and negative outcomes, compared with employees with low family support. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between role stress and job performance in salespeople employed by travel agents in Taiwan.

This study investigated the relationship between role stress, service capability, and job performance in 318 salespeople employed by travel agents in Taiwan. There was a negative relationship between role ambiguity and job performance, and a positive relationship between role conflict and performance outcomes. Moreover, the relation between role stress and job performance varied with the service capability of the salesperson. Service capability moderated the relationship between role ambiguity, performance behavior, and performance outcomes. This sends an important message to the Taiwan travel-agent industry: that resources should be directed at improving the service skills of salespeople. The results of this study constitute useful reference information for optimizing the application of organizational management and human resources. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An empirical test of causal inference between role perceptions of conflict and ambiguity and various personal outcomes.

The causal bases in relationships between role perceptions of conflict and ambiguity and various personal outcomes were inferred from a correlational-causal analysis. Data were obtained at 2 different times, over a 4-mo lag, from 202 professional-level members of 9 governmental research and development organizations. Tests of causal relationships between experienced role conflict and job-related tension, job satisfaction, and attitudes toward role senders were inferred to be indeterminate, while causal direction was inferred between role ambiguity and both job satisfaction and attitudes toward role senders. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Lose–lose agreements in interdependent decision making.

Two people in an interdependent decision-making situation may have compatible interests; however, they often fail to realize this and settle on an outcome less favorable to both parties than another readily available solution. People sometimes settle for less favorable outcomes even when they realize they have compatible interests. The authors refer to this failure to identify and optimize compatible interests as the lose–lose effect, which means a faulty belief or judgment about another person's interests and an outcome or agreement that fails to capitalize on shared interests. Whether the people involved are individuals or organizations, lose–lose agreements result in reduced prosperity and satisfaction for both parties. The authors present a meta-analytic review of 32 experiments that document the pervasiveness of lose–lose agreements. They examine the relationship between the judgments people make about others' interests and lose–lose agreements and the effects of practice on both. They review theoretical explanations of lose–lose agreements. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Establishment of Critical Success Factors for Construction Partnering

Research into the use of partnering in construction has become ubiquitous; however, a framework is needed that can be used to identify critical success factors (CSFs) that contribute to the successful use of partnering in projects. Based on a review of the partnering literature within the management discipline, a partnering framework has been developed to identify the CSFs for construction parties implementing partnering arrangements. The framework highlights the influence of contextual characteristics and management skills on partnering success. The CSFs identified and discussed in the framework are effective communication, conflict resolution, adequate resources, management support, mutual trust, long-term commitment, coordination, and creativity. The degree of success of partnering can be determined by subjective measures (e.g., perceived satisfaction of partners' expectations) and objective measures (e.g., cost variation and rejection of work). A case for initiating partnering is also presented, together with some general guidelines.     

Program evaluation in the public interest: a new research methodology

For every social welfare or social control service program there are several parties, each with different interests: patients, clients, staff, management, and sponsors. Evaluation of such a program in the public interest must take the interests of these parties into account. To do so requires an untraditional methodology, that of a second-person, or communal, science, which is not above the conflict of parties and their interests in specifying the variables, staffing the research, balancing considerations of intrusion against those of bias, considering the action implications of the data, sequentially staging the research, or even publishing findings. This all makes evaluation in the public interest a highly political process often unlikely to be logically decisive about intervariable relationships, to yield generalizable results, or even to be completed.     

A model of emergence and dysfunctional effects of emotional conflict in groups.

The current study tested a model of group effectiveness in which emotional conflict, negative affective tone in groups, and group mean agreeableness were proposed as key antecedent variables. Data collected from 84 project groups supported the proposition that group-level agreeableness was significantly related with emotional conflict, and that emotional conflict indirectly affects group outcomes through group-level negative affective tone and contextual-discretionary behaviors, as opposed to task-related behaviors. Findings are discussed in terms of how group members' personality foster emotional conflict in groups and the implications of these findings for group effectiveness research as well as the management of project groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceptions of helpfulness in conjoint behavioral consultation: Congruence and agreement between teachers and parents.

Conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC) can be considered a help-giving model, wherein consultants work with parents and teachers in an effort to develop constructive partnerships aimed at addressing needs of students for whom both parties share responsibility. The development of strong relationships among systems in a child's life is related to positive outcomes for children, and congruence among systems is one relationship variable that has received previous research attention. This study examined the degree to which parent and teacher perceptions of the helpfulness of the CBC consultant are congruent, and its relationship with various case outcomes. Correlational analyses suggest that parents' and teachers' perspectives of the helpfulness of the consultant are not necessarily related to each other, and as differences increase, perceptions of outcomes decrease for both parties. Research implications, limitations, and future directions are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Job characteristics, work–school conflict, and school outcomes among adolescents: Testing a structural model.

A conceptual model of work–school conflict was developed and tested. This study extends prior adolescent employment research by investigating the process by which job characteristics are associated with school outcomes. Data were obtained from a sample of 319 adolescents (16 to 19 years old) who were full-time students and part-time workers. The model was tested using structural equation modeling techniques. Results supported the hypothesized path model. Job characteristics (workload, number of work hours, and job dissatisfaction) were positively related to work–school conflict. Work–school conflict was negatively related to school readiness. School readiness was positively related to school performance, which was negatively associated with school dissatisfaction. In addition, results support a feedback relation, such that school dissatisfaction is negatively related to school readiness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social face in conflict: Effects of affronts to person and position in China.

Social face concerns have been theorized as greatly affecting management of conflict and as likely to lead to conflict avoidance, especially among collectivist people. However, this study proposed that confirmation of personal face, even with strong negative evaluations of position, can facilitate the effective use of open disagreement to make decisions. Experimental findings obtained in China indicated that confirmation of personal face, compared with affronts, developed a cooperative context for conflict management; specifically, it promoted uncertainty about one's original position, exploration and understanding of the opposing view, efforts to integrate positions, and confidence in the relationship. Affronts to position had very modest effects on the dynamics and outcomes of conflict. Results were interpreted as suggesting that group members can manage their conflicts constructively when they communicate a direct confirmation of face. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Treatment techniques and outcomes in multidimensional family therapy for adolescent behavior problems.

The link between treatment techniques and long-term treatment outcome was examined in an empirically supported family-based treatment for adolescent drug abuse. Observational ratings of therapist interventions were used to predict outcomes at 6 and 12 months posttreatment for 63 families receiving multidimensional family therapy. Greater use of in-session family-focused techniques predicted reduction in internalizing symptoms and improvement in family cohesion. Greater use of family-focused techniques also predicted reduced externalizing symptoms and family conflict, but only when adolescent focus was also high. In addition, greater use of adolescent-focused techniques predicted improvement in family cohesion and family conflict. Results suggest that both individual and multiperson interventions can exert an influential role in family-based therapy for clinically referred adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Moderating Influence of Procedural Fairness on the Relationship Between Work-Life Conflict and Organizational Commitment.

To help employees better manage work-life conflict, organizations have introduced various initiatives, which have met with mixed results. The present studies examined the utility of a procedurally based approach to understanding employees' reactions to work-life conflict. The authors examined whether the fairness of procedures used by organizational authorities to plan and implement decisions moderates the (inverse) relationship between work-life conflict and employees' organizational commitment. Three studies using different methodologies showed support for the moderating role played by procedural fairness. That is, the tendency for greater work-life conflict to lead to lower commitment was significantly less pronounced when procedural fairness was high rather than low. Theoretical contributions to the work-life conflict and organizational justice literatures are discussed, as are practical implications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physician-hospital integration strategies: impact on physician involvement in hospital governance

This study investigated the impact of three physician-hospital contractual arrangements (PHCAs)--joint ventures, management service organizations, and not-for-profit foundations--on physician involvement in hospital governance and physician-hospital relationships. Analysis of data collected from a national sample of 1,013 hospitals revealed that PHCAs generate greater physician involvement in hospital decision making and result in lower physician-hospital conflict.     

Cross-lagged correlational analysis in dynamic settings.

Reports on an application of cross-lagged analysis to data collected during the early life of 3 simulated organizations. The objective is to illustrate what occurs when using cross-lagged analysis in a situation of rapid change. 90 management training participants responded to a questionnaire at 2 different times early in the life of the simulated organizations (The Organization Game) in an effort to assess causality between role conflict/role ambiguity and several outcome variables. Only 1 weak causal inference could be determined (alienation reduces role ambiguity), but a reanalysis revealed that the developmental situation was too dynamic for use of cross-lagged analysis. Factor-structure comparison of data from the 2 times, as well as comparisons of the mean levels of responses and performance measures, underscored the dynamic nature of the situation. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The growth and maturation of the National Cancer Data Base

BACKGROUND: The National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint project of the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons and the American Cancer Society, is a cancer management and outcomes data base for health care organizations. It provides a comparative summary of patient care that is used by communities and participating hospitals for self-assessment. The most current (1994) data are described here. METHODS: Six calls for data have yielded a total of 4,580,000 cases for the years 1985-1994. A total of 1735 hospital cancer registries have each participated in at least one of the calls for data. RESULTS: Summing the last year's report from each of the 1227 hospitals that participated in 1994, the cases represent the equivalent of 57% of the estimated 1994 U.S. cancer cases. These data were received from all six regions of the country, including all 50 states. Ninety-seven percent of patients received all or part of their treatment at the reporting hospital. The four most common cancers are carcinomas of the breast (15.7%), lung (14.3%), prostate (13.1%), and colon (7.7%), and collectively they comprise a majority of new cases. CONCLUSIONS: The NCDB is a cancer management and outcomes data base for health care organizations that currently provides data on 57% of the estimated new cases in the U.S. Past data have been used extensively to assess patterns of care and outcomes.