process. Individual causes and determinants of conflict, such as faulty
attributions, poor styles of communication, and personal traits or
characteristics that contribute to interpersonal friction, all play a role in
this regard and must be taken into account (e.g., Baron, 1988; Tjosvold,
1986b). Similarly, organization-based factors, such as competition for
scarce resources, ambiguity over responsibility or jurisdiction, growing
internal complexity, and faulty or inadequate forms of communication,
must also be considered.

The two chapters in this section fully reflect our growing
sophistication with respect to conflict and our increasing knowledge of its
causes, patterns, and effects. In the first, Rahim explores the effects of a
number of important factors, including conflict and stress, on several
important organizational outcomes (e.g., burnout, and job performance).
In addition, and clearly reflective of the multifaceted approach described
above, Rahim also includes two potential moderators of such
relationships -- hardiness and social support -- in his research. These
previously have been described as potential moderators of the impact of
stress upon job performance and job burnout ( Kobasa, Maddi, & Kahn,
1982; Kirmeyer & Dougherty, 1988), and their potential role in this
respect is assessed by Rahim. The results of this intriguing study indicate
that both stress and conflict do indeed exert important effects upon
organizational behavior. High levels of stress are associated with
decreased job performance and job burnout. Similarly, high levels of
conflict are also associated with job burnout. In contrast to previous
findings, however, neither hardiness nor social support appeared to
moderate the relationships of conflict and stress to the key dependent
measures.

In the second chapter, Tjosvold examines the impact of two impor-
tant variables -- goal interdependence and communication skills -- on
modes of conflict management. Key findings indicate that when
individuals hold shared, cooperative goals, conflict is managed much
more effectively than when they hold competitive or independent
ones. Specifically, individuals reported they had more positive
expectations for conflict resolution and they engaged in more effective
actions to manage actual conflicts when they held cooperative goals
than when they held independent or competitive ones. In addition,
effective communication also contributed to effective conflict man-
agement. Such skills as expressing one's views clearly, trying to
understand the other's perspective, and combining the best of the ideas

-2-