PROFESSOR TELLS HOW TO SURVIVE CONFLICTS AT WORK

NEW PALTZ — Janice W. Anderson, a faculty member at the State University of New York at New Paltz, has written a book that provides practical suggestions for dealing with conflict in the workplace.

In Communication Skills for Surviving Conflicts at Work, Anderson, with co-authors Myrna Foster-Kuehn of Clarion State University and Bruce Converse McKinney of the University of North Carolina-Wilmington offers valuable insight about managing conflict at work. The authors write that the conflict process itself cannot be controlled, but how the individual responds can be — that response can determine whether the outcome of the conflict is productive or destructive.

The book covers specific topics such as managing immediate responses to conflict, dealing with conflicts in work teams, managing change when in charge, negotiating agreements, using third parties, and managing cultural differences. Whether facing conflicts as a subordinate, as a member of a work unit, or as a supervisor, this book will help readers recognize the signs of trouble, anticipate how conflict episodes might unfold, and devise flexible and appropriate strategies for coping.

Anderson, an associate professor in the Department of Communication and Media at New Paltz, has taught undergraduate courses in group dynamics, organizational communication, and negotiation for more than 15 years. In addition, she has trained IBM managers, Navy civilian employees, labor union leaders, and U.S. Postal Service managers in such topics as running performance appraisals, conducting employee interviews, and managing diversity issues. She has published numerous articles on corporate advocacy and organizational change.

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