The Relationship between Conflict Management and Innovation Performance

Abstract

Most people avoid conflict or handle it poorly. However, Conflict can be healthy if it is managed effectively. Managing conflict is very important as it always foster innovation especially in workplace. There is strong relationship between constructive conflict and innovation, conflict is a profound source of creativity and innovation if it is effectively handled, it pushes the person to find new possibilities for resolution. The aim of this paper is to report on the effectiveness of conflict management skills in the workplace and how it relates to innovation performance. In attempting to this debate the emphasis will be on the literature that focuses on leaders ability to conflict management strategy, employees attitude and behavior to change the negative aspects of conflict into cooperative and constructive conflict, as well as new perspectives on how to create a culture of innovation among employees. Here conflict is employed as a mean to promote individual and organizational learning, growth, and innovation.

Keywords: Innovation, conflict management, conflict and innovation