Managing complexity: Insights from the contingency theory of strategic conflict management

Publication Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

12-2021

Abstract

Organizations face both internal and external threats. Some threats can be escalated to conflicts or even crises, which are often caused by complex issues or driven by highly uncertain situations. Organizations need to communicate effectively both the information about a conflict or crisis itself and their efforts of conflict management or crisis responses to stakeholders and affected publics. Echoing these pressing strategic communication needs, the contingency theory of strategic conflict management has further evolved to understand and help improve the management of competitions, conflicts, and crises, based upon systematically and comprehensively identifying key driving forces in complex situations and recommending organizational stance movement and strategic responses accordingly. Recent development of the contingency theory provides additional insights to publics’ crisis emotions and the dynamics of how publics’ confidence or doubt in an organization may change depending on crisis characteristics and organizational responses. By delineating the contingency theory and its applications in the context of challenging crisis issues and communication challenges, this chapter offers a theory-driven, evidence-based road map for practitioners to use when navigating through uncertain and complex crisis issues, mindfully and strategically.

Keywords

conflict management, crisis responses, contingency theory

Discipline

Business and Corporate Communications | Organizational Behavior and Theory | Strategic Management Policy

Research Areas

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources

Publication

Advancing crisis communication effectiveness

Editor

Y. Jin, B. H. Reber, & G. J. Nowak

First Page

181

Last Page

197

ISBN

9780367353179

Publisher

Routledge

City or Country

New York

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