Much of the work on conflict has, as mentioned, adapted a rather myopic
perspective and focused on relatively short-term consequences for individual
and work-team effectiveness. To take an example from nearby, consider the
study by De Dreu and Van Vianen (2001). In that study relationship conflict
in work teams was measured along with the ways these teams managed their
relationship conflicts and their work-team effectiveness. The results from
this cross-sectional study reveal that dealing with relationship conflict
through collaborating and contending is related to much poorer effectiveness
than avoiding as a way to manage relationship conflict at all. The
authors concluded that avoiding and inaction in relationship conflict and a
‘‘let’s agree to disagree’’ strategy may be much more effective than
researchers and practitioners tend to assume.