‘Jossey-Bass Academic Administrators Guide to Conflict Resolution’ is a guide that addresses all academic administrators. The book deals with conflict resolution by academic administrators.
This is because conflict is inevitable in all institutions and this book addresses this issue with profound understanding of the position held by administrators in a campus setting. This important literature comprises of several strategies used in recognizing as well as managing conflict amid persons within a faculty and also between different faculties.
The book gives guidelines on how to manage conflicts into solvable problems. Lucas and Cheldelin (2004) provide tangible strategies which Academic leaders can employ to assess problems emanating in institutions as well as designing proper methodologies inn addressing the conflicts.
The Jossey-Bass Academic Administrators Guide to Conflict Resolution is a very important tool that must be used by all administrators.
The key issues that have been addressed in this book are directives for understanding an appropriate time to intercede in a given conflict, methods for assisting in bringing irrational change including negative notions into positive and rational thinking, various means of dealing with interpersonal conflict that is conflict amid two people working in the same faculty, it also provides guidelines for major strategies used in conflict management when at work and vice versa, the book also provides effective methodologies for curbing and solving particular conflicts.
Jossey-Bass Academic Administrators Guide to Conflict Resolution is meant for upcoming leaders as well as those leaders who are not versant with leadership roles used in institutions of higher learning ( Cheldelin & Lucas 2004).
The book identifies methods of diagnosing conflicts and ways in which administrators in academic institutions can employ to solve conflicts. Getting to learn about the strategies that can be employed in managing problems can help in the development of individual’s career path.
For instance, waiting for individuals to resolve their own issues might take a very long time and this might instead bring out more issues such as formation of coalitions thus leading to fragmentation of the whole department. Thus it is important for all leaders to understand how to take charge when a conflict emanates to all meetings.
In most cases, conflicts arise amid departments. Jossey-Bass Academic Administrators Guide to conflict resolution provides a clear understanding of conflict resolution like this one. For instance, most of the problems in academic institutions emanate from members of the same department who end up in conflicts that lead to fragmentation of the same department.
The author notes that employing third part in negotiations, mediations as well as intervening in conflict resolution is very important in dealing with problems. The book gives emphasis on the understanding of conflict which can be resolved by the administrator.
Jossey-Bass Academic Administrators Guide to conflict resolution is meant for upcoming administrators for all universities and colleges. It is also good for veteran people who are not well versed with their new roles in administration. In addition to this, graduate assistants need to read this book so that they can understand how to lead and manage a unit.
It is aimed at sharpening the skills in problem solving. The various departments can help manage classroom conflict by making this material available to their graduates thus increasing their potential in leadership as well as develop efficient techniques used in managing conflicts by the students.
All administrators and students who would like to pursue administration and all institution leaders are encouraged to read this book so that they can acquire necessary techniques to help them resolve conflicts in various institutions. It gives them an opportunity to become good leaders.
References
Cheldelin S. & Lucas F. A. (2004). The Jossey-Bass Academic Administartors Guide to Conflict Resolution. Michigan: Jossey-Bass.