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

• Main Authors: JIN, Yang, PANG, A., CAMERON, Glen T., KIM, Sungsu, PAGANO, Leonard A.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2021
• Subjects: conflict management; crisis responses; contingency theory; Business and Corporate Communications; Organizational Behavior and Theory; Strategic Management Policy
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6934
• Institution: Singapore Management University

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.