Conflict analysis with a focus on community polarisation: a case study of a wind energy project in Switzerland
- Authors: Bachmann, Melanie
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Conflict management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/42428 , vital:36654
- Description: Switzerland, like many other countries, wants to expand the production and usage of renewable energies, including wind energy. However, wind energy causes much conflict due to the emissions and possible impacts on the people, nature and landscape. In the canton of Glarus a wind energy project called LinthWind is currently projected. This has resulted in a public dispute involving several parties and members of the community. In opposition to the project, the association LinthGegenWind was formed with the aim of keeping the area free from wind turbines. The project developer, as well as LinthGegenWind, are organising information events and provide information through other platforms. The aim of this research is to provide the community with a thorough understanding of the conflict, including its dynamics and possible destructive processes. Through the conduction of conflict analysis, it investigates the conflict evolving around the project LinthWind. With the help of an online questionnaire, the opinions of the participants regarding the project and also the factors influencing the opinion-formation were enquired. This allowed for an examination of the polarization of the community and the factors contributing to it. The conflict analysis presents detailed information regarding the conflict history and background, the parties involved, issues under contention, sources and causes of the conflict, driving factors and the dynamics. Many factors indicate that the dispute is in an escalating phase. It was further shown that the affected community is clearly polarised regarding the project LinthWind. The polarisation is most likely enhanced by certain measures applied by the parties and the voting process. Independently gathered information by the people themselves seem to be the strongest influencing factors for the opinion formation. The success of the tactics applied by the project developer and the association opposing the project vary regarding their influence on the opinion formation. Missing communication between the parties and a polarised community exacerbates effective conflict management. In the case of LinthWind, a forum is therefore suggested where communication and information – the basics for constructive conflict management – are enabled.
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- Date Issued: 2018
A text-critical analysis of potentially conflict-provoking genres of the Christian bible
- Authors: Grigor, Pierre
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Church history , Transformation groups , Conflict management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/11289 , vital:26906
- Description: This dissertation wants to understand the church history regarding the divide which resulted in the so called fundamentalist and the liberal movements in the church being birthed in identifying the reasons for the conflict between the aforementioned groups. It then presents principles of conflict transformation and management in order to understand and to help transform and manage potential confrontational situations between the aforementioned groups effectively. It further propose alternative interpretations to potential conflict-generating Bible texts by extrapolating new information from those texts in order to stir the potential of birthing a second naïve love for the discredited texts by offering new meanings to those same texts. Unfortunately, this objective can’t effectively be measured within the scope of this dissertation, but will nevertheless remain as an objective of hope.
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- Date Issued: 2016
The need for conflict management in organisations (a health insurance company, Port Elizabeth)
- Authors: Ajam, Razaana
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Conflict management , Organizational change -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Organizational behavior -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Interpersonal relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/3852 , vital:20469
- Description: Conflict is evident in many spheres of life, however this study concentrated more specifically on conflict relating to organisations. Organisational conflict is seen “as any social collectivity, organisations such as private sector companies, government departments, schools and universities, non-governmental organisations, and political parties all experience internal conflict in varying degrees” (Bradshaw, 2008: 22). Each individual coming into a workplace has created his or her own set of challenges especially in the brutal arena of business. Conflict has destructive and productive qualities that can diminish or elevate processes within an organization (Stone, 1999). If it is not harnessed properly or dealt with in the correct manner, it can damage the reputation of a business; resulting in its downfall and this in turn contaminates and affects peripheral businesses associated with the organisation downstream. This study explored the following key aspects: Background of organisational conflict and its management; Background of the organization; Whether these two areas mentioned above can work together to create a cost effective and efficient outcome when dealing with conflict. The research adopted a mixed method approach with predominant focus on qualitative research methodology. The main focus of this study was conflict management within organisations and to probe and determine whether companies see the need to employ the field of conflict management as a strategy in times of fluctuating dispositions. It is evident that the organisation may not be fully aware or make use of alternative conflict resolution strategies and that the main causes of conflict can be eliminated such as poor communication, ill-defined job descriptions and objectives and differing of opinions. The need to employ alternative methods of conflict management may be emphasised by looking at the costs that conflict produces and the use of limited vital resources and the loss of human capital.
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- Date Issued: 2016
A comparison of the Botswana and South African labour dispute: resolution systems
- Authors: Koorapetse, Michael Moemedi Sean
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Labor disputes , Labor relations , Conflict management , Dispute resolution (Law)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9429 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1010556 , Labor disputes , Labor relations , Conflict management , Dispute resolution (Law)
- Description: The purpose of this study was to compare the dispute resolution systems of Botswana and South Africa. As far as the South Africa dispute resolution system is concerned extensive literature on the system was carried out to describe its functioning. As for the Botswana dispute resolution system there was not much written about it in the literature, so in order to find out more about this system semi-structured interviews with labour relations experts which include mediators, arbitrators, lecturers, labour lawyers, trade unionists, employers and government officials held. The framework of comparison was developed to compare the elements of dispute resolution systems against each other and secondly to compare each system against the criteria of performance to the system. The two labour relations systems were compared in terms of elements of the system and the performance of the two systems. In the comparisons of the elements of the systems it was found out that in both systems the nature of disputes was collective and individual disputes both of which can be referred to the initial process of mediation or conciliation. However, in Botswana collective disputes can only be referred to arbitration if they remain unresolved in mediation while in South Africa only collective disputes on essential services go to arbitration while others lead to a strike or lockout if unresolved at conciliation. As for coverage both systems have incorporated public service sector employees in the systems after being excluded from the system for a very long time. The only difference is that in Botswana the Police force is not included while in South Africa they are included in the system. Differences in the avenues of disputes in the two countries were noted, in Botswana the rights/individual disputes go to either arbitration or Industrial Court if unresolved at mediation, inter-est/collective disputes can only go to arbitration while in South Africa the route of disputes is specified in the legislation. As for the human resources of the two countries it was found that the South African system has more qualified, trained and sufficiently experienced staff than the Botswana system. As for the processes it was found that for South Africa the initial process is conciliation while in Botswana it is mediation but these two processes were similar in many ways, from mediation/conciliation the next step in both systems is arbitration and just like the conciliation/mediation, arbitration in both countries was found to be similar except that in South Africa it is a public hearing. The two systems were also compared in terms of their performances and the research has established that between the two systems the South African system proved to be more superior on three of the criteria; efficiency, accessibility and legitimacy than the Botswana system. Therefore, the research proposes a number of recommendations for Botswana to implement namely; establishment of a legislated mixed process of mediation-arbitration, making the dispute resolution system independent from government, recruitment of high qualified and experienced staff for mediation and arbitration, accreditation to private agencies, effective case management system and proper routing of disputes.
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- Date Issued: 2011
Explaining South Africa's quiet diplomacy towards Zimbabwe since 2000: the dilemma of a pluralist middle power
- Authors: Gcoyi, Thembinkosi
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Middle powers , Conflict management , Zimbabwe -- Foreign relations -- South Africa , South Africa -- Foreign relations -- Zimbabwe , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994- , Zimbabwe -- Politics and government -- 1980-
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2777 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002987 , Middle powers , Conflict management , Zimbabwe -- Foreign relations -- South Africa , South Africa -- Foreign relations -- Zimbabwe , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994- , Zimbabwe -- Politics and government -- 1980-
- Description: This study is a contribution to the literature on South Africa's foreign policy since 2000-2004. It provides a theoretical framework within which South Africa's foreign policy should be understood. It attempts to explain the contradictions that have been apparent in South Africa's foreign policy by looking at the constraints inherent in South Africa's position as an emerging middle power. It argues that South Africa's pluralist inclinations are constrained by Africa's evolving multilateral forums and that South Africa's preference for such undermines the realization and achievement of her foreign policy principles and goals. It also argues that as a realist middle power, South Africa is constrained the ambivalence shown by the region towards her exercising leadership in the region. This is due to South Africa's history of destruction in Southern Africa in the 1980's. South Africa's quiet diplomacy towards Zimbabwe provides the focal point for the study. The study argues that it is not the case that South Africa is not concerned with human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. Instead, this concern has been expressed in ways that do not tarnish South Africa's own image in Africa. This has been done by engaging Zimbabweans through multilateral forums. This study concludes that this strategy failed to bring about resolution to the Zimbabwean crisis.
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- Date Issued: 2006
Understanding educator-mediated conflict resolution in a preschool environment: the experiences and feelings of preschool educators
- Authors: Cakwe, Mandisa
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Education, Preschool , Early childhood education , Preschool children , Conflict management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2943 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002452 , Education, Preschool , Early childhood education , Preschool children , Conflict management
- Description: This thesis discusses the experiences and feelings of preschool educators when resolving situations of conflict between preschool children. Data was collected by means of semistructured individual interviews with preschool educators and a video recorder recording conflict situations among preschool children focusing on educator resolution strategies. Grounded theory was used as a data analysis technique to analyse the data collected. The analysis revealed that the preschool educators under study do not use mediation as a conflict resolution strategy but use various strategies that include, prevention, directive approach, arbitration, myths and threats and rules. Data analysis also revealed that these preschool educators encounter experiences and feelings before, while and after intervening in the conflict situations of children. These findings imply that preschool educators lack the professional skill of conflict resolution. This suggests an urgent need of restructuring of the preschool educator’s training to include conflict resolution training as one of their important component. Educators and parents also need to be consulted or involved in the process of restructuring the training.
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- Date Issued: 2006