The stated purpose of this book is to “assess the nature of conflict in academic environments and describe practical ways to prevent and resolve unproductive disputes.” The author, the former provost at Kansas State University, effectively addresses both objectives. The book describes a flexible system or framework for resolving disputes. More importantly, it lays out guidelines and principles that can be seen as the foundation for a process that is not only effective in resolving conflict but whose very presence indicates an institution's priority in making sure that the working environment is productive, friendly, and fair.

This book is recommended for vice presidents of academic affairs, presidents, and other leaders who would like a catalyst to help them think through whether their current system of conflict resolution is adequate.  While reading this book you will be thinking about how effective your organization has been at establishing principles and processes that avoid conflict that results from a lack of inclusion, brings hidden conflict out in the open and uses it as an opportunity for organizational learning, and establishing a coherent system that maximizes productive outcomes from those disputes that are more nasty.

The author distinguishes between unproductive and productive conflict. Productive conflict is seen as conflict that is either about ideas, which is the lifeblood of the academy, or about people and specifically their performance. Unproductive conflict, while not defined as explicitly by the author, is generally that which is not resolved.  The author argues that unproductive conflict wastes time, money, and probably most importantly, intellectual energy.  I interpreted the author's meaning as being that conflict or disagreement is inevitable. Therefore, what is important are the attitudes toward conflict and disagreement. 

Overall, the author advises putting into place an explicit institution-wide system that he refers to as a dispute prevention, resolution, and management system. The system consists of a set of components, which are items such as a clear, easily accessible policy, and a set of people, who are responsible for implementing this system. The author recommends that the principal responsibility for this system rest with the vice president for academic affairs. However, the system explicitly shares responsibility across many levels and offices in the institution.

The book includes discussions and examples from several common dispute areas, such as annual performance evaluation, promotion and tenure, post-tenure review, race and gender discrimination, and governance disputes (such as budget-cut disputes).

I found the section on best practices to be particularly enlightening. These represented more than best practices to me. They were also a set of principles upon which to build a fair and consistent organization. For instance, a commitment to fairness in fact finding when there is a dispute or a commitment to bring in unbiased third parties who can help find common ground are principles that underlie an openness that maximizes success of the dispute system. Most importantly, establishing this system and making people aware of the community principles and core values upon which it is based seems to me to be not only an important management method but also an enabler for change, as the most effective change is enabled by a stable foundation of core values. 

The author points out a paradox that while higher education is responsible for much of the world's intellectual advancement and new knowledge it is also steeped in archaic traditions. The university is therefore both archaic and progressive at the same time.  The system of dispute management called for in this book, can be an important component in distinguishing a true institution based on stable core values, from a less thoughtful and temporary organization structure that addresses these issues in an ad hoc manner.  An institution that recognizes the important and inevitable role of dispute resolution is one that also recognizes the importance of difference, diversity, democratic participation, fairness and potential to foster innovation and change via productive conflict.