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Conflict Escalation: Dispute Exacerbating Elements of E-mail Communication

Raymond A. Friedman

Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University.ray.friedman{at}owen.vanderbilt.edu

Steven C. Currall

Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management, Rice University.scc{at}rice.edu

In this article, we proffer new theoretical ideas regarding how the structural features of e-mail make it more likely that disputes escalate when people communicate electronically compared to when they communicate face-to-face or via the telephone. Building upon Rubin et al.’s (1994) conflict escalation model, we propose a new conceptual framework that articulates: (i) the structural properties of e-mail communication; (ii) the impact of these properties on conflict process effects; and (iii) how process effects, in turn, trigger conflict escalation. Propositions specify the nature of relationships among process effects and the components of conflict escalation. We also discuss how the extent of familiarity between individuals acts as a moderator of these relationships. Our conceptual framework, the dispute-exacerbating model of e-mail (DEME), is designed to be a foundation for future empirical research.

Key Words: computer-mediated communication • conflict escalation • conflict management • dispute resolution • e-mail

Human Relations, Vol. 56, No. 11, 1325-1347 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/00187267035611003
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