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Knowledge4Policy
Knowledge for policy
Supporting policy with scientific evidence

We mobilise people and resources to create, curate, make sense of and use knowledge to inform policymaking across Europe.

  • Publication | 2022
Managing conflicts for improved collaboration

This article is part of the series “Science Behind the Way we Work” aimed at providing public servants with practical, evidence-based advice to help improve the way we work. By combining insights gleaned from cognitive, behavioural and organisational science, we offer readers actionable tips that they can immediately implement in their jobs.

Organisational Transformation
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This article tackles the crucial issue of workplace conflicts. To work at our best, we need to work with other people. But that can become challenging, particularly in cross-boundary teams where diverse perspectives can often lead to conflicts. Based on research across psychology and organisational science, this article proposes evidence-based tips for overcoming conflicts and improving collaboration. These include avoiding making conflicts personal, stressing commonalities over divergences, acknowledging the complexity of issues, and creating a sense of shared purpose. The article provides practical guidance for implementing these strategies in our daily work and highlights the implications of these findings for understanding human decision-making and behaviour within organisations. 

You can download the article (pdf) in the Resources section below. 
Access all the articles from the series The Science Behind the Way We Work.