Resolving conflicts between people and over time in the transformation toward sustainability: A framework of interdependent conflicts

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

Transformative and mutually beneficial solutions require decision-makers to reconcile present- and future interests (i.e., intrapersonal conflicts over time) and to align them with those of other decision-makers (i.e., interpersonal conflicts between people). Despite the natural co-occurrence of intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts in the transformation toward sustainability, both types of conflicts have been studied predominantly in isolation. In this conceptual article, we breathe new life into the traditional dialog between individual decision-making and negotiation research and address critical psychological barriers to the transformation toward sustainability. In particular, we argue that research on intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts should be tightly integrated to provide a richer understanding of the interplay between these conflicts. We propose a novel, unifying framework of interdependent conflicts that systematically structures this interplay, and we analyze how complex interdependencies between the social (i.e., conflict between decision-makers) and temporal (i.e., conflict within a decision-maker) dimensions pose fundamental psychological barriers to mutually beneficial solutions. Since challenges to conflict resolution in the transformation toward sustainability emerge not only between individual decision-makers but also frequently between groups of decision-makers, we scale the framework up to the level of social groups and thereby provide an interdependent-conflicts perspective on the interplay between intra- and intergenerational conflicts. Overall, we propose simple, testable propositions, identify intervention approaches, and apply them to transition management. By analyzing the challenges faced by negotiating parties during interdependent conflicts and highlighting potential intervention approaches, we contribute to the transformation toward sustainability. Finally, we discuss implications of the framework and point to avenues for future research.

Original languageEnglish
Article number623757
JournalFrontiers in Psychology
Volume12
Number of pages16
ISSN1664-1078
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15.04.2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We would like to thank Immo Fritsche, Michel Handgraaf, and Poonam Arora for their helpful and valuable comments on an earlier version of the framework. We would also like to thank Lucas Rosenbusch for creating the reference list for this article. Funding. This research was funded by a grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG; MA 8577/1-1) and by a seed-money grant from Leuphana University, both of which were awarded to JM.

Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2021 Majer, Barth, Zhang, van Treek and Trötschel.

    Research areas

  • Psychology - conflict, transformation, sustainability, negotiation, intrapersonal conflict, transition management

Documents

DOI

Recently viewed

Researchers

  1. Robin Marwege

Publications

  1. Windenergie in Südamerika
  2. David und Batseba
  3. Ion release from magnesium materials in physiological solutions under different oxygen tensions
  4. Combination matters
  5. Temperature-dependent mechanical behavior of aluminum AM structures generated via multi-layer friction surfacing
  6. German Version of the Relationship Problems Questionnaire
  7. Hot tearing susceptibility of binary Mg-Y alloy castings
  8. The use of force against terrorists
  9. Communication management of start-ups: an empirical analysis of entrepreneurs’ communication and networking success on Facebook
  10. Microstructure and thermal response of Mg-Sn alloys
  11. Molnar, Paul D.: Thomas F. Torrance – Theologian of the Trinity. Farnham: Ashgate 2009
  12. Conceptual approaches in the prevention of child overweight in Germany—the research project ‘Systematization of Conceptual Approaches’ (SCAP)
  13. Identification and initial toxicity assessment of Thalidomide and its phototransformation products
  14. Hölderlin und der Mythos
  15. Logistik und Migration
  16. Related Innovations Management in organisations
  17. Correction: Establishing an infrastructure for collaboration in primate cognition research(PLoS ONE (2019) 14:10(e0223675) DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223675)
  18. "There is an alternative!"
  19. Materialitäten der Kindheit
  20. When the whole is less than the sum of all parts-Tracking global-level impacts of national sustainability initiatives
  21. Schule - der Zukunft voraus
  22. Postmoderne
  23. Autochthone Mehrsprachigkeiten
  24. Mind, mousse and moderation
  25. Die "Sustainable University" als informeller Lernkontext
  26. Distinktionsgefühle
  27. Study programme sustainability - a way to impart competencies for handling sustainability?
  28. Change-Beneficial Process Architectures and the Human as a Change Enabler
  29. Post-failure impression management
  30. Gesundheitsreport Grundschule
  31. Reducing the negative effects of emotion work in service occupations: emotional competence as a psychological resource
  32. Strong or weak synergy?
  33. Die Kicker-Stecktabelle
  34. Sustainable consumption: how to evaluate sustainability in consumption acts
  35. ‚Suicidal Attacks’ und ihre medialen Repräsentationen
  36. Eltern - Schule - Migrationsgesellschaft
  37. Ontologiebasierte Repräsentation von Integrationsprofilen
  38. Non-Tariff-Barriers to Trade
  39. New chronometric age estimates for the context of the Neanderthal from Wannen-Ochtendung (Germany) by TL and argon dating
  40. Against Water
  41. Liquiditätsmanagement
  42. Revealing joining mechanism in refill friction stir spot welding of AZ31 magnesium alloy to galvanized DP600 steel