Conflict-management training can improve how managers respond to workplace disagreements, but the strongest evidence does not support universal claims such as \u201ctraining makes managers nine times more confident\u201d or \u201ctrained teams resolve conflict 40% faster\u201d. The effect depends on what is taught, how managers practise, whether they use the skills at work and the organisational context around them.<\/p>\n
There is, however, useful real-world evidence that well-designed manager training can improve conflict confidence, problem-solving behaviour and some employee-reported outcomes.<\/p>\n
The Acas Skilled Managers Productive Workplaces research programme tested an online conflict-management intervention developed with researchers at the Universities of Westminster and Sheffield. The programme included a randomised controlled trial across 24 organisations and a separate before-and-after evaluation in 38 small and micro organisations.<\/p>\n
Source: Acas, Managerial capability and staff engagement \u2014 Skilled Managers Productive Workplaces<\/a><\/p>\n The intervention focused on practical manager capability: preventing, containing and resolving conflict, having effective conversations, addressing performance and misconduct, choosing appropriate responses and handling team-based conflict.<\/p>\n Acas reports that after the training:<\/p>\n Source: Acas, Skilled Managers Productive Workplaces: Translating research into workplace practice that works<\/a><\/p>\n These are study-specific results. They should not be turned into a promise that every manager or organisation will achieve the same percentages.<\/p>\n In the randomised controlled trial, staff working for trained managers reported relative improvements in managers’ willingness to intervene promptly in conflict compared with the control group. Acas also reports a reduction in work-related stress among staff of trained managers that was not observed among staff whose managers did not receive the training.<\/p>\n This is stronger evidence than a self-reported \u201cconfidence\u201d score alone because the research also examined what employees experienced after their managers were trained.<\/p>\n Acas explicitly cautions that the intervention is not a single solution to every workplace-conflict problem. Organisational context matters, and some settings may need face-to-face or more holistic support.<\/p>\n That is an important design principle. Training cannot compensate for:<\/p>\n The Acas programme focuses on practical capabilities rather than abstract conflict theory alone. A useful manager programme can include:<\/p>\n MATSH’s separate Conflict Management at Work<\/a> guide should remain the broad owner for conflict strategies and resolution processes. This page should focus specifically on training as an intervention and how to evaluate it.<\/p>\n Conflict-management capability is difficult to build through slides alone. Managers need to make judgement calls under realistic conditions.<\/p>\n Useful practice can include scenarios such as:<\/p>\n The facilitator should evaluate the manager’s reasoning, communication and escalation choice, not just whether they remember a model.<\/p>\nTraining improved conflict confidence and problem-solving behaviour<\/h2>\n
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The RCT also looked at employee-reported outcomes<\/h2>\n
Training is not a silver bullet<\/h2>\n
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What conflict-management training should teach<\/h2>\n
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Practise decisions, not only definitions<\/h2>\n
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Measure training at several levels<\/h2>\n