Final answer:
Conflict resolution involves managing disputes to prevent negative outcomes such as stress and loss of productivity, often through nonviolent methods like bargaining and negotiation. Formal processes may exist in workplaces, and international bodies can mediate between states. Improving these skills requires ongoing learning and practice.
Step-by-step explanation:
Conflict resolution refers to the various ways that individuals, groups, or even nations address and settle disputes. By effectively resolving conflict, involved parties can prevent the negative consequences such as stress, reduced morale, and decreased productivity. In the workplace, especially in larger or unionized environments, there may be formal dispute resolution processes to address these issues.
It is important to recognize that not all conflicts require violent solutions. Alternatives like nonviolent negotiation and bargaining are common in politics, where the existing state of affairs, or status quo, is discussed to come to a mutual agreement. International bodies like the United Nations may also assist in resolving conflicts between states by creating treaties.
Learning and practicing conflict resolution skills involve professional development, reading literature on the subject, participating in workshops, and consulting online resources. These skills are useful for understanding how conflicts have been resolved throughout history and how they can be settled without resorting to brute force.