A Qualitative Study to Discover and Describe Common Ground Strategies Used by Exemplar Law Enforcement Leaders to Proactively Transform and Resolve Conflict as They Attempt to Shape the Future.

摘要

The purpose of this thematic, qualitative, phenomenological study was to discover and describe the lived experiences of exemplar Municipal Police Chiefs in the use of six domains of conflict transformation; collaboration, communication, emotional intelligence, ethics, process, and problem solving, in order to find breakthrough results and transform conflict. This study was accomplished through the lived experiences, perceptions and interpretations of exemplar Municipal Police Chiefs, and through these experiences, put forward the commonalities, patterns of behavior, or repetitive themes that are used to find common ground and produce breakthrough results. The findings from this research illustrate how exemplar municipal police chiefs use the conflict transformation behaviors of collaboration, communication, emotional intelligence, ethics, problem-solving, and process to achieve common ground. By identifying and describing how exemplar municipal police chiefs use the conflict transformation behaviors of collaboration, communication, emotional intelligence, ethics, problem-solving, and process to achieve common ground, best practices of these behaviors may be able to be developed. The findings and literature support the use of these behaviors to transform conflict and develop common ground. Further research is advised for this area by replicating this study in other types of law enforcement organizations, industry, education, and possibly the military. Conduct a study to combine the results of this study with the peer-researchers in this thematic phenomenological study for results and compare the results. Further research is needed in the area of common ground to determine if the conflict transformation behaviors cross-over to other organizations.