ess of purpose are highlighted, with conflict the result" (p. 15).
Whatever their cause, such conflicts share certain characteristics which Blake & Mouton (1981) summarize as follows: increased cohesion within each competing group and growing antagonism toward the outside competitor and pressures for conformity within each group and uncompromising leadership (p. 64). Greenhalgh (1986) says that "people tend to become emotionally involved in conflicts . . . perceptions may become distorted, nonrational thought processes may arise, and unreasonable stances, impaired communications, and personal attacks may result" (p. 49). The victors in such struggles often become arrogant and even more difficult to work with; the losers tend to withdraw and become isolated, indifferent and alienated.
By the 1960s General Motors Corporation was the second largest private corporation in the world and the dominant automotive supplier. Its founder and chief executive for many decades, Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., established a management system which consisted of "decentralized operations and coordinated control. A delicate balance was to be maintained between the freedom of the various operations to manage their businesses . . . and the controls necessary to coordinate those operations in the best interests of the corporation's growth and performance" (Wright, 1979, p. 188). Toward the end of Sloan's reign, this balance was lost, financial considerations became dominant and GM ceased to make significant technical innovations. In response to the first wave of imported cars, GM decided to introduce a new sports model, the Chevrolet Corvair, which featured a rear engine. A serious conflict then developed between line management and the engineering staff who argued that the Corvair was unsafe, as proved to be the case. Wright says "the questionable safety of the car caused a massive internal fight . . . over whether the car should be built with another form ...