Managing complexity through small group dynamics

John W. McDonald

pp. 241-255

in: John Burton, Frank Dukes (eds), Conflict: readings in management and resolution, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 1990

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to show that it is possible to achieve global consensus on complex and sensitive international issues such as the environment, population planning or telecommunications policy, to give a few examples, by using the United Nations structure and learning to manage its complexity. One's principal goal should be to narrow the decision making group at an international conference, from the two thousand delegates in attendance, to a very few participants, who have the prestige, influence, skill and trust needed to make a decision and then have their actions accepted by the conference as whole.