(CPP Inc.: Mountain View, California) -- In western culture, we tend to think of the term “conflict” in the negative. When discussing conflict in the business world, we generally speak of it as a diminishing force on productivity, an ill that only compounds the difficulties of a job, and an element that needs expunging if companies are to achieve their goals. Normally seen as the byproduct of a “squeaky wheel” rather than a natural derivative of business itself, conflict is a force that causes short-term anxieties, and many view “fixing” ongoing conflict as synonymous with “eliminating” it.

CPP Inc. commissioned research, in partnership with OPP Ltd. in Europe and Fellipelli in Brazil, to shed light on the nature of workplace conflict—defined for the purposes of this study as any workplace disagreement that disrupts the flow of work.

The study, which polled thousands of workers in all industries from nine countries, reveals the substantial cost of workplace conflict. According to the report, workplace conflict is a nearly universal occurrence, with 85 percent of all workers reporting that they deal with it. Employees say that conflict can lead to personal injury or attacks, illness, or absence from work. Additionally, workers report project failure as a direct result of conflict.

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