Incorporating conflict negotiation training in a senior engineering project management (capstone projects i) course

Abstract

As engineering students develop their technical expertise through undergraduate coursework and professional experience, it is also vitally important to engineering students' professional prospects and personal well-being to develop proficient conflict negotiation skills. Using ABET's student outcomes as an impetus, this research study assessed engineering students' orientations toward conflict (Tolerance for Disagreement and Taking Conflict Personally) and their conflict negotiation skills (conflict management strategies and conflict competence) at two points in time. The participants for this study consisted of 87 undergraduate engineering students enrolled in a Project Management course at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Results revealed no significant differences among engineering students between the two time periods. However, training effectiveness was positively associated with engineering students' cognitive learning. Instructors and trainers can use these results to facilitate insightful training about conflict negotiation to assist engineering students with navigating their personal and professional endeavors.