In this webinar recording, Deborah Cai talks with David Brown and Quaiser Abdullah about how the role of space, which is more temporary, and place, which is more permanent, influences urban violence. In 2025, compared to 2024, Philadelphia’s rate of gun violence dropped by 24.5%, yet efforts to reduce this violence still have a long way to go.

Deborah Cai begins by providing a broader perspective on space and its relation to conflict management by discussing the organizational literature on ways that space is managed can impact conflict in the workplace and the sociological literature that considers how space management can impact conflict in neighborhoods. Next, David Brown draws from his work as Executive Director of the Civic Coalition to Save Lives and as someone highly engaged in Philadelphia neighborhoods to discuss how space and place impact violence in Philadelphia. In the third segment, Quaiser Abdullah applies a conflict management lens—drawn from his work as a scholar-practitioner, imam, and civic engagement leader—to how space and place shape trust, legitimacy, and participation across Philadelphia neighborhoods. In the final segment of the webinar, David, an ordained minister, and Quaiser, an imam, talk together about their work with religious communities across the city and the role of religion and faith as they consider space and place in the city.

These episodes were originally conducted as a webinar sponsored by the Conflict Management Division of the Academy of Management as part of host Deborah Cai's work as a CM Division Scholar in Residence.

Biographies of the discussants:

Dr. Deborah Cai, Scholar in Residence at the Academy of Management’s Conflict Management division and Acting Dean and Professor in Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University

Reverend David W. Brown, Assistant Dean for Community and Communication and Associate Professor of Instruction at the Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University, Executive Director of the Civic Coalition to Save Lives

Dr. Quaiser Abdullah, Assistant Professor of Instruction in Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University and past co-president of the Association for Conflict Resolution

Have you ever wondered how to communicate well to manage conflict? We often think of conflict as inherently bad, but instead, if we think of it as normal and natural, could there be such a thing as collaborative conflict management? It turns out that although we often shy away from conflict, it can actually be useful when we know how to handle it well. In particular, when we approach interactions with a mindset of Listening, Engaging, Acknowledging, Rapport building and Nurturing—that is, using the LEARN framework—we not only build trusting relationships, we also contribute to a workplace culture of collaboration that makes it easier to have difficult conversations when conflicts arise. Listen to this episode for a fascinating and thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Jameson about her research over the past thirty years on workplace conflict, and how you can more effectively manage yourself and others in these situations.

Dr. Jessica Katz Jameson bio:

Jessica Katz Jameson is Professor and Head of the Department of Communication at North Carolina State University. She studies organizational communication and conflict management, with special attention to third party intervention, the roles of identity and emotion in conflict, and interdisciplinary collaboration. She is author of Communication for Constructive Workplace Conflict (Wiley), which received a 2023 Outstanding Textbook Award from the National Communication Association Organizational Communication Division. Her work appears in outlets including Journal of Applied Communication Research, Negotiation and Conflict Management Research, Negotiation Journal, and Western Journal of Communication. She is a community engaged faculty fellow and serves as a volunteer mediator for the State of North Carolina and NC State University. Jessica received a Ph.D. in Communication from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Works referenced in the episode:

• Jameson, J. (2023). Communication for Constructive Workplace Conflict. New York: Wiley-Blackwell.

Euwema, M., & Giebels, E. (2024). Conflict management and mediation. Edward Elgar. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035331536