Business

Some Reflections on Conflicts

There are functions of conflicts that aren’t necessarily destructive. This notion really jarred me when I was reading for my PhD courses. 

And I am still not sure that I am terribly fond of this notion. I accept that differences can serve us beneficially: diversity of thinking, logic, styles, and ideas.   

And I can imagine that certain conflicts may bring about positive changes, as the case in the “parallel process” discussed in the last two column’s entries clearly demonstrated. 

What disturbs me about Read More

Money IQ

2013 Estate Tax and Annual Gift Tax Exemption Limits

Although Congress temporarily avoided the “fiscal cliff”, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (“Act”), enacted Jan. 2, 2013, made some permanent changes with respect to the lifetime estate and gift tax exemptions that may affect your estate plan.

This column outlines two key changes and also discusses how the annual gift tax exemption may be used as an estate planning tool.

Lifetime Estate and Gift Tax Exemptions: 

Legislators permanently approved the lifetime estate and gift tax exemption (also referred Read More

Parallel Process of Intergroup Dynamics: How Men’s Covert Conflicts Got Expressed in Overt Conflicts Between Women – Part II, Intervention and Outcomes

By Elena Yang

The principle of parallel process can be applied to intervention. A small group of representatives chosen from the larger system can grapple with pertinent issues, unpack the layering of conflicts, understand their emotions and the sources, and imperatively, reflect back their lessons to the larger system.  

In this case of “Fixing the Women,” Smith and his colleagues created a “microcosm group” to identify issues, Read More