Conflict at work 'could be solved by video conferencing'

With ambitious companies likely to be spread around a number of locations, problems which arise may not be possible to sort out in person due to geographical limitations.

But researchers from Bath university have suggested that video conferencing could be used to defuse tense situations between employees and improve internal company communications.

Leon Watts and Matt Billings, of the university's department of computer science, believe that the spread of broadband video conferencing will spur on the use of the service as the quality of video and VoIP has been improved.

"In situations of high conflict, it can be hard to get to the real issues, to judge what people really care about, on the phone," said Dr Watts.

"So using a video link, in which the conciliator can in addition see each of the disputing parties, is a step forward: it gives them new options for appreciating parties’ depth of concern about different issues."