This extensive survey pretest utilized in-depth interviews with school superintendents and city managers in selected cities throughout Oregon and in Los Angeles. The purpose of the pilot study was to explore the similarities and differences in conflict management between the two professions. The study reveals that superintendents and city managers spend a substantial portion of their time managing conflict. The roles of both administrators have become more politicized, although superintendents have historically been more concerned with intraorganizational conflict requiring technical skills. Although the small sample of this pilot study prevents reliable generalizations, in-depth analyses of one representative superintendent and one representative city manager suggest that superintendents are less effective in managing conflict than city managers. Differences in environmental conditions, formal education, inservice training, administrative structure, service delivery potential, and service provision effectiveness all contribute to this situation. A bibliography, interview schedules, and copies of the questionnaires are appended. (Author/WD)