The major purpose of this study is to further understanding of conflict management in educational governance. The study compares and contrasts the conflict management behaviors of 52 superintendents and 52 city managers and the conditions that are associated with such behaviors. The sample was drawn from the San Francisco (California) and Chicago (Illinois) areas. Data are presented by geographical location as well as by interviewee position. Similarities between school district and council-manager institutions are discussed. The researchers examine how the respondents both perceive and handle citizen involvement and involvement by other interested parties. In accounting for differences between the two groups, the three dimensions of the nature of conflict (source, substance, and scope of intensity) are explored. Educational and municipal governments are compared for the levels of conflict arising from various sources: the legislative body, segments of the community, staff members, and other levels of government. The discussion of substance concerns how school districts and municipalities are affected by various types of conflict issues, such as those that evolve from collective bargaining, state or federal regulations, or other kinds of tensions within the community. The discussion of the scope or intensity of conflicts focuses on the number and characteristics of parties involved and the duration of the conflict. (Author/MLF)