**3.3. Product and organization life cycle**

The product lifecycle or S-curve (**Figure 3**) predicts the general trend that successful products or services will follow during their lifetime. It includes the introduction, growth, maturity and decline as stages. Usually, the most critical point is to reach the growth stage. Point of diminishing returns locates between the maturity and decline stages [8, 9].

Once a product has reached maturity it runs that risk of being discontinued by newer innovation or technologies. Since the previous product reaches a phase of maturity, there is an opportunity for a new product to appeal to the innovators that will start a new product life cycle and S-curve. New S-curve can be divided into two curves (**Figure 4**). Movement up an "S" curve is

**Figure 2.** Big five model [34, 35].

The conflict management has a dynamic nature, because stakeholders and their influence change over time. When interaction occurs between the stakeholders, the conflict handling method may change, when a conflicting party see the other's point of view or respond to the other's behavior. Furthermore, the conflict develops either to the functional or to dysfunctional direction. In best case, the conflict provokes innovation, and in worst case it escalates and become highly destructive. The most serious outcomes of conflicts are physical attacks or

Conflict stimulation techniques increase conflicts to improve innovativeness. Techniques include communication (using ambiguous or threatening messages), bringing in outsiders (adding people to a group whose backgrounds, values, attitudes or working methods differ from those of present members), restructuring the organization (e.g. realigning work groups, altering rules and increasing interdependence) and appointing a devil's advocate (designat-

Psychologists measure personality with so-called Big five model (**Figure 2**), which includes the following factors: openness to experience, conscientiousness, agreeableness, extroversion and neuroticism. From these five factors, the innovators and revolutionaries have distinctive mixes of openness to experience, conscientiousness and agreeableness. Innovators must be openminded. They can imagine things that others cannot, and so they challenge conventions. On the other hand, they are conscientious. Discipline separates them from dreamers. The decisive

ing a critic to purposely argue against the majority positions held by the group) [29].

**3.2. Big five model: personalities that promote innovativeness**

efforts to destroy the other party [3, 4, 7, 29–33].

**Figure 1.** Dimensions of conflict handling methods [4, 7].

134 Organizational Conflict

sustaining or incremental innovation while stepping down on a lower new "S" curve can lead to radical or disruptive innovation, as the new "S" curve surpasses existing "S" curve. Compared to current business there is discontinuity [10, 11].

**4. Case Metallica**

and Jason Newstedt [15].

Fame [12–15, 38, 39].

arises from their internal interests, values and demons.

**4.1. Ulrich's and Hetfield's intrapersonal conflicts**

Metallica is an American band that has sold approximately 110 million albums and is the world's most widely sold heavy music band. Drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist James Hetfield founded the band in 1981 in Los Angeles and have been in the band all the time. The current lineup also includes guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo. Other members of the band have been guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassists Ron McGovney, Cliff Burton

Conflicts as Springboard for Metallica's Success http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.71579 137

During its 36-year career, Metallica has released 10 albums, of which the latest, 2016 published Hardwired… to Self-Destruct rose to the top of the lists in 57 countries, was among the top 3 in 75 countries and top 5 in 105 countries. It means that Metallica is still a very relevant band. Metallica's music style has changed a lot during its career. The band started with their Kill'em All debut as a thrash metal band, and has been recognized to be the main contributor to this genre. In the 1986, the release of their third album, the Master of Puppets, the band became known to the general public, which meant that music magazines, managers and record companies became more interested in Metallica. After their …And Justice for All album, the band simplified and slowed down their music toward hard rock. This resulted in the 1991 Black Album, which made Metallica mainstream. It is the band's most successful album selling over 30 million worldwide. It was also Metallica's first album, which won the Billboard 200 selling approximately 600,000 copies in the first week. Until Black, the band's music sales went up by leaps, so the audience liked Metallica's changes. Even though some of the fans were lost as the band's music softened, they were replaced by new audiences. Controversial Load and Reload albums released in 1996 and 1997 sold well in comparison with other artists, but very little compared to Black's sales figures. After Reload, the band returned to its thrash and heavy metal roots with the releases St. Anger, Death Magnetic and Hardwired… to Self-Destruct albums in 2003, 2008 and 2016, respectively. During their career, Metallica has received nine Grammy Awards. In 2009, Metallica was nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of

Metallica's rise to the top has not been easy. At the beginning of the 1980s, nobody was interested in the band that was against conventions of the music industry and the popular music of the time. Metallica was the underdog that lived outside the box. Nothing was given to Metallica on a silver platter. Many other bands surrendered by ending or adapting their music under external and internal pressure, but for Metallica, these struggles have been an asset to do their own business [12–14, 38, 40]. Although the band has been close to breaking down, it has created a success recipe by exploiting conflicts. Let us start from the intrapersonal conflicts of Metallica's founders, Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield, because the Metallica spirit

Metallica is especially about the dreams of Ulrich and Hetfield. Ulrich wanted to build the world's biggest band, and Hetfield wanted to get rich by making music. In the beginning,

**Figure 3.** Product life cycle [8, 9].

**Figure 4.** S-curve of innovation [10, 11].
