Conflict Management/Resolution

Strategies that address conflict situations. One way to describe conflict management is along two behavioral dimensions, ranging from low to high: (1) assertiveness, in which individuals attempt to achieve personal goals, and (2) cooperativeness, in which individuals work to preserve relationships with others. These two dimensions are used to describe five styles of conflict management, whose appropriateness is contextually determined:

1. Competing: high concern for goals but low concern for relationships

2. Accommodating: high concern for relationships but low concern for goals

3. Avoiding: low concern for goals and relationships

4. Compromising: moderate concern for goals and relationships

5. Collaborating: high concern for goals and relationships

For more information, see Thomas and Kilmann (1983).