A descriptive model of conflict-handling behavior was developed in an inductive investigation aimed at overcoming problems of assuming two dimensions of conflict behavior. The model delineates and defines strategy categories based on actor-salient aspects of specific behavior in specific situations. Ninety full-time employees of different organizations provided written accounts of recent conflicts in which they were involved at work. Using a grounded theory approach, strategy descriptions were subjected to constant comparison analysis. The emergent categories were then expanded into a three-dimensional taxonomic model of conflict-handling behavior. Further development of the model is addressed and advocated. Finally, implications for theory and research are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bisno, H. (1988). Managing conflict. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
2.
Blake, R. R. , & Mouton, J. S. (1964). The managerial grid. Houston: Gulf.
3.
Blake, R. R. , Shepard, H., & Mouton, J. S. (1964). Managing intergroup conflict in industry. Houston: Gulf.
4.
Burke, R. J. (1970). Methods of resolving superior-subordinate conflict: The constructive use of subordinate differences and disagreements. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 5, 393-411.
5.
Canary, D. J. , & Spitzberg, B. H. (1987). Appropriateness and effectiveness perceptions of conflict strategies. Human Communication Research, 14, 93-118.
6.
Canary, D. J. , & Spitzberg, B. H. (1990). Attribution biases and associations between conflict strategies and competence outcomes. Communication Monographs, 57, 139-151.
7.
Cohen, J. (1960). A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 20(1), 37-46.
8.
Coombs, C. H. , & Avrunin, G. S. (1988). The structure of conflict. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
9.
Coser, L. A. (1956). The functions of social conflict. New York: Macmillan.
10.
Cupach, W. R. (1980, November). Interpersonal conflict: Relational strategies and intimacy. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Speech Communication Association, New York.
11.
Cupach, W. R. (1982, May). Communication satisfaction and interpersonal solidarity as outcomes of conflict message strategy use. Paper presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association, Boston.
12.
Darling, J. R. , & Brownlee, L. J. (1984). Conflict management in the academic institution. Texas Tech Journal of Education, 11, 243-257.
13.
Deutsch, M. (1973). The resolution of conflict: Constructive and destructive powers. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
14.
Dillard, J. P. , Segrin, C., & Harden, J. M. (1989). Primary and secondary goals in the production of interpersonal influence messages. Communication Monographs, 56, 19-38.
15.
Folger, J. P. , & Poole, M. S. (1984). Working through conflict: A communication perspective. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman.
16.
Gerstein, A. , & Reagan, J. (1986). Win-win: Approaches to conflict resolution. Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs M. Smith.
17.
Glaser, B. G. , & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Chicago: Aldine.
18.
Goldhaber, G. , & Rogers, D. (1979). Auditing organizational communication systems: The ICA communication audit. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.
19.
Granovetter, M. (1976). Network sampling: Some first steps. American Journal of Sociology, 81, 1287-1303.
20.
Gudykunst, W. B. , & Hammer, M. R. (1988). The influence of social identity and intimacy of interethnic relationships on uncertainty reduction processes. Human Communication Research, 14, 569-601.
21.
Hall, J. (1969, 1973, 1986). Conflict management survey: A survey of one's characteristic reaction to and handling of conflicts between himself and others. Conroe, TX: Teleometrics.
22.
Jandt, F. E. , & Gillette, P. (1985). Win-win negotiating: Turning conflict into agreement. New York: Wiley.
23.
Katz, N. H. , & Lawler, J. W. (1985). Communication and conflict resolution skills. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.
24.
Kilmann, R. H. , & Thomas, K. W. (1975). Interpersonal conflict-handling behavior as reflections of Jungian personality dimensions. Psychological Reports, 37, 971-980.
25.
Kilmann, R. H. , & Thomas, K. W. (1977). Developing a forced-choice measure of conflict-handling behavior: The “MODE” instrument. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 37, 309-325.
26.
Knapp, M. L. , Putnam, L. L., & Davis, L. J. (1988). Measuring interpersonal conflict in organizations: Where do we go from here?Management Communication Quarterly, 1, 414-429.
27.
Lincoln, Y. S. , & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
28.
Litterer, J. A. (1966). Conflict in organizations: A re-examination. Academy of Management Journal, 9, 178-186.
29.
Luthans, F. , Rosenkrantz, S. A., & Hennessey, H. W. (1985). What do successful managers really do? An observation study of managerial activities. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 21, 255-270.
30.
Mathur, H. B. , & Sayeed, O. B. (1983). Conflict management in organizations: Development of a model. Indian Journal of Social Work, 44, 175-185.
31.
Pruitt, D. G. , & Rubin, J. Z. (1986). Social conflict: Escalation, stalemate, and settlement. New York: Random House.
32.
Putnam, L. L. (Ed.). (1988). Communication and conflict styles in organizations [Special issue]. Management Communication Quarterly, 1(3).
33.
Putnam, L. L. , & Poole, M. S. (1987). Conflict and negotiation. In F. M. Jablin, L. L. Putnam, K. H. Roberts, & L. W. Porter (Eds.), Handbook of organizational communication (pp. 549-599). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
34.
Putnam, L. L. , & Wilson, C. E. (1982). Communicative strategies in organizational conflicts: Reliability and validity of a measurement scale. In M. Burgoon (Ed.), Communication yearbook 6 (pp. 629-652). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
35.
Rahim, M. A. (1983). A measure of styles of handling interpersonal conflict. Academy of Management Journal, 26, 368-376.
36.
Rausch, H. L. , Barry, W. A., Hertel, R. K., & Swain, M. A. (1974). Communication, conflict, and marriage. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
37.
Renwick, P. A. (1977). Effects of sex differences on the perception and management of conflict: An exploratory study. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16, 143-155.
38.
Riggs, C. J. (1983). Dimensions of organizational conflict: A functional analysis of communication tactics. In R. N. Bostrom (Ed.), Communication yearbook 7 (pp. 517-531). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
39.
Roloff, M. E. (1976). Communication strategies, relationships, and relational change. In G. R. Miller (Ed.), Explorations in interpersonal communication (pp. 173-195). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
40.
Ross, R. G. , & DeWine, S. (1982, November). Interpersonal conflict: Measurement and validation. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Speech Communication Association, Louisville, KY.
41.
Ross, R. G. , & DeWine, S. (1987, May). Communication messages in interpersonal conflict: Reliability and validity of an assessment tool. Paper presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association, Montreal.
42.
Ruben, B. D. (1976, March). Communication, systems, and conflict. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Eastern Communication Association, Philadelphia.
43.
Ruble, T. L. , & Thomas, K. W. (1976). Support for a two-dimensional model of conflict behavior. Organizational behavior and human performance, 16, 143-155.
44.
Scott, W. A. (1955). Reliability of content analysis: The case of nominal scale coding. Public Opinion Quarterly, 19, 321-325.
45.
Shockley-Zalabak, P. S. (1984, May). An examination of current conflict management training practices in ten large American organizations. Paper presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association, San Francisco.
46.
Sillars, A. L. (1980a). Attributions and communication in roommate conflicts. Communication Monographs, 47, 180-200.
47.
Sillars, A. L. (1980b). The sequential and distributional structure of conflict interactions as a function of attributions concerning the locus of responsibility and stability of conflicts. In D. Nimmo (Ed.), Communication yearbook 4 (pp. 218-235). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.
48.
Sillars, A. L. , Coletti, S. F., Parry, D., & Rogers, M. A. (1982). The stranger and spouse as target persons for compliance gaining episodes: A subjective utility model. Human Communication Research, 6, 265-279.
49.
Stafford, L. , Waldron, V. R., & Infield, L. L. (1989). Actor-observer differences in conversational memory. Human Communication Research, 15, 590-611.
50.
Thomas, K. W. (1988). The conflict-handling modes: Toward a more precise theory. Management Communication Quarterly, 1, 431-436.
51.
Thomas, K. W. , & Kilmann, R. H. (1974). Thomas-Kilmann conflict MODE instrument. Tuxedo, NY: Xicom.
52.
Thomas, K. W. , & Schmidt, W. H. (1976). A survey of managerial interests with respect to conflict. Academy of Management Journal, 19, 315-318.
53.
Turner, S. , & Weed, F. (1983). Conflict in organizations. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
54.
Weick, K. (1979). The social psychology of organizing (2nd ed.). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
55.
Wilson, S. R. , & Waltman, M. S. (1988). Assessing the Putnam-Wilson Organizational Communication Conflict Instrument (OCCI). Management Communication Quarterly, 1, 367-388.
56.
Witteman, H. (1988). Interpersonal problem solving: Problem conceptualization and communication use. Communication Monographs, 55, 336-359.
57.
Womack, D. F. (1988). A review of conflict instruments in organizational settings. Management Communication Quarterly, 1, 437-445.
