How buyers handle conflicts

Abstract

A national sample of members of the National Association of Purchasing Management was profiled with regard to dominant style or styles in handling conflict with particular constituents. The results suggest that most buyers are predisposed to utilize “collaborating” or “compromising” behaviors across situations of conflict. However, it also appears that buyers favor different conflict-handling styles depending on the particular constituent involved. An analysis of relationships between conflict-handling style scores and selected respondent demographic variables showed interesting differences.