The Structure of Conflict Behavior of Managers Assessed with Self-and Subordinate Ratings

Abstract

Most previous treatments of conflict style have focused upon five strategies: avoiding (withdrawing), forcing (competing), smoothing (accommodating), compromising, and confronting (collaborating), purported to lie in a two-dimensional (assertion and cooperation) space. The factor structure of conflict style in self-reports by 158 public-and private-sector managers and in reports by their subordinates (total N = 927) on Howat and London's (1980) 25 behavioral statements was determined. These data indicate a three-dimensional structure which was essentially the same for self-and subordinate reports, i.e., openness, distribution, and control, although self-and subor-dinate reports were correlated at only a very low level. Concern for the interest of both parties was a component of both openness and distribution. The implications for conflict management were discussed.