COMS 560
Liberty University
Conflict Strategies
Conflict is a part of everyday life and is inevitable when dealing with others frequently
and closely. Conflict can become destructive or productive depending on the communication
process when dealing with the conflicting issue. Most individuals view conflict with a negative
perspective due to past events when dealing with conflict. However, conflict can be productive
for individuals when communication is efficient. Cahn and Abigail (2014) discuss five different
conflict strategies: avoidance, accommodation, competition, compromise, and collaboration. The
goal of this paper is to discuss the characteristics of these five different conflict strategies. This
paper also aims to discuss the pros and cons of each strategy and when it is appropriate to put
each of these strategies to use.
Avoidance
The first strategy that Cahn and Abigail (2014) discuss is avoidance. Avoidance is the
strategy used when a person does their best not to engage in conflict. The individual using this
strategy does not want to deal with the conflict so they try to avoid bringing it up. Avoidance
behaviors mirror submissive and defeated personality types. “This is similar to the
communication styles of shyness or reticence because such individuals allow others to interrupt
them, subordinate them, or ‘walk all over them like a doormat’” (Cahn & Abigail, 2014, p 34).
Physical characteristics of this strategy include poor eye contact, poor posture, and a defeated air
about them. These individuals do not try to resolve the conflict when it arises, they would rather
just pretend that it does not exist.
The pros to the avoidance strategy is that it may be the wrong place or time to address the
conflict. Therefore, avoiding the conflict at that time, allows for the individual to bring up and
deal with the conflict at a later, more appropriate time. Avoidance can also be good in temporary
situations that will not come up again in the future. For example, maybe you get into a conflict
with another shopper at the mall, instead of creating a big scene or trying to resolve the conflict it
may be easier to avoid confrontation all together and just walk away. The avoidance strategy
should be used primarily in temporary situations with people that you are likely to never see
again. However, there is a point where avoidance may not be the best route to take. If someone is
being disrespectful, it is better to stand up for yourself rather than to be submissive. In most
conflicts, it is better to not use the avoidance strategy but when it is used, individuals should
make a conscious effort to address the issue at the next available opportunity.
Accommodation
Another strategy that is similar to the avoidance strategy is the accommodation strategy.
Accommodating is the act of soothing over conflicts, obliging others, and not making waves
(Cahn & Abigail, 2014). With the use of the accommodation strategy, individuals are quick to
brush the conflict off. The individual may express what he or she is feeling but they will quickly
give in to others to prevent any further conflict. Those who give in try to maintain the illusion of
harmony. The person who accommodates ends up suppressing their feelings and tries to go on as
if everything is okay. The other individual in the conflict comes out with satisfaction and
happiness because they got what they wanted but the person who accommodated, usually, is still
affected by the conflict. In this type of scenario, the conflict is never fully resolved and therefore
has a chance of coming back up. Individuals who use this style may fear speaking up for
themselves or they may place a higher value on the relationship, believing that disagreeing with
an idea might be hurtful to the other person.
The pros of accommodating are that in some cases soothing will help to protect more
important interests while giving up on some less important ones. Accommodating also gives the
individual an opportunity to reassess the situation from a different angle. On the other hand, there
is a risk to be abused, the opponent may constantly try to take advantage of your tendency
toward soothing and accommodating. Always accommodating may negatively affect your
confidence in your ability to respond to an aggressive opponent. It also makes it more difficult to
transition to a win-win solution in the future. Accommodation may be an effective strategy if the
issue at hand is more important to others compared to oneself. However, if a person perpetually
uses this style, that individual may start to see that personal interests and well-being are
neglected.
Competition
The third conflict strategy is competition. In this strategy, the conflict bogs down in the
differentiation stage when competitive interests lead to divergence rather than integration (Cahn
& Abigail, 2014). “In this cycle, the participants are so concerned with winning that they are
unable to respond to integrative messages, if indeed those messages can even make it into the
conflict interaction” (Cahn & Abigail, 2014, p.38). People exhibiting a competing style want to
reach their goal or get their solution adopted regardless of what others say or how they feel. They
are more interested in getting the outcome they want as opposed to keeping the other party
happy, and they push for the deal thy are interested in making. Competition may lead to poor
relationships with others if one is always seeking to maximize the own outcomes at the expense
of others.
The pros to the competition strategy is that it may provide a quick resolution to a conflict.
It also increases self-esteem and draws respect when firm resistance or action were a response to
an aggression or hostility. On the contrary, competing can escalate conflict and may negatively
affect your relationship with the opponent in the long run. This approach may be effective if one
has strong moral objections to the alternatives or if the alternatives one is opposing are unethical
or harmful.
Compromise
Compromising is a middle of the road approach that makes that no one totally wins of
loses (Cahn & Abigail, 2014). By compromising, conflicting parties are settling for a workable
solution rather than a finding a totally mutually satisfying solution. Individuals have the desire to
express their own concerns and get their ways but still respect the other person’s goals. In
compromise, each person sacrifices something valuable to them.
The pros to compromising are that it provides a temporary solution while parties continue
to look for a win-win solution. Compromising allows for faster issue resolution, so it is more
practical in situations where time is a factor. Compromising also lowers levels of tension and
stress resulting from the conflict. The disadvantages to compromising are that important values
and long-term objectives can be derailed in the process. Situations of compromise require close
monitoring and control to ensure the agreements are met. You also must keep in mind that it may
not work if initial demands are too great.
Collaboration
The final conflict strategy is collaboration. Collaboration means using integrative
behaviors and developing mutually satisfying agreements to solve the problem once and for all.
This is a strategy to use for achieving the best outcome from conflict. Both sides argue for their
position, supporting it with facts and rationale while listening attentively to the other side. The
objective is to find a win-win solution to the problem in which both parties get what they want.
Collaboration places emphasis on problem solving and the integration of each parties’ goals.
The pros of collaboration are that it leads to solving the actual problem and reinforces
mutual trust and respect. It allows for shared responsibility of the outcome and build the
foundation for effective collaboration in the future. On the other hand, collaborating may not be
practical when timing is crucial and a quick solution or fast response is required.
Like much of organizational behavior, there is no one “right way” to deal with conflict.
Much of the time it will depend on the situation. However, the collaborative style has the
potential to be highly effective in many different situations. Conflict is an inevitable part of life,
so as a result, one must know when proper stimulation is necessary to encourage effective
conflict management.
