Running Head: ESSAY 2: PROS AND CONS OF CONFLICT STRATEGIES 1
Pros and Cons of Conflict Strategies
Conflicts are inevitable challenges that occur in different periods in life due to each
individual's differences dictated by each individual’s unique personality, societal and religious
beliefs, and other factors (Cahn, & Abigail, 2014, p. 1). As it is one of the common aspects of a
person’s life and involves other people as well, one must become well aware of the proper ways
of dealing with conflicts. Conflict management is defined by the Business Dictionary (2017) as
“the practice of recognizing and dealing with conflicts in a rational, balanced and effective way.”
As each conflict is unique in its own way, the way it is handled should be properly assessed.
Different alternatives affect a conflict in unique ways and this paper aims to identify the pros and
cons of each conflict strategies. This paper also aims to identify which strategies are applicable
in different situations.
Conflict Strategies
To be able to have the best possible outcome in conflict resolution, one has to put into
consideration different factors. These factors may involve the root of the conflict, the relationship
between individuals, the degree of the conflict, etc. In managing conflicts, a person or a group of
persons needs to keep in mind that the “one-size-fits-all” solution is nonexistent (Culberston,
2016). There are five common strategies from conflict management theories. These strategies are
avoidance, accommodation, competition, compromise, and collaboration. The following
paragraphs provide a definition for each strategy and identify each of its pros and cons in conflict
management.
Avoidance Strategy. This strategy emphasizes that people involved tend to do their best
not to engage in a conflict (Cahn, & Abigail, 2014, p. 33). Basically, avoidance strategy means
that a person is pretending that a conflict does not exist and therefore does not require actions to
ESSAY 2: PROS AND CONS OF CONFLICT STRATEGIES 2
reach a resolution. This type of strategy falls under the dysfunctional conflict cycles as stated by
Cahn & Abigail (2014) in their text. Individuals or groups resorting to avoidance strategy wishes
for the issue to be resolved without any confrontation (Dontigney, n. d.). It is done by
withdrawing, sidestepping, or postponing the acknowledgment of conflict (Culberston, 2016).
Pros and cons of avoidance strategy. Avoidance strategies are beneficial when conflicts
are simple and do not really have a huge impact on both parties. In certain cases, this kind of
strategies is more preferred to avoid further misunderstandings that may lead to conflict.
However, certain drawbacks may arise by using avoidance strategy. According to Culberston
(2016), avoiding the conflict may in times make matters worse and important decisions may not
be given sufficient attention.
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