What are the 5 types of conflict management?

We talked earlier about the “intentions” stage of conflict when we discussed how conflict develops. The intentions stage discusses how each player in the conflict interprets the statements and actions of the other conflict participant, and then the reaction that they give. Those reactions are the basis for conflict management.

Whether you’re managing the conflict of two subordinates or embroiled in the midst of your own conflict, you make a choice on how the conflict should be managed by weighing the importance of the goal against the importance of the relationships in questions.

What are the 5 types of conflict management?

Figure 1. Five primary styles of conflict management

Each person brings his own innate style of conflict management to the party. Are they all right or all wrong? Let’s look at Teresa and Heitor’s situation once more—they’re charged with the task of bringing new customers to their business. Teresa wants to use direct mail to bring attention to their company’s offerings, and Heitor wants to move forward with an expensive television ad campaign. Teresa thinks that Heitor is wasting dollars by putting the message out there for an untargeted audience of viewers, and Heitor thinks that Teresa is wasting dollars by sending something out that’s just going to get tossed in the trash.

The avoiding style of conflict resolution is one where one has low concern for his or her ultimate goal and low concern for his or her relationship with the other. In this situation, Heitor might avoid any discussion with Teresa, not wanting to start any fights. He’s just not that kind of guy. But his idea isn’t getting furthered along, nor is hers, nor is the company meeting its goals. The conflict hasn’t gone away, and the job just isn’t getting done.

The accommodating style of conflict resolution is where one party focuses on the needs of the other, and not the importance of the goal. If Heitor were one to adopt the accommodating style, he might look at Teresa as a valued team player who really needs a break after a couple of tough months. Without thought to the goal and the outcome the company expects, he tells Teresa to go ahead with the direct mail program.

The competing style of conflict resolution is defined by one party pushing ahead with his or her own mission and goals with no concern for the other party in the conflict. If Teresa were to adopt the competing style of conflict resolution, she might move forward with the plan to use direct mail and ignore anything to do with Heitor’s suggestion. She’d take her idea to their boss and implement and run right over any objections Heitor had. As you might guess, this approach may exacerbate other conflicts down the road!

Right in the middle of Figure 1 is the compromising style of conflict management. Here, moderate concern for others and moderate concern for the ultimate goal are exhibited, and a focus is placed on achieving a reasonable middle ground where all the parties can be happy. For Heitor and Teresa, this might mean a joint decision where they devote half of their marketing funds to the direct mail campaign that Teresa wants to do, and the other half to the television spots that Heitor wants to do. Neither party has gotten exactly what he or she wanted, but neither party is completely dissatisfied with the resolution.

Finally, the collaborating style is one where there is high concern for relationships and high concern for achieving one’s own goal. Those with a collaborating style look to put all conflict on the table, analyze it and deal openly with all parties. They look for the best possible solution: a win for each party in the conflict. In this situation, Heitor and Teresa would sit down, look at the possible conversion rate of each of their planned marketing campaigns. Perhaps they would find that a third option—online advertising—would provide a more targeted audience at a discounted price. With this new option that both parties could get behind, conflict is resolved and both feel like the company’s goal will be satisfied.



For Teresa and Heitor, the conditions were right for a collaborating style of conflict resolution, but it’s easy to see how a different style might have been more appropriate if the situation had been different.

Practice Question


So, now we understand what conflict is, how it develops and how to respond. We’re ready to face conflict when we find it! But…where will we find it? Where, within an organization, does conflict lurk?

The modern workplace is a melting pot of people with different backgrounds, skill sets, and visions of success.

Diversity in the workplace is a beautiful thing. It brings about new ideas and perspectives that certain groups would otherwise never consider.

However, when all of these people are in the same place, conflict is bound to arise. Before and after that happens, conflict management strategies and styles should be on the minds of every employee, no matter their ranking.

Conflict management refers to the process of eliminating the negative results of conflict while also highlighting the positives that come along with it.

When working on any team, conflict management is a necessary skill. Your business can run like a well-oiled machine, but conflict will persist.

Contrary to what most would think, conflict in the workplace doesn't necessarily mean you're dealing with a difficult employee. When coworkers experience conflict, it not only means they are comfortable enough to express their opinions, but lessons in internal communication are learned on both ends during the conflict management process.

While some personality types might stick with one method in particular, there is more than one way to resolve a conflict. Actually, there are five.

5 conflict management styles

  1. Accommodating
  2. Avoiding
  3. Compromising
  4. Collaborating
  5. Competing

No matter the cause or the effort put into resolving it, if a conflict exists, one of these styles is used to manage it.

5 conflict management styles

The five conflict management styles all have the goal of bringing the involved parties to a resolution. They just have different ways of getting there.

Each style exhibit different levels of cooperativeness and assertiveness. Let’s take a close look at each one and when they should be used.

What are the 5 types of conflict management?
Image courtesy of Ram Pages

Accommodating

An accommodating conflict management style is used when you set aside your own wants or needs and focus on those of others. You leave your own concerns behind and accommodate for those of someone else.

When to use it: - When you are wrong.- When you don’t care about the issue as much as the other person.- When you want the workplace to be peaceful.- When there is no point in arguing.

This style can often be seen as weak, but this is not the case. A big part of conflict management is realizing when elongating the resolution process will only make things worse.

Avoiding

An avoiding conflict management style ignores the situation altogether. Either one or both of the people involved in the conflict steer clear of it.

When to use it:- When the conflict is meaningless.- When you don’t have the time to manage the conflict. - When you aren’t sure how you feel about the issue yet.


While pressing conflicts should be immediately addressed, others aren’t worth the trouble and will eventually fizzle out, leaving no major impact on either party involved.

Compromising

A compromising conflict management style tries to find a way to partially satisfy people on both sides of the argument. Adjustments are made on both ends to resolve the conflict at hand.

When to use it: - When reaching a solution is more important than the solution itself.- When you need a temporary solution.- When you are at a standstill.


While both parties will not be fully pleased with the end result, sometimes a compromise is your best bet.

Collaborating

A collaborating style includes finding a solution that will completely appease all involved parties. A win-win situation, if you will.

When to use it: - When the relationship is important.- When the final solution will have a significant impact.- When the interests, needs, and beliefs of all involved people need to be considered.


A win-win situation is obviously the best case scenario, but it can sometimes be the hardest to reach. Honest communication with internal communication software, or in person, is crucial when using a collaborative conflict management style. All concerns need to be openly expressed for them to be addressed in the solution.

What are the 5 types of conflict management?

Competing

A competing style is for all you headstrong folks. With this approach, you take a firm stance and refuse to budge until you get what you want. You are unmoved by the perspectives of the other parties involved in the conflict.

When to use it: - When you have to stand up for yourself, your rights, or your morals.- When a less forceful conflict management style is ineffective.- When nothing else is working and you have reached your last resort.


Personal beliefs, values, and needs aren’t worth compromising on. Stand strong when fighting for something that means a lot to you.

Now that you know what each conflict management style is, it is time to pick one to help resolve your current conflict. While it might seem obvious, it is worth taking the extra time to ask yourself these questions to make sure you make the right decision:

How familiar am I with this issue?

What are my viewpoints on this issue?

What are my current priorities? Is resolving this conflict one of them?

Is it possible to find a middle ground here?

Is there a way for both parties to be completely satisfied?

Is it possible to see the other side of this argument?

This quick analysis will help you better understand the situation and determine which conflict management style would be best in resolving it.

One size does not fit all

Every conflict is different, meaning there is no one right way to manage them all. A lot of factors play into which method is best for resolving conflict. Consider them all before deciding on which one to use. Choosing the right conflict management style can be the difference between resolution and uncertainty.

Communication tips for any situation

There are a lot of different instances that call for effective communication, but no matter what, use these etiquette tips to be heard -- without being offensive.

Struggling with conflict as a leader? Check out our resource on conflict management strategies for tips from real-life managers. 

What are the 5 main conflict?

5 Types of Conflict.
Man vs. Self. This type of conflict is usually caused by something external — but the battle itself takes place within. ... .
Man vs. Man. ... .
Man vs. Nature. ... .
Man vs. Society. ... .
Man vs. Supernatural..

What are the five 5 types of conflict and explain each?

According to the Ralph Kilmann's Conflict Mode Instrument, there are five types of interpersonal conflict reactions: accommodating, avoiding, collaborating, competing, and compromising.

What is conflict management and its types?

Conflict resolution involves the process of the reducing, eliminating, or terminating of all forms and types of conflict. Five styles for conflict management, as identified by Thomas and Kilmann, are: competing, compromising, collaborating, avoiding, and accommodating.