A theory-based measure of conflict management strategies in the workplace

Conflict management influences individual well-being, group performance and organizational effectiveness. This research examined the psychometric qualities of two versions of the newly developed test for conflict handling (the Dutch Test for Conflict Handling). The lean version (Study 1 and 2) included problem solving, forcing, yielding and avoiding as distinct conflict management strategies, and the expanded version (Study 3) also included compromising. A negotiation study (Study 1 with 78 psychology students) showed substantial convergence between self-reports, opponent-reports and observer rated behavior for problem solving, forcing and yielding, but not for avoiding. In Study 2 with 308 employees and Study 3 with 2,403 professionals, the psychometric properties were examined of the lean and the expanded version, respectively. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed good to excellent psychometric qualities of both versions of the scale. We conclude that the scale is a parsimonious, flexible and valid instrument to assess conflict management strategies at work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2002 APA, all rights reserved)