Conflict Management in Action: Verbal Strategies, Nonverbal Behaviors and Conflict Styles

Abstract

This experiential exercise was designed to enable participants to identify the verbal strategies and nonverbal behaviors which characterize the five styles of conflict management. Although theoretical descriptions of the five conflict styles are available in the literature [1] and several instruments are available for assessing conflict styles [2], none offers behaviorally based descriptions of the conflict styles. In this exercise which bridges theory to practice, participants generate behaviorally based descriptions of what people actually say and do when interacting with others in the different conflict styles.