A Theoretical Position of Compromising Among Other Styles of Conflict Management

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Abstract
In the conflict grid of Blake and Mouton (1964, 1970), compromising is conceptualized as a separate style of conflict management in a central position among those of avoiding, accommodating, problem solving, and forcing. Pruitt and Rubin (1986) see no need to postulate a fifth strategy of compromising. Using correlations among actors' styles of conflict management, the present study shows that compromising is conceptually closer to problem solving than to avoiding, accommodating, and forcing, regardless of the conflict intensity. Respondents were 339 Dutch manual workers and supervisors on 23 construction sites. The main, tentative interpretation of the findings is that the social-psychological consequences of compromising and problem solving tend to be the same, however different the behaviors may be.

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