Conflict Avoiders and Compromisers: Toward an Understanding of their Organizational Communication Style

Abstract

This study examines the organizational communication style of individuals with different conflict-style preferences and the relation-ship of conflict-style preferences to organizational position, employment expectations, and communication satisfaction. The results indicated that individuals with preferences for conflict avoidance and compromising exhibited identifiable organizational communi-cation styles. Furthermore, managers were more likely to use a competitive conflict style than nonmanagers, while those who expected to stay in their present position were more likely to use a compromising style.