Question

management:

You discovered your personal conflict management style as a class activity. Name your style and describe one characteristic of the style that best reflects you and explain what degree of assertiveness and/or cooperativeness is associated with that style .

Answer 1

CONFLICT RESOLVING TECHNIQUE: Accommodating

Recently, I had to deal with a conflict issue that was not very concerning to me but my action would have determined its impact upon the other party. I was planning to go for a movie with my mother on Saturday. The movie that was running in theatre near us was almost going ‘Housefull’. I struggled a lot to avail two tickets for the same. My mother was not willing to accompany me initially but upon my insistence, she agreed to. I actually needed a company to watch a movie along with. My mother is my best friend and hence she is always the first person whom I insist to join me with. However, it so happened that on Saturday, my mother’s sister i.e. my aunt, paid a visit to our home after a long time. My Aunt is an ardent fan of movies and usually does not miss any major releases. In conversation with my mother, my Aunt learnt that two tickets are bought for the movie that is running ‘Housefull’ recently. On learning this, my Aunt requested me to try to arrange for one more for me. I tried to explain that it is not possible for this weekend and that she has to at least wait till Monday to avail the tickets. But her gestures made it obvious that she did not want to miss the Saturday screening as she is a working lady and hence, to spare time on any weekday, would have been difficult for her. Honestly, I did want her to come along with me because of the limitation of tickets in hand. But my mother requested that I should take her along instead of her.

All of us entered into a reasonable conflict then, trying to accommodate each other for the two tickets in a manner that one of us would have had to let go the same. In the end, we accommodated to the plan that my mother should drop going to the Theatre while my Aunt should accompany me instead. While I was not very comfortable with this arrangement, I accommodated myself for the larger interest of these two sisters.

I feel the degree of cooperation associated with this style is moderately high because I was willing to give up on something just to maintain my relationship with Aunty.