The dynamics of behavioural response to conflict in the workplace

Interpersonal conflict is a natural outcome of human interaction. The majority of research looking at interpersonal conflict has focused on conflict styles. However, little has been learned about the dynamics of those responses when the conflict situation becomes protracted. By integrating a paradigm for data clustering from group technology, the authors have identified a small number of characteristic response sequences or paths, several moderating effects of situational variables on these paths, and specific instances in which these paths may be anticipated.