Conflict management in the academic environment: is there room for wonder

The aim of this work was to investigate preferences regarding conflict management strategies in the Croatian academic environment. The study found that compromising should not be considered as a stand-alone strategy because the line between problem solving and compromise is blurred. We integrated these two strategies and called this approach 'cooperating', which was the most commonly used strategy. Our study found that respondents who perceived a low level of conflict were more likely to use the strategy of cooperating. Female respondents scored significantly higher on the strategies of yielding and avoiding. Significant age effects were also found for avoiding. The results should be considered in light of the relatively low perceived level of conflict at the selected integrated universities. They suggest that while external pressures seem to increase each year and contribute to high levels of stress, individuals may be counteracting these dynamics by increasing collegial behaviour and cooperation.