Communication in conflict: Style‐strategy relationships

This study examines the relationships between scores on Rahim's measure of conflict styles and supervisors’ predictions of the communicative strategies they would use in conflicts with their subordinates. It finds that scores on some styles (integrating, compromising, and avoiding) predict initial communicative strategies, but not follow‐up strategies with noncompliant subordinates. Complex patterns of strategy shifts are examined in terms of style preferences and supervisor sex. While virtually all supervisors eventually shift to coercive communication with noncompliant subordinates, females do so more slowly.