8. Different Styles of Conflict - Advantages and Disadvantages
According to Lussier (2010), each conflict style has advantages and disadvantages. The benefits and weaknesses of each conflict style are given as follows.
• Avoidance style – The advantage of this style is that can maintain the relationship between managers and subordinates. The weakness of this style does not resolve conflict. Montoya-Weiss, Massey and Song (2001), found that using this style will hurt relationship of a team. People usually let the conflict be lessened while time goes on. In fact, avoiding the problem does not make it go away, but make it worse.
• Compromising style - Benefit of this style is conflict can resolve in short time while the relationship is still maintained. Weakness of this style is compromising styles usually starts to another results (Suboptimum decisions). If people overuse this style, it may cause the people being greedy and ask for several times to get achieve their desires.
• Collaborating style – The advantage of using this style is make all parties happy with the final decision (Montoya-Weiss et al., 2001). On the other hand, due to letting all parties to be satisfying the final decision, it may use longer time and put in more effort than other styles.