The Effects of Compliance, Identification and Internalization on Conflict Management Styles

Disputes and conflicts are common in construction projects. Researchers have studied five different styles to handling conflicts: integrating, obliging, dominating, avoiding, and compromising. However, negotiating with different conflict management style may result in quite different outcomes. Some people seem to be very considerate, but do not really honor the promise. However, some individuals may appear to be very strong and tough, but once an agreement is reached, they will conform. Conflict management is a form of social influence among individuals. The outcomes of the conflict management are not only integrated into their own value system but highly dependent on the external social support system. In this context, three processes of social influence were distinguished-compliance, identification, and internalization. Thus this study explored the relationship between the three social influence processes and five styles of handling conflict. It is found that “Internalization” contributes to the conflict management styles of “Compromising” and “Integrating”, “Identification” drives “Dominating” style and “Compliance” nurtures “Avoiding” and “Obliging” styles. The findings also indicate that rules, roles, and values are the three central components for individuals and groups negotiating in social environment. Negotiators must coordinate their actions with the counterpart respecting the rules, performing their roles and maximizing their values.