Conflict appears everywhere: in classrooms, workplaces, group projects, friendships, and even in small daily choices. But the ways in which you respond to conflict can be challenging to understand. This is where the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model comes in. It is known for its five conflict handling styles and enables you to identify your approaches, and shows you when a different style might lead to better results.
This blog will explore the Thomas Kilmann Conflict Model, its five modes, and the pros and cons. Also, it covers various examples and how it compares to other approaches to conflict resolution model. So, what are you waiting for? Without any further ado, you can read this blog to get a better understanding.
What is the Thomas Kilmann Conflict Model?
The Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument is a model which can be used to help individuals recognise and adapt their ways of dealing with conflicts. In the 1970s, it was created by Dr Kenneth Thomas and Dr Ralph Kilmann, which is also known as TKI. It is a tool designed to assess someone's behaviour in conflict situations. This model identifies five key conflict management styles based on two underlying dimensions.
Why is the Thomas Kilmann Model Important?
Understanding the conflict management models can enable you to navigate conflicts, analyse behaviour, and choose relevant strategies. For instance, if you use collaborative styles, it will aid everyone in working toward a solution that is advantageous for all sides, whereas a competing style suits those scenarios that need a quick and firm decision.
On the other hand, an accommodating technique focuses on keeping the peace, sometimes at the cost of your own preferences, which can help you maintain good relationships within a team. This conflict resolution model prepares you with insight to handle conflict and nurture better results.
What are the Two Core Dimensions Behind the Model?
To measure the behaviour of individuals, the TKI uses two range dimensions, which are assertiveness and cooperativeness:
Assertiveness: The extent to which a person is satisfying their own needs and priorities.
Cooperativeness: The extent to which a person satisfies others' needs.
It consists of five conflict management models. Let's explore them one by one in the next section.
What are the Five Modes of the Thomas-Kilmann Model?
As described earlier, the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument outlines five different modes that help people handle conflict: avoiding, collaborating, accommodating, competing and compromising. According to Thomas-Kilmann, the key is knowing when to use them. Let's dive into each one of them:
1. Competing
High Assertiveness
Low Cooperativeness
The competing mode of this model is based on advancing one's own concerns at the expense of the other person, using any power that seems appropriate to gain the advantage for oneself, whether it is asserting one's rights or simply to win.
At the heart of this mode is the belief that your point of view is ‘crucial and should take precedence, along with the perception that what the ‘other side wants' is mutually exclusive.
This could be situations where action must be taken quickly and critically, such as emergencies, or to implement unpopular activities- cost-saving measures or enforcing unpopular policies.
2. Avoiding
Low Assertiveness
Low Cooperativeness
At the low assertiveness and low compromising corner is the “avoiding” mode. This mode of conflict resolution model is to avoid the conflict altogether or delay dealing with the issue until others can resolve it or at a later time.
People may choose this mode for trivial issues, when there is no chance of gaining advantage, or the risk of interpersonal damage outweighs the benefits of confronting the conflict. It can also be more of an automatic response rather than a conscious choice, for a part that lacks the confidence to use a competing conflict management model.
3. Compromising
Intermediate Assertiveness
Intermediate Cooperativeness
This mode of the Thomas Kilmann Conflict Model is both moderate assertiveness and cooperativeness. It includes finding a mutually acceptable solution that satisfies both people's concerns.
When goals may only be of moderate importance, compromising can be beneficial as the costs or consequences of using a more assertive approach are not justified. It provides a quick, middle-level solution that is acceptable (though imperfect) to both parties and is perceived as “fair enough” to the parties involved.
There are various mixed advantages and disadvantages that often minimise or cancel each other out. However, the main issue with compromise is that it tends to project an image of indecisiveness.
4. Collaborating
High Assertiveness
High Cooperativeness
The collaborating mode of this model includes teaming up with the other person to identify a solution that works best for both of you. It requires time to dig into an issue to identify what each side really cares about and look for an alternative that meets both sets of needs.
It is a constructive approach that is valuable when the quality and acceptance of the solution are critical. Moreover, it encourages creative problem-solving and openness to multiple viewpoints, which leads to solutions that people are more committed to and tend to hold up better over time.
5. Accommodating
Low Assertiveness
High Cooperativeness
This style of conflict management model is all about neglecting one's own concerns to satisfy someone else's needs. It includes a bit of self-sacrifice, and this approach can be used to maintain harmony and avoid disruption, while keeping the peace matters more than winning, or if one realises the other side has a stronger point.
Unlike avoiding, this modedoes not ignore conflict; it acknowledges the conflict and helps ease the tension. Moreover, it is helpful when you are directly part of the disagreement but don't want things to get worse.
In brief, you can think of each conflict management model in this way:
All five modes are helpful in some situations; each one reflects a different set of social skills that can be understood with these phrases:
Competing: “I'm in charge here - my way is the way.”
Collaborating: “Let's work together and come to a solution.”
Compromising: “Okay, let's compromise.”
Avoiding: “It is best to back off for now.”
Accommodating: “Kill your enemies with generosity.”
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What are the Pros and Cons of the Thomas and Kilmann Conflict Model?
According to Thomas-Kilmann, this model is a valuable tool for managing conflicts at work. It can aid people in understanding various ways to connect and identify more effective ways to work together. As you know, it is not without its challenges. Let's have a closer look at both the pros and cons.
Conflict Style
Pros
Cons
Competing
Effective in high-pressure situations that require quick solutions and also shows confidence and leadership qualities.
If not used with compassion, the competing style may create a sense of resentment against the team and the manage
Avoiding
Minimizes any tension in the short term and gives parties time to contemplate a strategy.
Issues that are averted may exacerbate over time and also may lead some people to feel that their feelings will be trivialized in not felt.
Collaborating
Encourages teamwork and understanding.
Requires all individuals to be engaged and constructively participate in the conversation.
Compromising
An instant way to resolve conflict by balancing diverse concerns.
May risk some feeling unhappy if too many privileges are made.
Accommodating
Perfect for resolving minor conflicts or low-tension conflicts.
Overuse may cause some individuals, to feel as though they look like a “push-over” during a conflict which leads to resentment.
So these were the diverse advantages and disadvantages of this model. If you want to make sure that your writing comes across clearly and professionally, don't hesitate to use Free grammar checker to polish your writing.
What Academic Examples Illustrate the Model in Action?
Conflicts in academic contexts are frequent, whether they arise in group projects, research collaborations, or peer reviews. Here are a few examples of Thomas Kilmann's conflict model.
Group Project Deadlines:
In a university group project, two students do not agree over how to divide the workload. One wants to do everything by the end of the week, while the other wants to take their time and think things through. Using the conflict management models, they identify their preferred conflict styles - one is more competing, while the other is accommodating and reach an agreement to cooperate, splitting the work between fast vs. slow.
Research Collaboration Dispute:
Two postgraduate students are collaborating on a research study and have an argument over which methodology to implement. They identify that one of the students is conflict-avoidant, while the other student is a problem solver in competing for the idea. They achieve an intentional convergence; one of the students suggests they test both methods, but keep their original methods in mind.
Peer Review Conflicts:
During a peer review of essays, a student wants to disagree with a classmate about their comments. Instead of escalating into a meta-conflict, they reflect on the conflict management models and reach a mutually agreeable compromise. The student decides to accept some of the comments and arrives at a respectful explanation as to why they disagreed with other comments, yielding insights for both students.
When students understand how to think about and apply conflict management strategies in their academic work, they are better prepared to manage disagreement in the academic environment. If you need extra assistance, English assignment helpcan guide you every step of the way.
How the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model Compares to Other Approaches to Conflict Resolution
There are also other models worth your attention. Let's have a look.
Interest-Based Relational (IBR) Approach
The IBR approach's main aim is to identify the underlying interests & concerns of all parties that are involved in the conflict. It requires working together collaboratively to identify a solution that meets all parties' needs. Also, it highlights the significance of building connections and trust between individuals to resolve conflicts.
Whereas the Thomas Kilmann Conflict Model underlines the roles of communication and knowing the points of view of others. It is more focused on individual conflicts instead of collaborative problem-solving.
Harvard Negotiation Model
The Harvard negotiation model is one of the other models used. This model underlines the significance of:
Making a distinction between people and the problem and centering on interests instead of posts.
Developing multiple options for united gain and using goal criteria to evaluate the options.
While the Harvard Negotiation Model and the Thomas Kilmann Conflict Model have commonalities, the Harvard model is more specifically about negotiating and finding a mutually beneficial outcome, and the Thomas Kilmann model is more focused on people's individual styles of solving conflict.
Key Takeaways
The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model recognises five conflict-handling techniques, which are based on two dimensions: assertiveness and cooperativeness.
The five modes are competing, accommodating, avoiding, compromising, and collaborating.
Some of the pros are increased self-awareness, strategic flexibility and a Wider range of solutions, while cons might involve Oversimplification, Potential for overuse and Relationship damage.
It highlights personal style, unlike other models that focus only on negotiation or emotional intellect.
The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) is a widely identified structure designed to evaluate an individual's reaction to conflict circumstances. It consists of five modes, but if you still find yourself stuck trying to understand the five modes, feel free to get assistance from Assignment help. Experts at Instant Assignment help will not only help you grasp each conflict mode clearly but also apply them effectively to your assignments.
How to Use the Thomas Kilmann Conflict Model?When applying the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Model, think about the conflict as a function of assertiveness and cooperativeness, note your natural preference for each element, then make a decision about the best style for the particular conflict, rather than jumping to your default preference.
What are the 7 Stages in Conflict Resolution?The seven steps in conflict resolution are:
Bring both parties together
Lay out the ground rules
Find the root cause of the conflict
Actively listen as each side has its say
Establish a desired outcome
Get participants to suggest possible solutions
Agree on a resolution and what must be done to make it done
Which Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Works Best?There is not one "best" form of the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode. The best mode always depends on the situation, how important the issue is, who the participants are, what the desired outcome is, and how quickly a decision should be arrived at. All five modes: Competing, Collaborating, Compromising, Avoiding, and Accommodating have appropriate applications.
Do Men and Women Tend to Handle Conflict Differently?Yes. An analysis has suggested that men and women both respond differently to the five conflict styles of the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model. Though not always conclusive, studies have shown that men are more likely to embrace competing or avoiding styles, while women generally favour collaborative and accommodating styles.
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