Traits

Description

Likely effect on dispute management

1

Dominating

(forcing, competing, dominating)

An attitude where a party has high concern for self and low for the others. Here is a forcing behavior to win one’s position. A person goes all out to win and often ignoring the needs and expectations of the other party. One enforces own interest even at the expense of those of the others. Under this situation a litigant will hardly adduce to facts presented as he will look at it as a shame to accept defeat.

Negative

2

Integrating (confronting, collaborating)

An attitude where a party has high concern for self and also for others. The key attitudes involve openness, exchanging information and examination of point of divergence to reach compromise by parties. The party attempts to merge both parties’ interests in order to reach a solution that satisfies both sides at a face to face discussion.

Positive

3

Compromising

Compromising is an attitude with intermediate concern for self and others. A give and take attitude is exhibited where parties give up something to make mutual acceptable decision. This is a give and take approach in order to reach a midpoint agreement.

Positive

4

Evading (withdrawal, Avoiding)

An evading member tends to have low concern for self and also low for others. Here an evading person is less interested in satisfying his or her own concern as well as the concern of the other party. The person becomes uncooperative and engages on the evasion of conflict topic, the other conflict party, or the situation altogether. This situation is capable of prolonging the dispute resolution time frame.

Negative

5

Obliging

(yielding,

smoothing, accommodating)

Obliging is an attitude where a person is having low concern for self and high for others, to the extent that one can neglect his concern to satisfy the concern of the other person. The attitudes attempt to play down the existing differences and emphasis laid on common areas to satisfy the concern of the other party. In general, it accommodates other’s interest on expense of one’s own interest just to get the dispute resolved. An obliging situation can enhance dispute resolution since a disputant is ready to accept unsatisfactory conditions to get the dispute resolved.

Positive

6

Optimistic

The optimist always has high and unrealistic expectations during projects delivery. It is difficult to meet the expectations of such people and everyone can be seen as accomplice against the person’s stance or concern. Under this situation the disputant will reject almost every proposal including those to his advantage and can change his goal post for higher demands. This is capable of prolonging dispute.

Negative

7

Sentimental (emotional)

This is an attitude where an individual is insincerely emotional and becoming easily upset on events. Emotional persons can easily react unfairly against issues. This is capable of breeding more problems and introducing new dimensions into the real issue to solve through unethical responses to the recent emotional issues.

Negative