Assessing the Ross-Dewine Conflict Management Message Style (CMMS)

Abstract

This article presents original data on the conceptualization, item development, reliability, and validity of the Conflict Management Message Style (CMMS) instrument. This instrument consists of communicative messages used with recalls of critical incidents that typify three distinct styles for handling interpersonal conflicts in organizations: concern for self, concern for issue, and concern for other. In tests with 1,500 subjects, the CMMS demonstrates low to moderate internal reliability, good convergent validity, and positive correlations between peer and self-ratings. These findings, however, are confounded in part by the social desirability of the three styles.

The impact of mediator strategic choices: An experimental study

“…The data were collected by asking subject disputants to respond to a pretest instrument in which they were asked to describe the issue in dispute and their perceptions of their own position as well as the other's position. Following the role-play session, subject disputants completed a conflict management message style survey (Ross and DeWine, 1988), a mediation questionnaire consisting of fifteen items measuring mediator performance (Burrell, Donohue, and Allen, 1988), and a posttest description of the conflict issue and perceptions of positions for self and other. Collected data were factor-analyzed using a varimax rotation, and factor scores were used in making analysis of variance, t-test, chi-square, and correlation comparisons.…”

Constructive Management and Resolution of Conflict

“…The individual rates on a 10point scale (1 ¼ completely uncharacteristic to 10 ¼completely characteristic of himself/herself) 12 statements with 5 possible reactions that represent the five conflict style preferences. The items are measured on a 5-point Likert scale ("Never say things like this" to "Usually say things like this") (Ross and DeWine, 1988) A self-report questionnaire that measures conflict styles through messages used in interpersonal conflict worked on salary plus bonus and they could do quite well money-wise. Three message types are identified: self-oriented (reflects emphasis on the speaker's personal interests), issue-oriented (emphasizes that the problem to be solved mutually), and other-oriented messages (focusing on the interests of the other party).…”

Organizational Conflict Management as Disputing Process The Problem of Social Escalation

“…Here again, five styles were found: integrating/collaborating, obliging/ accommodating, dominating/competing, avoiding/ withdrawing, and compromising. Finally, Ross and DeWine (1988) focused on both the individual and dyadic levels, arguing that conflict management styles focus on self, individual, and others.…”