Conflict management research has focused on the personal nature of str
ategies employed and paid little attention to the contextual influence
s upon those strategy choices. The present study investigates several
contextual influences and reveals that conceptions of professional rol
e and of situational and organizational contexts are good discriminato
rs of the choice of a conflict management strategy. In situations invo
lving conflict inherent in professional truth-telling/deception dilemm
as, characteristics of professional role, and organizational situation
are important influences upon nurses' choices of a conflict managemen
t strategy.