CONTEXTUAL INFLUENCES ON NURSES CONFLICT-MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

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.