The effect of intrapersonal conflict is investigated with respect to a
n initial choice among alternative strategies for management of interp
ersonal conflict. In this study 140 members of an academic institution
were asked to consider an hypothetical situation in which a candidate
for a position has to be selected and their personal preference among
the candidates is in opposition to that of another senior member of t
he organization. The choice of a strategy for management of interperso
nal conflict was affected by inner conflict associated with one's own
preference among the candidates. When the set of available candidates
induced inner conflict, the respondents were more inclined to use avoi
dance, accommodation, collaboration, and compromise, and less likely t
o use competition.