STERNBERG'S STYLES OF HANDLING INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT: A THEORY‐BASED REANALYSIS
Sternberg and his co‐workers developed a new taxonomy of conflict management styles that ignores an earlier, related model proposed by Blake and Mouton, Thomas, and Rahim. Following a critical review of Sternberg's taxonomy, the present paper presents a reanalysis of some of Sternberg's data that attempts to integrate the two taxonomies. The results confirm Thomas's identification of integrative and distributive dimensions underlying the typology of conflict styles. Sternberg's style of involving outsiders is interpreted as a “Pyrrhic victory,” which loads low on the integrative dimension and high on the distributive dimension. The study is interpreted as providing evidence for the need to replace the concept of conflict style as a specific form of behavioral tendency by treating style as a broad pattern of behavioral tendencies.
With tongue in cheek, Jerry Bergman compares the current educational overemphasis on the upper end (the gifted and talented) to an area we are all familiar with-sports. The comparison helps us realize the results of the current attitude that supports expensive programs to help the below average, but grossly neglects the above average because of the feeling that they can “help themselves.”