Effects of gender on conflict management style in high and low stakes situations

This study was designed to better understand the dynamics of gender in conflict management situations. Although much research has focused on the effects of an individual's gender on conflict management style, few studies have considered the other's gender as a variable. The stakes of a conflict have rarely been studied, and were also included in this analysis. Four different gender communication theories were considered to interpret the results: male dominance theory, different cultures theory, skills specialization theory, and minimal differences theory. Although some sex differences were found, especially in regards to the other's gender, minimal differences theory was the most supported. The stakes of a conflict were the most predictive of an individual's conflict management style usage