Communications & Conflict Unit 5 Paper

There are 5 different conflict styles. Conflict is usually understood by examining the consequences of different behaviors at moments in time. These behaviors are usefully categorized according to conflict styles. Each style is a way to meet one's needs in a dispute but may impact other people in different ways.

In the case study Mike try’s to use the very first conflict style, which is, “Cooperative Problem Solving”. This is because he try’s to make Marie understand that being able to work on the issue of Lenny’s behavior and the best punishment for him together as a family is better than just always telling him that it is none of his business when it is his business.

Marie is certainly not cooperative about anything because she believes that no one else understands her son and that Mike is nothing to Lenny but just Lenny’s mothers’ new husband/boyfriend.

Marie’s style of conflict can closely relate to a “competitive style” because she puts her own interests at heart before anyone else’s. She thinks that her son, Lenny, and the way that she punishes him, is what is best for him, meaning, it is in his best interest for what type of punishment that she places on Lenny.

Mike likes to be able to use “compromising” as one of the styles to use when confronting any sort of conflict at the moment, but in a good way for Lenny and Marie. Mike would like to be able to make Marie understand that when her son promises to never be late again without calling first in order to stop from being punished by having to