A psychometric and construct validity assessment of the Flynn-Elloy Conflict Management Styles Inventory

In this study Flynn and Elloy’s (1987) 30-item Conflict Management Styles Inventory – which taps 5 styles: competition, collaboration, compromise, avoidance, and accommodation – was examined. A sample of 210 management undergraduates completed the Inventory and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability scale (Crowne & Marlowe, 1960). Subsamples also completed the General Decision-Making Style Inventory (Scott & Bruce, 1995) or the Life Roles Inventory-Values Scale (Fitzsimmons, Macnab, & Casserly, 1985). Confirmatory factor analyses supported the 5 scales although exploratory factor analyses and item/scale reliability analyses revealed some psychometric weaknesses. Six indices formed from various combinations of the 5 styles were examined (Chanin & Schneer, 1984) as well as gender effects. All the styles and indices were independent of social desirability. The pattern of relationships between conflict management styles and both decision-making styles and values provide some construct validity support for the Conflict Management Styles Inventory.