Identification of Behaviour Patterns of Social Workers When Resolving Professional Conflicts

According to the social conflict paradigm, a conflict means the incurrence of interests, which is more or less perceived. This paper, on the basis of the representative research results, analyses the behavior of social workers when resolving professional conflicts. A questionnaire has been constructed according to the model of five conflict management strategies proposed by Thomas & Kilmann (1974). The patterns of the behaviour of social workers when resolving professional conflicts were identified by the cluster analysis method. Different patterns of behavior depend on the intensity of the manifestation of the conflict- resolving strategy & with whom social workers are in conflict. According to the findings of the research, social workers use the behavioral patterns of equivalence, rationality & retreat in conflicts with authorities. The behavioral patterns of participation & openness, participation seeking to avoid tension, & poor constructiveness & opposition are used in conflicts with colleagues. The behavioral patterns of professional involvement, professional distance & the lack of professional identity are used in conflicts with clients. There is no relation between the behavioral patterns when resolving professional conflicts & such characteristics of social workers as their professional position at workplace & education. As a conclusion, authors assume that the external professional, methodologically grounded, support is needed in organizations for resolving conflicts. Supervision is one of the support methods, which stimulates the reflection of conflicts in complex professional situations of social work. Adapted from the source document.