ABSTRACT
L. Putnam and C. Wilson developed the Organizational Communication Conflict Instrument (OCCI) as a reaction against what they perceived as weaknesses in the study of conflict at that time. The instrument was, therefore, designed to assess choices about strategies in the management of conflict across organizational contexts. Using a 7-point Likert scale, 360 respondents chose the communicative behaviors they would use in a specific type of organizational conflict. Content validity assesses how adequately the OCCI samples communication strategies used to manage organizational conflict. The OCCI has several strengths. First, its reliabilities are as good as those for other conflict instruments and, in fact, are better than most. Second, its emphasis on communication behaviors in particular situations separates it from instruments that measure style. This characteristic has great appeal for communication researchers. Third, the instrument has great potential as a training tool for getting people to think about strategies for measuring conflict.
