When working in groups, it is inevitable that conflict will undoubtedly occur. In order to make sure that this conflict doesn’t become a detriment to the group’s ultimate goals, it is important to know how to manage the conflict in a way that will be constructive. There are different styles of conflict management that are used every day. They are collaborating, accommodating, compromising, avoiding, and competing. Each of these styles can be useful if they are used in the right circumstance, however there is not a “one size fits all” style of conflict management because different conflict situations call for different conflict management styles. In the movie “12 Angry Men” there are many conflicts that occur between the different jury members, in this movie there is an illustration of each of these styles. The collaborating style is seen as problem solving, it is a style personified as a win-win, cooperative approach to conflicts. Everybody comes out as winners with this style of conflict management. This style has high concern for both the task and social relationships of the group. This style was illustrated throughout the movie by Henry Fonda’s character, Juror #8. One particular instance of collaboration was when he called for a vote without his involvement. He said that he would change his vote if everyone else voted guilty; this was a win-win because at this point in time his vote was neither guilty nor was it not guilty and everyone would have been able to leave if they it was a unanimous decision. He also used collaboration throughout each of the arguments that everyone brought up about the case. By collaborating together everyone was able to voice their arguments and counter-arguments, and eventually come to a unanimous decision on the outcome of the case. The accommodating style yields to the concerns and desires of others. This style has a high concern for the social relationships, but low concern for task accomplishments of the group. This style was used inappropriately by Juror #7, when he changes his vote from guilty to not guilty without any reason other than to just speed up the deliberation process. The accommodating style should not be used when the issue is as complex and important as a murder trial. The compromising style involves giving something up in order to get something back in return. It has a moderate concern for both the task and social relationship aspects in groups. This style was illustrated when jurors #10 and #7 wanted to declare a hung jury. This would have been a compromise because they would have failed at their goal of deliberating the outcome of the trial however they all would have gotten to go home earlier. Sometimes this style is necessary, especially when an integrative solution can’t be found. The avoiding style involves withdrawing from potentially unpleasant confrontation. This style shows little concern for both the task and social relationships in groups. After the initial vote every juror went around the table to explain why they voted the way they did. Juror #5 used the avoiding style by “passing” when it came his turn to explain his opinion. He seemed unsure about himself which is probably why he didn’t want to speak up. This style is appropriate for trivial issues, however it is inappropriate to use when the issue is important. The competing style is seen as a win-lose approach to conflict management. It is an aggressive style that has high concern for the task aspect, but little concern for the social relationships of the group. This style can likely cause destructive conflict that is communicated through threats, criticism and intimidation. In the movie this style is used by Juror #3, he is constantly trying to force his opinions on others by means of intimidation and threats. He intimidates people by yelling at them and pointing. He even threatens to kill Juror #8 at one point. Juror #3 showed how competing can cause the social relationship of the group to deteriorate. This style would be more appropriate as a last resort. All of these styles of conflict management can be used constructively if used appropriately. Mastering these different styles can help one avoid unwanted or aggressive confrontations. These styles are very useful when in groups because there will always be some conflicts of interests when working with others. For example, in my own group experiences I use the avoiding method when some group members would show up late. I just fill them in on what they missed and move on because usually this is an unimportant issue. Only if it becomes habitual do I confront the issue. My group used the collaborating method when we were deciding on our fundraising idea, we all gave our opinions and came to a final decision that pleased everyone.