The Thomas–Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) is a

conflict style inventory A conflict style inventory is a written tool for gaining insight into how people respond to conflict. Typically, a user answers a set of questions about their responses to conflict and is scored accordingly. Most people develop a patterned respo ...

, which is a tool developed to measure an individual's response to

conflict Conflict may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Conflict'' (1921 film), an American silent film directed by Stuart Paton * ''Conflict'' (1936 film), an American boxing film starring John Wayne * ''Conflict'' (1937 film) ...

situations.

Development

A number of conflict style inventories have been in active use since the 1960s. Most of them are based on the managerial grid developed by

Robert R. Blake Robert R. Blake (January 21, 1918 – June 20, 2004) was an American management theoretician. He did pioneer work in the field of organizational dynamics. Together with Jane S. Mouton, he developed the Managerial Grid Model (1964), which attempts ...

and

Jane Mouton Jane Srygley Mouton (April 15, 1930 in Port Arthur, Texas – December 7, 1987) was an American management theorist, remembered in particular for developing the Managerial grid model with Robert R. Blake. Biography Her father, Theodore Quarles Sr ...

in their

managerial grid model The managerial grid model or managerial grid theory (1964) is a style leadership model developed by Robert R. Blake and Jane Mouton. This model originally identified five different leadership styles based on the ''concern for people'' and the ' ...

. The Blake and Mouton model uses two axes: "concern for people" is plotted using the vertical axis and "concern for task" along the horizontal axis. Each axis has a numerical scale of 1 to 9. These axes interact so as to diagram five different styles of management. This grid posits the interaction of task with relationship and shows that according to how people value these, there are five basic ways of interacting with others. In 1974, Kenneth W. Thomas and Ralph H. Kilmann introduced their Thomas–Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (Tuxedo NY: Xicom, 1974).

Description

The Thomas–Kilmann Conflict Mode instrument consists of thirty pairs of statements. For each pair, the respondent must choose either the A or B item (for example, one item depicts collaborating while the other item describes avoiding). Each pair of statements was specifically designed, through a multi-stage research process, to be equal in social desirability. The TKI uses two axes (influenced by the Mouton and Blake axes) called "assertiveness" and "cooperativeness." The TKI identifies five different styles of conflict: Competing (assertive, uncooperative), Avoiding (unassertive, uncooperative), Accommodating (unassertive, cooperative), Collaborating (assertive, cooperative), and Compromising (intermediate assertiveness and cooperativeness). In a 1978 published analysis of 86 responses, Thomas and Kilmann determined that the TKI exhibited moderate test-retest repeatability, moderate internal consistency (measured by

Cronbach's alpha Cronbach's alpha (Cronbach's \alpha), also known as tau-equivalent reliability (\rho_T) or coefficient alpha (coefficient \alpha), is a reliability coefficient that provides a method of measuring internal consistency of tests and measures. Numer ...

), and low to moderate correlation with three other instruments. The TKI is held under copyright and is not publicly available or accessible to be conducted without being purchased for each individual assessment. Paper copies for purchase by the Myers Briggs Company (the current copyright holder) cost $21.95

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per copy, and an on-line administered assessment with 90 days download access costs $45

. The instrument is often used by students in conflict management classes or workshops. It has also been used in psychological studies -- for example, to compare the conflict attitudes of college athletes and non-athletes. One criticism of the instrument was that it was given so often in employment situations, as one newspaper columnist wrote in 1993, "I’ve taken the test so many times I know what answers will get the desired outcome." Others praise the TKI as a reliable, valid measure of personality.

References

11. Kenneth W. Thomas & Ralph H. Kilmann (1974) , "Conflict Mode Instrument, "XICOM Incorporated, 33rd Printing 1991 {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument Dispute resolution Personality tests