Conflicts are a natural part of social interaction and occur when individuals disagree with each other, society or when societies disagree. Differing points of view are the primary cause for these disagreements, and how they are managed while in conflict can lead to the synchronization or dissolution of relationships. The primary ways in which conflicts are resolved are through power, rights and interests.
Power
Power represents one party's ability to impose its decisions about the outcome of disputes upon others. This strategy can only be effective when one party is superior in resources, or possesses the resources that the other parties need or desire. An embargo imposed on a small country by a large country without discussion is an example of power-based conflict resolution strategies.
Rights
Rights are fixed rules or principles based on statutes, case law, contracts and collective-bargaining agreements. Rights-based approaches to dispute resolution use legal documents and contracts to evaluate the validity of the dispute and to determine which party is in error. Taking an individual or organization to court is an example of a rights-based approach to dispute resolution.
Interests
Interests are the needs, concerns and desires of individuals or groups. Interest-based approaches consider the perspectives of all parties when formulating a solution. Using problem-solving techniques such as negotiation, arbitration and mediation to resolve disputes are examples of interest-based dispute resolution.
Integrated
The integrated approach to conflict resolution provides as systematic framework to address disputes that combines power, rights and interest-based strategies, depending on which combination best suits the situation. For example, when attempting to pass a bill in the U.S. legislative system, a party might be in the majority, which gives them the power to pass the bill without negotiating. However, they might attempt to negotiate with other parties to gain support of the bill as an act of diplomacy. In 1997, social scientists Rowe & Gleason found that Integrated is the best approach for resolving conflicts because of its flexible and all-encompassing nature.
