Positive and Future-Focused vs. I-Focused: A Comparative Examination of Effective Conflict Resolution Scripts to Minimize Gender Backlash in Engineering Settings

Study 1 is a qualitative study using discourse completiong interviews to examine how 30 experienced women engineers respond to common conflict scenarios. Modified grounded theory analysis is used to identify five strategies that were mentioned by at least five participants. Studies 2 and 3 use vignettes in an experimental design to examine how engineering students perceive different conflict resolution strategies. 

The results to Study 1 identify five strategies: speaking up early, pointing out positives, foregrounding group goals, focusing on solutions, and avoiding

emotion. We combine these strategies into a generalized conflict resolution script that we term positive, future-focused conflict resolution. 

Studies 2 and 3 compare our positive, future-focused script to I-statements, or I messages, a conflict resolution technique popularized by the family therapist Thomas Gordon. Our results find that engineering students perceive individuals who responded to conflict with our positive, future-focused method are perceived as more competent, likeable, and likely to obtain their desired outcome than individuals who use I statements to respond to the conflict.