Variables in the Study of Conflict  

	Power	Climate
	Goals	Cultural Assumptions
	Gender	Strategies and Tactics
	Perception	Style

Goals  

Goals are the desired outcome(s) in a conflict. One of the difficulties in conflict management is that people often are not consciously aware of their own goals, much less have any notion of the other party's goals. Goals also may shift from one focus to another as the conflict unfolds.  

The importance of identifying goals is illustrated by the adage, “Be Careful What You Ask For.” It is not uncommon for people to “ask for” or demand items that they really don't want because their goals are fuzzy.  

Wilmot and Hocker (1998) identify several important types of goals that emerge in various combinations during conflicts:  

• Content goals:  What do you want?
• Relational goals:  Who are the parties in relationship to each other?
• Identity goals:  Who am I in the relationship?
• Face-saving goals:  Will I feel good about the outcome?
• Process goals:  How will we communicate with each other?

Sources for the goals variable discussion include Lulofs, 1994; Wilmot and Hocker, 1998.