Handbook of Management Scales/Conflict management

Description
A set of new, multi-item measures are operationalized. The authors define and measure the salient infrastructural competencies – termed business-to-business seller competence (B2B-SC) – associated with the seller-side of Internet-enabled commerce. They find that the conceptual domain of B2B-SC comprises seven theoretically important dimensions: (1) technical skills, (2) change disposition, (3) conflict management, (4) market acuity, (5) coordinated logistics, (6) knowledge channels, and (7) fluid partnering.

Definition
Conflict management is defined as a competence in which the selling firm has a systematic approach to the handling of disagreements with supply chain partners that consists of resolution strategies used to foster a mutually acceptable relationship.

Items

 * Systems and procedures in place to resolve disputes with supply chain partners. (0.67)
 * View differences in opinion with partners as an opportunity to improve relationship effectiveness. (0.72)
 * Settling of disputes is joint responsibility of us and partners. (0.68)
 * Regularly discuss with supply chain partners any differences in opinion we have with them. (0.85)

Source

 * Rosenzweig/Roth (2007): B2B seller competence: Construct development and measurement using a supply chain strategy lens. Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 25, No. 6, pp. 1311-1331.

Comments
Much efforts have been made by the authors in order to ensure that the new scales exhibit sufficient psychometric properties, which make them quite useful. The items were evaluated on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). However, the observed mean value is 3.64 rather than 3. It might therefore be recommendable to change the wording, e.g. "Settling of disputes is ALWAYS joint responsibility of us and partners".