The relationship between coorientational accuracy and differentiation time and two dimensions of conflict (interaction satisfaction and assertiveness of influence strategies) was investigated in an experimental study of 108 employees from a national insurance company office. The employees were placed in dyads in one of two settings, low or high coorientational accuracy (CA), and were videotaped while discussing a topic of personal and organizational relevance. The results yielded three major observations. First, high-CA dyads engaged in significantly less differentiation than did low-CA dyads. Second, low-differentiation-time dyads were significantly more satisfied with the conflict process than were high-differentiation-time dyads. Third, high-differentiation-time dyads used significantly more assertive influence strategies than low-differentiation-time dyads.
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