The conflict process is really a series of episodes that potentially link together into an escalation cycle.

Escalation Cycle

Describes the process by which conflicts or situations intensify over time, often due to repeated or increasingly aggressive actions by the parties involved.

Conflict Process

The series of stages that a conflict goes through, from its inception to resolution, including emergence, escalation, and outcome.

Episodes

Distinct events or sequences of events within a larger context, often referring to specific occurrences in organizational or social processes.