Leadership styles: relationship with conflict management styles

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between leadership styles and conflict management styles among managers, while handling interpersonal conflict (mangers and subordinates). Design/methodology/approach -Middle-level managers (N ϭ 150) from different private sector manufacturing industries were included in the study to seek responses through questionnaire based on instruments for conflict management and leadership styles. Findings -Managers who perceived to exhibit more on transformational leadership style adopted integrating and obliging style of conflict management. Those who perceived to exhibit more on transactional style opted for compromising style of conflict management. Whereas, managers perceived to exhibit laissez-faire leadership style adopted avoiding style to manage conflicts with subordinates. Originality/value -Despite the universal acceptance of leadership importance in corporate settings, research so far investigated leadership styles as determinants of conflict management styles are population-specific, including nursing managers (Hendel, 2005), university academic staff (Paul, 2006) and healthcare professionals (Saeed, 2008). Furthermore, the findings in the referred studies are not consistent, and this issue seems to be at an exploratory phase that requires further investigation to establish the relationship. Blake and Mouton (1964) and Rahim (1992) tried to measure the strategies in which individuals typically deal with the conflicts. This approach treated conflict styles as individual disposition, stable over time and across situations. It is argued and supported by literature that leadership styles or behaviors remain stable over time and are expected to be significantly related to conflict management styles (Hendel, 2005).

Conflict Management in Management Library Professionals

“…Saeed 5 examined the relationship between leadership styles and conflict management styles among managers, while handling interpersonal conflict (mangers and subordinates). Middle-level managers from different private sector manufacturing industries were included.…”

A Cross-sectional Study of the Impact of Transformational Leadership on Integrative Conflict Management

“…Turan et al (2015) found that the first choice of conflict style used by managers who adopt a transformational leadership style is integration. Saeed et al (2014) revealed a positive correlation between transformational leaders and the selection of integration as a conflict management style, along with obligation. Furthermore, Fu et al (2008) concluded that the integrative (collaborative) style of conflict management is the dominant style among transformational leaders.…”

“…The findings supported the hypothesis that transformational leadership has a significant diminishing effect on both work stress and employees' negative behaviour. Saeed et al (2014) examined the relationship between the transformational, transactional and laissez-faire leadership styles and conflict management styles. Using a sample of 150 middle managers from private industrial organizations, their results confirmed the hypothesis that the transformational leadership style is positively related to two styles of conflict management: integration and obligation.…”

“…In the presence of conflict, it is necessary to employ an effective method to identify such conflict simultaneously with an efficient means of resolution. Saeed et al (2014) regarded these two conditions as pillars of conflict management. Rahim (2000) adopted a two-sided conflict perspective: on the one hand, conflict can be portrayed as a dysfunction, which must be minimized or terminated; on the other hand, conflict may be a healthy condition with various constructive consequences.…”

Impact of leadership role perspective on conflict resolution styles - a study on small and medium sized entrepreneurs of Karnataka State in India

“…In recent studies conducted to find the relationship between leadership styles and conflict resolution styles emphasized that a strong relationship existed between the two (Kazimoto, 2013;Saeed et al 2014).…”