Passive responses to interpersonal conflict at work amplify employee strain

Assessing the effectiveness of conflict management training in a health sector organization: evidence from subjective and objective indicators

“…As expected, then, we may conclude that the training designed to provide workers with essential skills for conflict management (emotional regulation skills to help them manage emotions stemming from conflicts; interpersonal communication skills to facilitate mutual understanding; and problem solving skills to reach mutually beneficial solutions) is an effective intervention not only in terms of lowering the costs inherent in conflict resolution and withdrawal behaviours (mediation systems and absenteeism: Dijkstra et al, 2009;Giebels & Janssen, 2005;Pruitt, 2008) but also to improve employee performance by reducing the number of patients' complaints (Alexander, 2010;Tjosvold et al, 2014).…”

“…For example, Friedman et al (2000) found that healthcare workers in the US who used an integrative conflict management style experienced less conflict and lower levels of stress than those who used a more dominating or conflict avoiding management style. Similarly, results from cross-sectional survey studies among healthcare workers in the Netherlands have demonstrated that passive responses to interpersonal conflicts (yielding and avoiding) amplify employees' strain, whereas workers using integrative conflict management strategies experience less psychological stress in cases of workplace conflict (Dijkstra et al, 2009;.…”

“…Once equipped with these skills, the trainees should (a) achieve effective conflict resolutions at work, thereby preventing the escalation of conflict to more destructive or intractable levels (Greer et al, 2012;Janss et al, 2012;Saltman et al, 2006); (b) display a reduction in the psychological distress associated with workplace conflict (Dijkstra et al, 2009(Dijkstra et al, , 2011Friedman et al, 2000;Giebels & Janssen, 2005); increase their performance at work (Tekleab et al, 2009;Tjosvold et al, 2014). The study makes several contributions to the conflict literature by translating the dual-concern model principles into practice, thereby linking training in essential conflict management skills to relevant outcomes.…”

“…A number of researchers have provided empirical support for these postulates, showing that collaboration to reach integrative solutions benefits workers' satisfaction, performance and psychological well-being (e.g., Behfar et al, 2008;Dijkstra et al, 2009Dijkstra et al, , 2011Friedman et al, 2000;Tekleab et al, 2009), or at least, "prevents workplace conflict from hurting too much" (De Dreu, 2008: p. 5) compared to other approaches, which may be considered destructive insofar as they can easily result in negative emotions and facilitate downward spirals in which the relationship between parties deteriorates, resulting in retaliation, punishment and mutual exasperation (i.e. conflict escalation, see Glasl, 1982;Pruitt, 2008).…”

“…Hence, conflict management has become a matter of increasing interest in organizations where workers' well-being and performance depends to a great extent on their social interactions with co-workers and customers (e.g., Behfar, Peterson, Mannix, & Trochim, 2008;Dijkstra, Beersma, & Evers, 2011;Dijkstra, de Dreu, Evers, & van Dierendonck, 2009;Friedman, Tidd, Currall, & Tsai, 2000;Giebels & Janssen, 2005;Greer, Jehn, & Mannix, 2008;Leon-Perez, Medina, Arenas, & Munduate, 2014;Tekleab, Quigley, & Tesluk, 2009). This is the case of healthcare settings, where conflict plays an important role in critical dynamics for organizational functioning, like the episodes of violence in a workplace that must deliver a high-quality service (e.g., Beech & Leather, 2006;Janss, Rispens, Segers, & Jehn, 2012).…”