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 = 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).