An Effect of the Group and Personal Factors on the Preference of the Conflict Handling Styles

집단적 요인과 개인적 요인이 갈등관리유형 선호에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구

  • Published : 2008.09.30

Abstract

This study is to categorize five types of conflict handling styles that employees can take when conflict occurs. The five types are integrating, avoiding, dominating, obliging, and compromising. I found these factors that explain conflicts handling styles divided them into organizational structure, task group functioning and need styles and how certain factors explain different kinds of conflict handling styles without other factors. To measure conflict handling styles, this study used the scale of conflict style devised Rahim. Data were collected by the survey method from employees engaged in the service industry located Seoul, the Province of Gyeonggi, and the Province of Gangwon. In addition, in order to prove my hypothesis, I used hierarchical regression analysis method to find the pure explanation that each factors have without multicollinearity. According to the study's result, in a person's type of needs, if the need for achievement is high, they prefer integrating style. In contrast, if the need for achievement is low, they prefer avoiding style. Also, if the need for affiliation is high, the employees prefer compromising style. But if the need for affiliation is low and the need for dominance is high, the employees favor dominating style. However, in task group functioning, group homogeneity, group cohesiveness, and group goal clarity are high, or the confidence in peers and management is high, the employees prefer obliging style to other conflicts handling styles. As well as if group homogeneity, group cohesiveness, and group goal clarity are high, it was found that they prefer compromising style. Also, if the role conflict that is related to organizational structure is serious, employees prefer obliging style, but they have weakenss in explanation. To sum up these results, if the employees have obliging style that shows lack of concerns over themselves and at the same time, have high concerns to others, is affected by task group or organization. And we can infer that the other conflicts handling styles are effected by personal characteristic.

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