Approach to Interpersonal Conflicts in Workplace and Work Engagement
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Published:
Apr 30, 2019
Keywords:
Conflict management, Employees conflicts, Conflicts in organisation, Employees' engagement, Interpersonal relations, Job satisfaction
Main Article Content
Abstract
Interpersonal conflict at work causes negative consequences such as lowered self-esteem, stress or burnout that intensify when passive approach to conflict is preferred. Therefore, we decided to examine the correlations between the preferred method of conflict management in the workplace and work engagement. We formulated a hypothesis that an active approach to interpersonal conflict management in the workplace influences work engagement. We conducted a quantitative questionnaire study on a group of 786 respondents. As regards conflict management, the theoretical basis was the dual concern model by de Dru et al. [2003] supplemented by the papers by Dijkstra et al. [2009]. In the study, the concept of engagement by Schaufeli et al. [2002] was adopted. It seems that examination of conflict management meth- ods in an organization as a factor that affects work engagement is pioneering and expands knowledge on work engagement. What is more, the influence of conflict management on job satisfaction and the intercorrelations between work engagement and job satisfaction were studied. A hypothesis concerning the influence exerted by the active approach to interpersonal conflict has been confirmed in research. A statistically significant influence of active conflict management over all work engagement components, that is, vigor, dedication, and absorption, was noticed. Examination of satisfaction, in turn, confirmed previous studies in this respect. Research results reinforce scepticism about the frequent conflict management style through avoiding or yielding. If employee engagement is a desirable state in an organization, active conflict management should not be disregarded. A postulated practical conclusion from the study is that active conflict management should be taught in training programs for managers and academic courses for future managers.
Article Details
How to Cite
Gigol, T. (2019). Approach to Interpersonal Conflicts in Workplace and Work Engagement. Organization and Management, (2 (185), 25–41. Retrieved from https://econjournals.sgh.waw.pl/OiK/article/view/1019
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References
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Chan C. C., Monroe G., Ng J., Tan R. [2006], Conflict management styles of male and female junior accountants, "International Journal of Management" 23 (2): 289-295.
Chen X. H., Zhao K., Liu X., Dash Wu D. [2012], Improving employees' job satisfaction and innovation performance using conflict management, "International Journal of Conflict Management" 23 (2): 151-172.
Chen Z. J., Zhang X., Vogel D. [2011], Exploring the underlying processes between conflict and knowledge sharing: A work-engagement perspective, "Journal of Applied Social Psychology" 41 (5): 1005-1033.
Christian M. S., Garza A. S., Slaughter J. E. [2011], Work engagement: A quantitative review and test of its relations with task and contextual performance, "Personnel Psychology" 64 (1): 89-136.
Corwin R.G. [1969], Patterns of organizational conflict, "Administrative Science Quarterly" 14 (4): 507-520.
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De Dreu C. K., Weingart L. R. [2003], Task versus relationship conflict, team performance, and team member satisfaction: A meta-analysis, "Journal of Applied Psychology" 88 (4): 741-749.
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Egan T. M., Yang B., Bartlett K. R. [2004], The effects of organizational learning culture and job satisfaction on motivation to transfer learning and turnover intention, "Human Resource Development Quarterly" 15 (3): 279-301.
Frone M. R. [2000], Interpersonal conflict at work and psychological outcomes: Testing a model among young workers, "Journal of Occupational Health Psychology" 5 (2): 246-255.
Gigol T., Sypniewska B. A. [2019], Interpersonal conflicts in the workplace and authentic leadership - evidence from Poland, "Journal of East European Management Studies", Special Issue: 37-62.
Guetzkow H., Gyr J. [1954], An analysis of conflict in decision-making groups, "Human Relations" 7: 367-382.
Hewstone M., Rubin M., Willis H. [2002], Intergroup bias, "Annual Review of Psychology" 53 (1): 575-604.
Jehn K. A. [1995], A multimethod examination of the benefits and detriments of intragroup conflict, "Administrative Science Quarterly" 40 (2): 256-282.
Jehn K. A., Bendersky C. [2003], Intragroup conflict in organizations: A contingency perspective on the conflict-outcome relationship, "Research in Organizational Behavior" 25: 187-242.
Kahn W. A. [1990], Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work, "Academy of Management Journal" 3 (4): 692-724.
Kilmann R. H., Thomas K. W. [1975], Interpersonal conflict-handling behavior as reflections of Jungian personality dimensions, "Psychological Reports" 37 (3): 971-980.
Lu L., Zhou F., Leung K. [2011], Effects of task and relationship conflicts on individual work behaviors, "International Journal of Conflict Management" 22 (2): 131-150.
Maslach C., Schaufeli W.B., Leiter M.P. [2001], Job burnout, "Annual Review of Psychology" 52: 397-422.
Pollak A., Chrupała-Pniak M., Rudnicka P., Paliga M. [2017], Work engagement - A systematic review of Polish research, "Polish Psychological Bulletin" 48 (2): 175-187.
Pondy L. R. [1967], Organizational conflict: Concepts and models, "Administrative Science Quarterly" 12 (2): 296-320.
Rahim M. A. [1983], A measure of styles of handling interpersonal conflict, "Academy of Management Journal" 26 (2): 368-376.
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Rahim M. A. [2002],Toward a theory of managing organizational conflict, "The International Journal of Conflict Management" 13 (3): 206-235.
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Schaufeli W. B., Bakker A. B., Salanova M. [2006], The measurement of work engagement with a short questionnaire, "Educational and Psychological Measurement" 66 (4): 701-716.
Schaufeli W. B., Taris T. W., Van Rhenen W. [2008], Workaholism, burnout, and work engagement: Three of a kind or three different kinds of employee well-being? "Applied Psychology" 57 (2): 173-203.
Schaufeli W. B., Salanova M., González-Romá V., Bakker A. B. [2002], The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach, "Journal of Happiness Studies" 3 (1): 71-92.
Schmidt S. M., Kochan T. A. [1972], Conflict: Toward conceptual clarity, "Administrative Science Quarterly" 17 (3): 359-370.
Shirom A. [2011], Vigor as a positive affect at work: Conceptualizing vigor, its relations with related constructs, and its antecedents and consequences, "Review of General Psychology" 15 (1): 50-64.
Springs M. J. [2015], Examining organizational conflict management style climate: Moderator of job satisfaction and intent to leave a management consulting organization, Northcentral University, a doctoral thesis.
Syna Desivilya H., Yagil D. [2005], The role of emotions in conflict management: The case of work teams, "International Journal of Conflict Management" 16 (1): 55-69.
Sypniewska B. A. [2014], Evaluation of factors influencing job satisfaction, "Contemporary Economics" 8 (1): 57-72.
Tajfel H., Turner J. [1979], An integrative theory of inter-group conflict, in: Austin W. G., Worchel S. (eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations, Brooks-Cole, Monterey: 33-47.
Thomas K. W. [1976], Conflict and conflict management, in: Dunnette M. D. (ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology, Rand McNally, Chicago: 889-935.
Ting-Toomey S., Gao G., Trubisky P., Yang Z., Soo Kim H., Lin S. L., Nishida T. [1991], Culture, face maintenance, and styles of handling interpersonal conflict: A study in five cultures, "International Journal of Conflict Management" 2 (4): 275-296.
Tjosvold D. [2008], The conflict-positive organization: It depends upon us, "Journal of Organizational Behavior" 29 (1): 19-28.
Vroom V. H. [1964], Work and motivation, Wiley, New York.
Wall J. A., Callister R. R. [1995], Conflict and its management, "Journal of Management" 21 (3): 515-558
Britt T. W. [1999], Engaging the self in the field: Testing the triangle model of responsibility, "Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin" 25 (6): 698-708.
Chan C. C., Monroe G., Ng J., Tan R. [2006], Conflict management styles of male and female junior accountants, "International Journal of Management" 23 (2): 289-295.
Chen X. H., Zhao K., Liu X., Dash Wu D. [2012], Improving employees' job satisfaction and innovation performance using conflict management, "International Journal of Conflict Management" 23 (2): 151-172.
Chen Z. J., Zhang X., Vogel D. [2011], Exploring the underlying processes between conflict and knowledge sharing: A work-engagement perspective, "Journal of Applied Social Psychology" 41 (5): 1005-1033.
Christian M. S., Garza A. S., Slaughter J. E. [2011], Work engagement: A quantitative review and test of its relations with task and contextual performance, "Personnel Psychology" 64 (1): 89-136.
Corwin R.G. [1969], Patterns of organizational conflict, "Administrative Science Quarterly" 14 (4): 507-520.
Cranny C. J., Smith P. C., Stone E. [1992], Job satisfaction: How people feel about their jobs, Lexington, New York.
De Dreu C. K., Gelfand M. J. [2008], Conflict in the workplace: Sources, functions, and dynamics across multiple levels of analysis, in: De Dreu C. K., Gelfand M. J. (eds.), The psychology of conflict and conflict management in organizations, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, New York: 3-54.
De Dreu C. K., Van Dierendonck D., Dijkstra M. T. [2004], Conflict at work and individual well-being, "International Journal of Conflict Management" 15 (1): 6-26.
De Dreu C. K., Weingart L. R. [2003], Task versus relationship conflict, team performance, and team member satisfaction: A meta-analysis, "Journal of Applied Psychology" 88 (4): 741-749.
De Dreu C. K., Van Dierendonck D., De Best-Waldhober M. [2003], Conflict at work and individual well-being, in: Schabracq M. J., Winnubst J. A. M., Cooper C. L. (eds.), Handbook of work and health psychology, Wiley & Sons, Hoboken: 495-515.
De Raeve L., Jansen N. W., van den Brandt P. A., Vasse R. M., Kant I. [2008], Risk factors for interpersonal conflicts at work, "Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health" 34 (2): 96-106.
Dijkstra M. T., De Dreu C. K., Evers A., Van Dierendonck D. [2009], Passive responses to interpersonal conflict at work amplify employee strain, "European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology" 18 (4): 405-423.
Egan T. M., Yang B., Bartlett K. R. [2004], The effects of organizational learning culture and job satisfaction on motivation to transfer learning and turnover intention, "Human Resource Development Quarterly" 15 (3): 279-301.
Frone M. R. [2000], Interpersonal conflict at work and psychological outcomes: Testing a model among young workers, "Journal of Occupational Health Psychology" 5 (2): 246-255.
Gigol T., Sypniewska B. A. [2019], Interpersonal conflicts in the workplace and authentic leadership - evidence from Poland, "Journal of East European Management Studies", Special Issue: 37-62.
Guetzkow H., Gyr J. [1954], An analysis of conflict in decision-making groups, "Human Relations" 7: 367-382.
Hewstone M., Rubin M., Willis H. [2002], Intergroup bias, "Annual Review of Psychology" 53 (1): 575-604.
Jehn K. A. [1995], A multimethod examination of the benefits and detriments of intragroup conflict, "Administrative Science Quarterly" 40 (2): 256-282.
Jehn K. A., Bendersky C. [2003], Intragroup conflict in organizations: A contingency perspective on the conflict-outcome relationship, "Research in Organizational Behavior" 25: 187-242.
Kahn W. A. [1990], Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work, "Academy of Management Journal" 3 (4): 692-724.
Kilmann R. H., Thomas K. W. [1975], Interpersonal conflict-handling behavior as reflections of Jungian personality dimensions, "Psychological Reports" 37 (3): 971-980.
Lu L., Zhou F., Leung K. [2011], Effects of task and relationship conflicts on individual work behaviors, "International Journal of Conflict Management" 22 (2): 131-150.
Maslach C., Schaufeli W.B., Leiter M.P. [2001], Job burnout, "Annual Review of Psychology" 52: 397-422.
Pollak A., Chrupała-Pniak M., Rudnicka P., Paliga M. [2017], Work engagement - A systematic review of Polish research, "Polish Psychological Bulletin" 48 (2): 175-187.
Pondy L. R. [1967], Organizational conflict: Concepts and models, "Administrative Science Quarterly" 12 (2): 296-320.
Rahim M. A. [1983], A measure of styles of handling interpersonal conflict, "Academy of Management Journal" 26 (2): 368-376.
Rahim M. A. [2001], Managing conflict in organizations, Quorum Books, Connecticut Westport.
Rahim M. A. [2002],Toward a theory of managing organizational conflict, "The International Journal of Conflict Management" 13 (3): 206-235.
Schaufeli W. B. [2013], Utrecht work engagement scale, http://www.wilmarschaufeli.nl (15.05.2015).
Schaufeli W.B., Bakker A.B. [2010], Defining and measuring work engagement: Bringing clarity to the concept, in: Bakker A. B., Leiter M. P. (eds.), Work engagement: A handbook of essential theory and research, Psychology Press, New York: 10-24.
Schaufeli W. B., Bakker A. B., Salanova M. [2006], The measurement of work engagement with a short questionnaire, "Educational and Psychological Measurement" 66 (4): 701-716.
Schaufeli W. B., Taris T. W., Van Rhenen W. [2008], Workaholism, burnout, and work engagement: Three of a kind or three different kinds of employee well-being? "Applied Psychology" 57 (2): 173-203.
Schaufeli W. B., Salanova M., González-Romá V., Bakker A. B. [2002], The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach, "Journal of Happiness Studies" 3 (1): 71-92.
Schmidt S. M., Kochan T. A. [1972], Conflict: Toward conceptual clarity, "Administrative Science Quarterly" 17 (3): 359-370.
Shirom A. [2011], Vigor as a positive affect at work: Conceptualizing vigor, its relations with related constructs, and its antecedents and consequences, "Review of General Psychology" 15 (1): 50-64.
Springs M. J. [2015], Examining organizational conflict management style climate: Moderator of job satisfaction and intent to leave a management consulting organization, Northcentral University, a doctoral thesis.
Syna Desivilya H., Yagil D. [2005], The role of emotions in conflict management: The case of work teams, "International Journal of Conflict Management" 16 (1): 55-69.
Sypniewska B. A. [2014], Evaluation of factors influencing job satisfaction, "Contemporary Economics" 8 (1): 57-72.
Tajfel H., Turner J. [1979], An integrative theory of inter-group conflict, in: Austin W. G., Worchel S. (eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations, Brooks-Cole, Monterey: 33-47.
Thomas K. W. [1976], Conflict and conflict management, in: Dunnette M. D. (ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology, Rand McNally, Chicago: 889-935.
Ting-Toomey S., Gao G., Trubisky P., Yang Z., Soo Kim H., Lin S. L., Nishida T. [1991], Culture, face maintenance, and styles of handling interpersonal conflict: A study in five cultures, "International Journal of Conflict Management" 2 (4): 275-296.
Tjosvold D. [2008], The conflict-positive organization: It depends upon us, "Journal of Organizational Behavior" 29 (1): 19-28.
Vroom V. H. [1964], Work and motivation, Wiley, New York.
Wall J. A., Callister R. R. [1995], Conflict and its management, "Journal of Management" 21 (3): 515-558