Context's role in managing workplace conflict

Barbara B. Nussbaum, Gabriella Belli and Jennie S. Johnson

International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 2012, vol. 12, issue 3, 207-223

Abstract: This experimental study used a contingency perspective to examine the extent to which specific contextual variables of a workplace conflict influenced participant responses. A total of 389 individuals responded to an online questionnaire containing a description of a workplace conflict interaction in which three variables had been manipulated: the sex of the parties, the type of conflict, and the words used. This set was hypothesised to affect thoughts about the interaction: attitudes, subjective norms, appraisals of control, and attributions of the locus-of-causality. Further, this intermediate cognitive set was hypothesised to explain how respondents intended to behave in responding to the conflict interaction. The results of MANOVA revealed that context had modest effects on cognition and behavioural intention. Although other context variables had statistically significant results, conflict type, using a task versus relationship categorisation, was the most salient of the context variables influencing many of the cognitive measures.

Keywords: workplace conflict; context; behavioural intentions; conflict interaction; cognition; conflict management; human resources development; HRD; conflict type. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijhrdm:v:12:y:2012:i:3:p:207-223

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