What Goes Around Comes Around: the Impact of Personal Conflict Style on Work Conflict and Stress

The International Journal of Conflict Management, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 32-55, 2000

24 Pages Posted: 17 Oct 2006

See all articles by Ray Friedman

Ray Friedman

Vanderbilt University - Organizational Behavior

Simon T. Tidd

Vanderbilt University - Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies

Steven C. Currall

University College London - Faculty of Engineering Sciences; London Business School

James C. Tsai

Vanderbilt University

Abstract

Conflict styles are typically seen as a response to particular situations. By contrast, we argue that individual conflict styles may shape an employee's social environment, affecting the level of ongoing conflict and thus his or her experience of stress. Using data from a hospital-affiliated clinical department, we find that those who use a more integrative style experience lower levels of task conflict, reducing relationship conflict, which reduces stress. Those who use a more dominating or avoiding style experience higher levels of task conflict, increasing relationship conflict and stress. We conclude that an employee's work environment is, in part, of his or her own making

Keywords: stress, conflict, style

Suggested Citation

Friedman, Raymond A. and Tidd, Simon T. and Currall, Steven C. and Tsai, James C., What Goes Around Comes Around: the Impact of Personal Conflict Style on Work Conflict and Stress. The International Journal of Conflict Management, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 32-55, 2000, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=937988

Raymond A. Friedman (Contact Author)

Vanderbilt University - Organizational Behavior ( email )

401 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37203
United States
615-322-3992 (Phone)
615-343-7177 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://mba.vanderbilt.edu/faculty/rfriedman.cfm

Simon T. Tidd

Vanderbilt University - Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies ( email )

1207 18th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212
United States
615-322-8508 (Phone)

Steven C. Currall

University College London - Faculty of Engineering Sciences ( email )

Gower Street
London
United Kingdom
44 0 20 7679 3205 ext. 33205 (Phone)
44 0 20 7679 3209 (Fax)

London Business School ( email )

Sussex Place
Regent's Park
London, London NW1 4SA
United Kingdom
44 0 20 7706 6851 (Phone)
44 0 20 7679 3209 (Fax)

James C. Tsai

Vanderbilt University ( email )

2301 Vanderbilt Place
Nashville, TN 37240
United States

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