The Influence of Perceived Power and Specific Self-Efficacy Levels on Intergroup Conflict Management

Abstract

The current study examines the way individuals manage an intergroup conflict as a function of a situational variable - 'Perceived Power' (PP), and a personality trait variable - 'Cognitive Bias Overcoming Self-Efficacy' (COSE). On a basis of a new bi-dimensional model portraying intergroup conflict management as derived from 'constructive-destructive' approach to handle conflict and 'creating - claiming' value expectations concerning the outcomes of conflict, four hypotheses were proposed:

H1: Subjects with Low PP and Low COSE will tend to adopt the avoidance strategy. H2: Subjects with High PP and Low COSE will tend to adopt the dominating strategy. H3: Subjects with Low PP and High COSE will tend to adopt the integrating strategy. H4: Subjects with High PP and High COSE will tend to adopt the compromising strategy.

105 Israeli students from the University of Haifa and the Haifa Institute of Technology volunteered to participate in the study. Conflict management strategy was measured by the ROCII-II questionnaire (Rahim, 1983a), Perceived Power levels were measured using an experimental manipulation, and COSE levels were measured by a new scale that was developed especially for the current study. The hypotheses were by and large supported; Perceived Power and COSE levels did predict the use of Avoiding, Integrating and Compromising strategies (although the latter was not in the predicted direction), but failed to predict the use of Dominating strategy. The findings corroborate the assumption that both situational as well as personality trait variables affect the way people manage intergroup conflict.

Keywords: intergroup conflict, perceived power, self-efficacy, cognitive bias