Functional and Dysfunctional Strategies for Managing Conflict

15 Pages Posted: 23 May 2010

Abstract

This study suggests that strategies for handling interpersonal conflict can be classified as functional and dysfunctional and provides some evidence that functional strategies are associated with greater positive outcomes than dysfunctional strategies. There are various styles of handling interpersonal conflict, such as integrating, obliging, dominating, avoiding, and compromising and using one combination of styles may be functional than using another combination of styles. A functional strategy is associated with greater use of the integrating and lower use of avoiding styles plus greater use of the obliging and lower use of the dominating styles. A dysfunctional strategy is associated with greater use of the avoiding and lower use of the integrating styles plus greater use of the dominating and lower use of the obliging styles. Analysis of questionnaire data in several samples provided support for the hypothesis that the use of functional strategy, but not the dysfunctional strategy, is associated with better job performance and organizational citizenship behavior.

Suggested Citation

Rahim, M. Afzalur, Functional and Dysfunctional Strategies for Managing Conflict. IACM 23rd Annual Conference Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1612886 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1612886

M. Afzalur Rahim (Contact Author)

Western Kentucky University ( email )

1 Big Red Way
Bowling Green, KY 42101-3576
United States

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