Relationship Between Self-Awareness and Conflict Management Style: A Correlation Study

Abstract

Conflict may both be a problem and a solution. The people involved determine whether a disagreement will simply be a problem or a solution as well. To transition from ineffective or even harmful conduct to productive behaviour and turn the problem into a solution, it might be essential to understand one's behavioural and communication patterns through self-awareness. Present research aims to study the association between self-awareness and conflict management styles. Data was gathered from 400 participants. To measure self-awareness and conflict management an online self-report questionnaire Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Scale by Schutte et al. and the Conflict Management Style questionnaire by Thomas Kilman were used. Results revealed, significant positive Pearson correlation between emotional intelligence and collaborative (r=369*, p=0.00) accommodating (r=288, p=0.00) and compromising (r= 263*, p=0.00) conflict management styles. This suggests that emotionally intelligent individuals manage conflict in a more productive manner than individuals with low emotional intelligence