Links and Demographic Comparisons to Conflict Management and Counterproductive Work Behavior

Abstract

According to contemporary theory in Management Science, conflicts are inevitable and necessary for organizations, indeed. Managing conflicts shows clearly differences between good and perfect managers and entrepreneurs. In this respect, conflict management styles are emerging as a meaningful tool for dealing with the counterproductive work behaviors which are anti-innovative behaviors. The purpose of the present study is to determine the effects of conflict management on counterproductive work behavior and also make demographic comparisons to these variables. The sample is composed of 200 white-collar employees. Data were collected through survey technique with convenience sampling method and analyzed via statistical package programs. Results show that conflict management styles, integrating, dominating, and compromising, have significant effect on counterproductive work behavior dimensions. Integrating reduces organizational deviance, dominating increases interpersonal deviance, and compromising reduces both interpersonal and organizational deviance. Besides, perceptions about conflict management and counterproductive work behavior vary depending on demographic characteristics. Integrating is perceived mostly by female participants in comparison with males. Dominating is perceived mostly by private sector employees in comparison with public ones. Younger employees perceive conflict management and its two dimensions, obliging and compromising, more than their elders. Males are in tendency to behave counterproductive in comparison with females. Counterproductive work behavior and its one-dimensional, organizational deviance are performed less by younger employees and more by employees educated at post-graduate degree.