The article "Leadership styles: relationship with conflict management styles" by Saeed et al. evaluates the correlation between the various management styles and ways in which conflicts between managers and their subordinates can be solved (Saeed et al., 2014). The authors have cited numerous authors who have also analyzed the possible connections between the socialist and personalized cultural values and the preferred conflict styles. Also, the authors have referenced other researchers who have evaluated the most used leadership styles in the private and public organizations present to solve conflicts. Other cited authors have reported that there are relationship attachment and conflict management styles and asserted that the management styles might influence the strategies to solve the conflicts. The authors assert that the previous researches have been based on the approach of the base model. They have focused on the leadership paradigm paying close attention to the transformational leadership elements. They also evaluated the existing correlations between conflict and leadership styles among managers and their workers.
The authors formulated three hypotheses in consideration of their literature review. First, the authors hypothesized that the transformational leadership styles are anticipated to manifest positive correlations with positive and negative correlations with destructive styles of managing conflict. Second, they hypothesized that transactional leadership might possess effective correlations with balancing conflict management styles. Lastly, they hypothesized that laissez-faire leadership might connect with destructive correlations and negative interrelation with constructive styles to manage conflict.
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The authors conducted research that involved 150 managers from non-public industries. The selected group comprised both males and females; there were 116 male managers and 34 women. The authors applied the simple random sampling method to collect their data. There was an informed consent in which the group was notified of the purpose of the study. Additionally, the authors guaranteed them their confidentiality on the information they would provide. Additionally, the researchers used the questionnaire technique to collect data. They distributed 180 questionnaires and got back 150 of them filled. The authors applied the OCMI, which comprised thirty-seven items, to evaluate the management styles. They also applied the MLQ to evaluate the managers' leadership styles. The MLQ comprised thirty-six items, with the mains one being transactional, transformational, and laissez-faire leadership. The authors classified and scored the collected data following the instrument developers. They calculated the inferable statistics based on the variables and reliability coefficients.
In analyzing the data, they applied multiple regression to determine the correlation between conflict control and leadership styles. They also applied the standard deviations and descriptive sampling on the obtained variables to determine the study results. The relationship matrix depicted a positive correlation between the transactional and transformational styles. Also, there was a positive style of handling conflicts, and the laissez-faire style was destructive. From the authors' findings in the multiple regression, only the transformational style had an important correlation between the conflict management consolidating styles.
Upon getting the research findings, the authors found that developing ways to negotiate and solve disputes within an organization is crucial in determining proper strategies for making decisions and enhancing its operations. The authors asserted that although conflicts and tensions within organizations arise, some individuals react to solve them hence stimulating a coordinative behavior. However, other people respond to conflicts that make the conflicts remain unresolved and thus stimulating hostile behavior within the organization. Additionally, the findings supported the first hypothesis. They stated that the transformational style had a constructive correlation with positive management styles and negatively correlated with the negative styles. They also stated that the findings were important in demonstrating that transformational leadership has a positive impact in accommodating and integrating conflict management styles. The authors agreed that transformation leadership styles enhance the sub-ordinates satisfaction, inspire them to work hard, and improve organizational performance. They stated that transformational leaders are very effective individuals within organizations as they are innovative, know how to handle arising conflicts, and identify opportunities when facing risks.
The authors asserted that the results supported the second hypothesis in that the transactional style would manifest a positive correlation with the balancing conflict management style. They stated that the research findings were coherent with the transactional management speculations that transactional leaders are grounded on the exchange of predetermined obligation fulfillment. The authors argued that leaders who exercise the transactional style could identify and clarify the sub-ordinates staff regarding tasks and tell them how to work successfully to ensure they perform well. The results verified the third hypothesis slightly, asserting that laissez-faire positively impacts avoiding conflicts within the organization. The authors argued that laissez-faire leaders tend to avoid and pull out their junior workers' threatening conditions and problems.
The research had empirical and conceptual implications. From the speculative point of view, the study evaluated the hypothetical comparison between various leadership styles. Also, the research promoted the conceptual model by combining distinct leadership styles and the literature regarding ways to manage conflicts. The authors also analyzed how leadership had significant ways to solve conflicts within organizations. They stated that organizations should train their managers to ensure they focus more on the workers. They should develop strategies on how to promote individual confidence, optimism, improve workers’ skills, among others. The authors recommended that organizations emphasize the significance of transactional and transformational leadership within organizations.
The research had its limitations while evaluating the leadership and conflict management styles of the organizations' managers. The researchers were unable to regulate certain disconcerting factors, such as the effects of organizations’ structures and climate. Additionally, the study findings were grounded on self-reports. The variation method could not help in minimizing the probability and social desirability aspects in response selection. The researchers recommended the research for issues regarding individual factors and characteristics of the condition of the organizations. Also, future research should concentrate on public organizations and manufacturing industries.
Reference
Saeed, T., Almas, S., Anis-ul-Haq, M., & Niazi, G. (2014). Leadership styles: Relationship with conflict management styles. International Journal of Conflict Management, 25 (3), 214-225.
