Personality and Conflict: A Theoretical Model with Moderating Effects of Diversity Beliefs, Power Distance, and Organizational Culture

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a theory to explain how personality of members of workgroups is related to intra-group conflict and preferred conflict resolution styles through the moderating effects of diversity belief, perceived power distance, and organizational culture. We define and discuss what personality is and why it is relevant to workgroups and organizations. Then, we construct a multi-level theoretical framework to propose the conditions under which the big-5 personality traits may be related to conflict (typified as task, relationship, and process conflicts) and conflict resolution preferences (accepting, dominating, obliging, integrating, and avoiding). We describe the moderating effects of diversity beliefs (pro-diversity versus pro-similarity belief), power distance (reflecting upon the relationship between the supervisors and subordinates), and organizational culture (people-oriented versus achievement oriented). We propose several propositions based on the literature review- that agreeable and neurotic individuals are more likely to perceive conflict than extraverts, conscientious, and open individuals. We also include propositions for personality traits and their relationship with types of conflicts. Furthermore, extraverts, conscientious, and open individuals will have an approach-oriented conflict management style such as integrating and compromising style while agreeable and emotionally stable individuals will be more likely obliging and avoiding or even compromising. Next, we propose that organizational culture will moderate the relationship between personality traits and conflict and conflict resolution styles such that individuals will perceive less conflict and will have integrating and dominating styles in the presence of achievement-oriented culture compared to people-oriented culture with more perceived conflict and likely avoiding, compromising, or obliging styles. Additionally, we propose that perceived conflict will be less in the presence of pro-diversity belief compared to pro-similarity belief. Finally, when people experience power distance, neurotic and emotionally less stable will be more likely to perceive conflict but might have avoiding, obliging, or compromising styles compared to when people do not experience large power distance. Extroverts will be more dominating while agreeable may be more integrating in view of the power distance. The model demonstrates the need and significance of examining personality and the conditions, such as the presence of a specific type of diversity belief, power distance perceptions, and organizational culture- that may help or hinder the potential of a workgroup.