Personality and organizational conflict: Effects of the type a behavior pattern and self-monitoring

Abstract

Managerial and technical employees of a large food-processing company provided information on the frequency with which they experienced conflict with others (subordinates, peers, supervisors), and on their preferred modes of handling conflict when it occurred. In addition, they completed questionnaires designed to assess their relative standing on two personality dimensions: the Type A behavior pattern and self-monitoring. It was predicted that Type As and low self-monitors would report a higher frequency of conflict with others and weaker preferences for cooperative modes of conflict resolution than Type Bs and high self-monitors. It was also predicted that such differences would be larger in the context of relations with subordinates than in the context of relations with supervisors. Results offered partial support for all of these predictions. In addition, females reported a lower frequency of conflict than males and expressed stronger preferences for collaboration and avoidance. Results were interpreted as suggesting the importance of including individual characteristics or predispositions in comprehensive models of organizational conflict.