Process conflict and employee well-being

Abstract

Purpose The primary objective of this paper is to extend the Activity Reduces Conflict Associated Strain (ARCAS) model. To test the ARCAS model, the study aims to examine the effect of process conflict on employee well-being and the role of negative affect as an intrapersonal mechanism linking process conflict and employee well-being. Further, to extend the emerging ARCAS model, the study examines whether the assumed indirect effect of process conflict on employee well-being through negative affect is conditional upon levels of conflict management styles. Design/methodology/approach In total, 554 software engineers working in information technology firms responded to the administered questionnaire and hypothesised relationships were tested using Process Macros. Findings The findings indicate that process conflict is negatively related to employee well-being and the negative affect state mediates the relationship between process conflict and employee well-being. As hypothesised, it was found that the indirect effect of process conflict on employee well-being through the negative affect state is conditional upon levels of conflict management styles of the employees. Research limitations/implications The study contributes to the conflict literature by establishing the detrimental effect of process conflict on employee well-being. The study also established the explanatory mechanism linking process conflict and employee well-being. Further, the study extended the emerging ARCAS model by establishing the moderating role of conflict management styles as well as the conditional indirect effect. Practical implications The study highlighted the within-individual effect of process conflict in deteriorating employee well-being. The study provides valuable insights to the managers and practitioners about how individuals’ conflict management styles influence well-being. Originality/value The study specifically examined the effect of process conflict, which was omitted from conflict literature considering it the same as task conflict, on employee well-being. The study established the within-individual mechanism through which process conflict diminishes employee well-being. Also, the study extended the ARCAS model by examining the effect of conflict management styles with the aid of Affective Events Theory.

Interpersonal conflict and counterproductive work behavior: the moderating roles of emotional intelligence and gender

“…For example, Danielsson et al (2015) reported that among thousands of participants in their studies over the past two years, 84% had reported being in some type of conflict situation with their coworkers, and about 50% had experienced it on a weekly basis. In addition to its high prevalence, interpersonal conflict has been found to have detrimental effects on employee job attitudes, health and well‐being, nonwork life and performance (for reviews, see Bonaccio et al , 2019; Kuriakose et al , 2019; Notelaers et al , 2018; Ye et al , 2019). In addition to the negative effects of interpersonal conflict on individuals’ work and health‐related outcomes, Zhou et al (2019) suggest that effects of interpersonal conflict at work can spill over to employees’ negative work behaviors.…”

“…Accordingly, the current study aims to extend the previous research on negative outcomes of interpersonal conflict by examining the relationship between interpersonal conflict and CWB. Moreover, prior research shows that the effect of interpersonal conflict varies across individuals indicating the presence of moderators regulating the relationship between interpersonal conflict and its outcomes (Kuriakose et al , 2019). Therefore, in addition, we investigate a moderated-moderation analysis, considering two conditional effects – employees’ emotional intelligence (high vs. low) and gender (men vs. women) – as potential moderators.…”

Interpersonal conflict and counterproductive work behavior: the moderating roles of emotional intelligence and gender

“…had reported being in some type of conflict situation with their coworkers, and about 50% had experienced it on a weekly basis. In addition to its high prevalence, interpersonal conflict has been found to have detrimental effects on employee job attitudes, health and well-being, nonwork life and performance (for reviews, see Bonaccio et al, 2019;Kuriakose et al, 2019;Notelaers et al, 2018;Ye et al, 2019). In addition to the negative effects of interpersonal conflict on individuals' work and health-related outcomes, Zhou et al (2019) suggest that effects of interpersonal conflict at work can spill over to employees' negative work behaviors.…”

“…Accordingly, the current study aims to extend the previous research on negative outcomes of interpersonal conflict by examining the relationship between interpersonal conflict and CWB. Moreover, prior research shows that the effect of interpersonal conflict varies across individuals indicating the presence of moderators regulating the relationship between interpersonal conflict and its outcomes (Kuriakose et al, 2019). Therefore, in addition, we investigate a moderated-moderation analysis, considering two conditional effectsemployees' emotional intelligence (high vs. low) and gender (men vs. women)as potential moderators.…”

Personal sense of power, emotion and compliance in the workplace: a moderated mediation approach

“…Dealing effectively with conflicts in the workplace is a necessary skill for success (Ayub et al, 2017). The way employees and managers deal with conflicts influences their opinions, emotions and behaviors toward their conflict partner and toward their workplace (Kuriakose et al, 2019). Research has found that conflict management styles influence organizational outcomes such as performance, organizational commitment, job satisfaction and the efficacy of influence tactics in obtaining compliance (Mossholder et al, 1998;Pierro et al, 2012;Schwarzwald et al, 2004).…”