Female Managers and Their Conflict Handling Style

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Female managers and their conflict handling

. Styles

A review paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirement of the MS degree

Baluchistan University of information Technology

Engineering & Management Sciences

Submitted by:

Mahmooda Khatoon and Abida Kazim

MSMS (2015)

Submitted to:

Mr. Adeel Anjum

17th October, 2015

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Female Managers And Their Conflict Handling Styles

Mahmooda Khatoon & Abida Kazim

MS Scholars, Department of Management Sciences, BUITEMS, Quetta

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ABSTRACT

Conflict can be defined as a process in which a party thinks that its interests are

being negatively affected by other party. The conflict, its better understanding and

giving it a best solution is the challenge as well as the most important factor

effecting the organization’ environment. Thus, the managers have an important

role in conflict management. Much work has been done on managers’ selection of

specific styles, in general, while this paper focuses on the female managers’

selection of the conflict management and handling styles. The findings can be

summarized that the female managers and their selection of the conflict

management styles differ depending on many variables, which include the

interpersonal variables as well as the variables outside the person’s self.

Key Words: conflict, conflict handling styles, female managers

INTRODUCTION:

In all organizations, conflict is inevitable and also an integral element of communication

processes. In today’s business world, diversification of workforce also increased the chances of

conflict in organizations (Tjosvold. D, 2008). Conflict can be defined as a process in which a

party thinks that its interests are being negatively affected by other party (Wall & Callister 1995).

Conflict can be settled down by a third party, by disputants themselves or by managers.

Managers spent 20% of their time in handling conflict in organization so the conflict

management is considered as important as planning, decision making, communication and

motivation. (McElhaney, 1996). As managers form strategies and make decisions of

organizations, they are responsible for overall performance of organizations (Hambrick and

Mason, 1984). As conflict can also hurt the performance of organization, managers adopt

different styles for handling such conflicts. Adopting any style to handle conflict in organization

has its effect on managerial effectiveness that’s why now a day selecting a style of handling

conflict with constructive results is becoming a standard requirement in business world. There

may be difference or no difference, significant, in conflict management styles of the male and

female managers. This article is focusing on different styles of conflict management by female

managers that they adopt for handling conflict in their organizations and also addresses the most

preferred style for handling organizational conflict.

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BACKGROUND:

Conflict can be defined as disagreement that results from difference in values, thoughts or

feelings among two or more than two individuals or groups ( Marquis and Huston, 1996)

Conflict may be functional as in teamwork, conflict helps to hammer out new ideas and

approaches. (Tjosvold. D, 2008) and also help to increase the performance of organization and

workforce if handled properly. But if manager failed to handle conflict properly it may be

dysfunctional for organization as it may have threat to productivity, legal authority and well

being of workforce. (Morrill.C, 2000)

Organizational conflict can be occur between two or more individuals, groups or work team due

to disagreement over goals, task, norm or values etc (De Dreu and Van de vlierta , 1997)

In early times the employees themselves try to manage the conflict by suppressing, avoiding or

self managing but slowly and gradually with globalization and removal of trade barriers,

resources of organizations are reducing and due to different organizational process like TQM are

increasing the interdependency of employees. These reduction of resources and increased inter

dependence of employees along with diversification are increasing the conflict situations in

organizations which is beyond the control of employees which increased the importance of

managers to manage the conflict through different conflict managing styles.(Wall.J et al, 1995)

Women always play an important role in the productivity and development of any economy.

Before industrialization, women used to produce clothes and food for their families either by

working in farm or staying at home. But after industrialization era, the invent of different

machineries make it easy and cheaper to produce food and clothes, money became the greater

need for the families in order to get these necessities which actually encouraged women to work

outside. During World War 1 and World War 2, women began to work outside as teachers and

nurses. After that majority of women decided to carry on their career as working women.

(Peterson, 1964)

From industrialization era till now, women are contributing their role in every field. In business

world, according to international business report women have occupied 24% of managerial

position in different organizations.

The present literature mostly discusses the adoption of the different conflict management styles

through different cultures, time and space etc., while this paper focuses on the adoption of the

conflict management styles by the female managers at work.

THEORIES ON THE CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES: