Construction and Validation of Organizational Conflict Types and Conflict Management Styles Inventories

Abstract

Conflicts occupy a pertinent role in every aspect of human life and organizational settings are not an exception. In the absence of indigenous, comprehensive and latest assessment measures for organizational conflict types and management styles, the present study aimed to develop and validate inventories for both constructs by converging on the sociocultural context. Ensuing an exploratory sequential design, the investigation started with a qualitative study in which five focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with 30 professionals (including teachers, bankers, engineers, managers and doctors) who shared their experiences of organizational conflicts by highlighting types and management styles. From an initial pool of 137 items (65 & 72 items respectively), the subject matter experts finalized 55 items each for organizational conflict types and management style inventories. In study II, exploratory factor analysis was administered on a sample of 400 adult professionals resulting in a six-factor Qayyum-Younas Organizational Conflict Types Inventory (QY-OCTI) with 40 items. It was later confirmed by running a Confirmatory Factor Analysis on another sample of 400 professionals. In study III, EFA was conducted on a sample of 310 participants that revealed a six-factor model of the Qayyum-Younas Organizational Conflict Management Styles Inventory (QY-OCMSI) with 48 items and this model was later confirmed by running CFA on a sample of 490 participants. These scales have significant research, academic and organizational setting-based implications.