Exploring The Role of Spirituality Within Intense Interpersonal Conflicts

The foundation for determining the approach to manage interpersonal conflict extends across two poles of consideration: the concern for self and the concern for others. This assumption has influenced the calculated response people would exhibit when experiencing an intense interpersonal conflict. However, recent findings within the realm of spirituality challenge these foundational assumptions. Spirituality literature contends that individuals may place substantial emphasis upon transcendent concerns rather than temporal concerns such as self and others. This study explores whether spirituality plays a role in the conflict management process through a phenomenological research investigation. The researcher interviewed 10 participants, who served as faculty members in the philosophy and religion department at a college in the Midwest. The results of the data analysis suggest that spirituality serves a crucial role in the conflict management process. When a stimulus violates the spirituality of an individual, an intense interpersonal conflict may erupt. This study offers a structural model of the conflict management process and implications of the role spirituality serves within the management of interpersonal conflicts for managers and leaders.