Abstract
Conflict research has shown that managing relationship conflict via avoidance is beneficial for team performance, but it is unclear whether avoidant conflict management benefits individuals on an affective level. Drawing on theories of gender roles, we proposed that gender is an important factor that influences whether avoidant conflict management mitigates the negative affective effects of relationship conflict. In a field study of a healthcare organization, we found that relationship conflict resulted in negative emotions, which, in turn, were positively associated with emotional exhaustion two months later. Avoidant conflict management attenuated the relationship between negative emotions engendered by relationship conflict and emotional exhaustion, but this effect depended on gender. Among men, the extent to which they used an avoidant conflict management style mitigated the association between negative emotions and emotional exhaustion, whereas among women, avoidant conflict management did not attenuate this relationship. Findings are discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 213-231 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Negotiation and Conflict Management Research |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 1 2014 |
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Keywords
- Avoidant conflict management
- Emotions
- Gender
- Relationship conflict
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Strategy and Management
- Communication
Cite this
Gender and the emotional experience of relationship conflict : The differential effectiveness of avoidant conflict management. / Bear, Julia B.; Weingart, Laurie R.; Todorova, Gergana.
In: Negotiation and Conflict Management Research, Vol. 7, No. 4, 01.11.2014, p. 213-231.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Gender and the emotional experience of relationship conflict
T2 - The differential effectiveness of avoidant conflict management
AU - Bear, Julia B.
AU - Weingart, Laurie R.
AU - Todorova, Gergana
PY - 2014/11/1
Y1 - 2014/11/1
N2 - Conflict research has shown that managing relationship conflict via avoidance is beneficial for team performance, but it is unclear whether avoidant conflict management benefits individuals on an affective level. Drawing on theories of gender roles, we proposed that gender is an important factor that influences whether avoidant conflict management mitigates the negative affective effects of relationship conflict. In a field study of a healthcare organization, we found that relationship conflict resulted in negative emotions, which, in turn, were positively associated with emotional exhaustion two months later. Avoidant conflict management attenuated the relationship between negative emotions engendered by relationship conflict and emotional exhaustion, but this effect depended on gender. Among men, the extent to which they used an avoidant conflict management style mitigated the association between negative emotions and emotional exhaustion, whereas among women, avoidant conflict management did not attenuate this relationship. Findings are discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications.
AB - Conflict research has shown that managing relationship conflict via avoidance is beneficial for team performance, but it is unclear whether avoidant conflict management benefits individuals on an affective level. Drawing on theories of gender roles, we proposed that gender is an important factor that influences whether avoidant conflict management mitigates the negative affective effects of relationship conflict. In a field study of a healthcare organization, we found that relationship conflict resulted in negative emotions, which, in turn, were positively associated with emotional exhaustion two months later. Avoidant conflict management attenuated the relationship between negative emotions engendered by relationship conflict and emotional exhaustion, but this effect depended on gender. Among men, the extent to which they used an avoidant conflict management style mitigated the association between negative emotions and emotional exhaustion, whereas among women, avoidant conflict management did not attenuate this relationship. Findings are discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications.
KW - Avoidant conflict management
KW - Emotions
KW - Gender
KW - Relationship conflict
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84911118650&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84911118650&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/ncmr.12039
DO - 10.1111/ncmr.12039
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84911118650
VL - 7
SP - 213
EP - 231
JO - Negotiation and Conflict Management Research
JF - Negotiation and Conflict Management Research
SN - 1750-4708
IS - 4
ER -