Is the way you resolve conflicts related to your psychological health? An empirical investigation.

Abstract

The relation between predispositions for conflict resolution (i.e., controversy and conflicts of interests) and orientations toward life and work was investigated in this study. Questionnaires were administered to 135 Chinese employees from four finance, commercial service, and information and technology companies in Beijing. All materials were presented in Chinese. The results indicated that predispositions for engaging in controversy and resolving conflicts of interests in ways that maximize mutual benefit (integrative agreements) were significantly related to a positive orientation toward life and work. Predisposition to distributively resolve conflicts of interests was related to a positive orientation toward life and a few of the work-specific measures. Avoiding conflict tended to be unrelated to positive orientation toward life and work, but positively related to alienation from work and co-workers.