Modeling the interplay between emotional intelligence and conflict resolution styles: the mediating role of psychological empowerment

Abstract

Purpose Organizational environments have become increasingly dynamic, competitive and multicultural. In such high-pressure contexts, conflict among employees is unavoidable because of their divergent goals, interdependence and limited resources. This study aims to investigate the interplay between emotional intelligence (EI) and conflict resolution styles and examined the mediating role of psychological empowerment (PE) in the relationship between EI and conflict resolution styles. Design/methodology/approach The study modeled three constructs EI, conflict resolution styles and PE as higher-order constructs or second-order constructs. The higher-order constructs were assessed along with the lower-order constructs. Confirmatory factor analysis was carried out to unravel the structural relationships among the constructs, and the hypotheses were tested via structural equation modeling. The data were collected from employees working in the information technology (IT) industry in the cities of Hyderabad, Pune and Bangalore in India. Findings The SEM results for lower-order individuals reveal that the EI constructs self-emotional appraisal and regulation of emotions are positive, statistically significant and good predictors of conflict resolution styles. Similarly, the lower-order constructs of PE meaning and competence are also good predictors of conflict resolution styles. The SEM results for the higher-order constructs reveal that EI predicts PE and that PE fully mediates the relationship between EI and conflict resolution styles. However, EI is not a good predictor of conflict resolution styles. Research limitations/implications The causal inference is limited by cross-sectional design. Self-reported and single-source data increase the possibility of common-method bias, even though the data were collected from the three cities from India and the respondents are diverse functional, cultural, educational and from different cities. Scale coverage: The conflict resolution styles (CRS) measure omitted two of Thomas’ and Kilmann’s five styles (avoidance and compromise), and PE excluded the “impact” dimension; this may reduce construct completeness. Generalizability: The sample is restricted to Indian IT firms in metropolitan cities; findings may not be generalizable to other sectors, cultures or less interdependent work contexts. High explained variance: The higher-order model yielded R² ≈ 0.96 for CRS, which is unusually high for behavioral research and may indicate shared method variance or overfitting; further replication is warranted. Practical implications To enhance the positive behavior and benefit the high EI employees the organizations must empower them with autonomy and some decision-making powers. The organizations should develop a culture that their work is meaningful (Spreitzer, 1995). The employees should perceive they have the competence, autonomy and impact to make a difference. Delegating real decision-making authority, encouraging open participation in team discussions, transparent communication and recognizing individual and team contributions are the important aspects of employee empowerment. Empowerment strategies can enhance employees’ EI, improve their interactions and foster collaboration within organizations. By incorporating these strategies into development programs and HR policies, organizations can foster better performance. Integrating EI training and empowerment indicators into HR policies, conflict management workshops and team-building exercises can nurture a sustainable, emotionally healthy work culture, enhancing employee retention and trust. Social implications It is evident from this empirical study that EI alone is not sufficing to address the conflicts among the employees. Empowering the employees that can provide autonomy will lead to a positive and collaborative conflict resolution solutions constructively. Employees who experience psychologically empowered will be proactive, team member, conflict-resolution oriented individuals (Blau, 1964; Deci and Ryan, 2000). Although EI helps individuals develop emotional awareness, regulation and empathy to understand interpersonal dynamics (Goleman, 1995), it is PE that equips them with a sense of autonomy and competence, thereby converting emotional potential into behavioral effectiveness (Spreitzer, 1995). The PE operates as the critical conduit through which EI to transform constructive conflict resolution behaviors. Originality/value This empirical research is an attempt to unravel the role of EI and PE in conflict resolution styles. Furthermore, PE plays an important role in conflict resolution styles in general and in IT employees in particular.