Is Conflict Adaptivity Better Than Cooperation? The Effects Of Adaptive Conflict Behaviors On Job-Related Well-Being In South Korea

Given the pervasiveness of conflict at work and its potential negative consequences, it is important to know how managers can deal with conflicts constructively. Employees and managers are often required to navigate through a multiplicity of conflicts, including disputes with their supervisors and supervisees of either a cooperative, win-win or competitive, win-lose nature. The goal of this study was to examine how the capacity of South Korean workers to respond adaptively to different or changing types of conflict situations impacts their job-related well-being and turnover intentions. Specifically, we hypothesized and found that more adaptive responses to conflict-those that utilize different behavioral strategies that are aligned with the normative demands of presenting conflict situations-were positively related to satisfaction with conflict outcomes, job-related well-being, and lower intentions to quit one's job among managers and employees in South Korea. These findings are consistent with those from similar studies in the United States, providing support for the generalizability of the model to other cultural contexts. Theoretical and practical implications of the results as well as directions for future research are discussed.