Open AccessHow Coercive and Legitimate Power Relate to Different Conflict Management Styles: A Case Study of Birjand High Schools
Author(s) -
Arash Riasi,
Nasrin Asadzadeh
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of studies in education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2162-6952
DOI - 10.5296/jse.v6i1.8946
Subject(s) - conflict management , power (physics) , style (visual arts) , management styles , organizational conflict , leadership style , psychology , social psychology , political science , public relations , law , physics , archaeology , quantum mechanics , history
This study investigates the relationship between two sources of organizational power (i.e., coercive and legitimate power) and five conflict management styles (i.e., avoiding, accommodating, competing, collaborating, and compromising style). Results of this study revealed that principals’ coercive power has a positive relationship with avoiding and competing conflict management styles. Since these two conflict management styles both require low levels of cooperation, therefore it is fair to claim that higher degrees of coercive power facilitate the use of conflict management styles that require low levels of cooperation. It was also found that principals’ legitimate power is positively related to accommodating and collaborating conflict management styles. Since both of these styles are associated with high levels of cooperation, therefore it is fair to claim that higher degrees of legitimate power will facilitate the use of conflict management styles requiring high levels of cooperation.