Does leadership style of school administrators affect conflict management?

Abstract

This study aims to examine the effects of school administrators' leadership styles on conflict management strategies. This research was designed as a correlational model. The sample of the study consists of 365 teachers and school administrators working in public primary, secondary and high schools in Kagithane district of Istanbul province. Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory and Multifactor Leadership Scale were used for data collection. According to the findings of the study, among the leadership styles, school administrators exhibit the transformational leadership style the most and laissez faire leadership style the least; among the conflict management strategies, they exhibit integrating and compromising strategy the most and dominating strategy the least. Transformational leadership style positively predicts integration, compromising, obliging, and avoiding strategy while it predicts the dominating strategy negatively. The only strategy predicted by transactional leadership is the dominating strategy, and it predicts positively. Laissez Faire Leadership negatively predicts the integration and compromising strategy while it positively predicts the dominating strategy. School administrators' transformational leadership behaviors will enable them to manage conflicts effectively. In sum, Transactional leadership and laissez faire leadership styles will result in conflict management that has devastating effects on individuals and organizations.