Fight or Flight? Followership Role Orientations as Predictors of Conflict Management Styles

This study examines the relationships between subordinates’ followership role orientation and use of cooperative, competitive, or avoidant styles when addressing conflict with a manager. Using a scenario-based survey methodology, we surveyed 181 full-time employees over two time periods to collect data on followership role orientation, impulse control, and conflict management style choice with a manager depicted in a hypothetical scenario. Results suggest that individuals with a co-production followership orientation were more likely to cooperate with their manager, while individuals with passive and anti-authoritarian orientations were more likely to compete with their manager and avoid conflict altogether. Impulse control moderated the relationship between passive orientation and use of a competitive conflict management style, such that those with as passive orientation were more likely to engage in conflict under conditions of low impulse control.