Role of Big Five Personality Traits on Conflict Management Styles of Managers in Bangladesh: An Empirical Study
Shakila Yasmin*
Khair Jahan Sogra**
Ireen Akhter***
Abstract: This study investigates the relationship between personality factors and conflict management styles of managers/executives in Bangladesh. Earlier researchers have examined the influence of personality types of individuals on the choice of conflict management styles for managers. Findings of those researches are mixed. Therefore, the particular issue is yet to be fully investigated in the context of Bangladesh. This study used a questionnaire survey to collect data. A total of eighty executives, who are working in different organizations, were selected randomly for the survey. The Big Five Inventory has been used to determine personality of executives and how they solve workplace conflict has been measured by questionnaire developed from five types of conflict management styles. For data analysis purpose, various statistical tests were conducted on SPSS 15. Bi-Variate analysis of the data showed significant positive correlation between agreeableness and collaborative style of conflict management. Cross-Tab analysis identifies conflict management styles of different personality types; but the results were not statistically significant. One–way ANOVA substantiated that conflict
management styles cannot be treated as a variable dependent on personality types.
Keywords: Personality traits, Big Five Personality, Conflict management styles.
* Assistant Professor, Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka. E-mail: shakila@ibadu.edu
** Professor, Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka.
*** Associate Professor, Institute of Business Administration, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka-1342. E-mail: ireenmahmud@gmail.com.