Impact of Communication Climate on Conflict Management Styles among Employees

Abstract

The quality of the relationship between people manifested by spoken and wordless messages refers to the communication climate. The approach of people about how to feel about each other generates the communication climate. When people perceive they are desirable so it builds the productive communication climate. A negative climate makes it difficult for people, because it is hard to communicate. The purpose of present study is to find out impact of communication climate on conflict management styles among employees. The sample was consisted on N=295employees calculate by using G-power method. Employees were taken from different organizations of Multan .Communication Climate Inventory and Rahim Organizational conflict inventory were used to collect the data. The result shows that integrating and obliging styles of handling conflict are significantly correlated with supportive communication climate. The result also shows that dominating and avoiding styles are significantly correlated with Defensive communication climate. There is a significant impact of communication climate on conflict management styles among employees.

Full text

Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies Vol. 7, No 1, March 2021
63
Volume and Issues Obtainable at Center for Sustainability Research and Consultancy
Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies
ISSN: 2519-089X (E): 2519-0326
Volume 7: No. 1, March 2021
Journal homepage: www.publishing.globalcsrc.org/jbsee
Impact of Communication Climate on Conflict Management Styles among
Employees
1Nazia Jahangir, 2Aasima Safdar, 3Beenish Zaheen
1Lecturer, Department of Psychology, Institute of Southern Punjab, Multan, Pakistan,
naziajahangir4@gmail.com
2Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Studies, Bahauddin Zakariyah University,
Multan, Pakistan, aasima.2014@gmail.com
3Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication, the Women University, Multan, Pakistan
RTICLE DETAILS
ABSTRACT
History
Revised format: February
2021
Available Online: March
2021
The quality of the relationship between people manifested by spoken
and wordless messages refers to the communication climate. The
approach of people about how to feel about each other generates the
communication climate. When people perceive they are desirable so
it builds the productive communication climate. A negative climate
makes it difficult for people, because it is hard to communicate. The
purpose of present study is to find out impact of communication
climate on conflict management styles among employees. The
sample was consisted on N=295employees calculate by using G-
power method. Employees were taken from different organizations of
Multan .Communication Climate Inventory and Rahim
Organizational conflict inventory were used to collect the data. The
result shows that integrating and obliging styles of handling conflict
are significantly correlated with supportive communication climate.
The result also shows that dominating and avoiding styles are
significantly correlated with Defensive communication climate.
There is a significant impact of communication climate on conflict
management styles among employees.
© 2021 Center for Sustainability Research and Consultancy Pakistan under
a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
Keywords
Avoiding, Communication
climate, Compromising,
Defensive, Dominating,
Integrating , Obliging,
Supportive Climate.
JEL Classification
M10, M14
Corresponding author’s email address: naziajahangir4@gmail.com
Recommended citation: Jahangir, N., Safdar, A. & Zaheen, B. (2021). Impact of Communication
Climate on Conflict Management Styles among Employees. Journal of Business and Social Review in
Emerging Economies, 7(1), 63-68
1. Introduction
Communication plays a central role in any organization setting and it is directly related to the study of
employees’ interaction with other employees at working environment. Every person conveys their
thoughts, ideas and feeling through communication. So the employees’ position and function within the
organization are likely to affect the structure and content of their communication.(Hackman, Michael Z.,
and Craig E. Johnson.2000).

Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies Vol. 7, No 1, March 2021
64
Spoken and wordless messages which are sent, received and understandable are conveyed by affection
and plans of responsive, senseless, purposeful and involuntary communication process '(Guzley,1992).
Verbal communication is a course of action in which people express their ideas through words and can
transfer and spread any type of information face to face. It makes a person capable to make better
connections and association with people. Putnam (1985) define communication climate as "the
atmosphere in an organization regarding accepted communication behavior. “Usually use supportive and
defensive communication climate as distinction for the key factors in the communication climate
(William.J.2001).
A person may feel encouraging and protective by communication if the climate is non-judgmental. So
the open, useful, truthful and successful communication with people stimulated by supportive climate. A
person makes himself protective which guides him towards aggressive and harmful disputes defined by
defensive communication. So the encouraging communication climate sustain by adequate
communicators who strive for it.. According to Dr. Gibb (1961) describes six dimension of behavior to
warm up or chill the communication climate. The pole of these dimensions creates a defensive climate
and supportive climate. They applied equally in every small group.
Organizational climate has been confirmed between members of an organization as an evaluative
element (Guzley, 1989). A productive organization is generated by one of the most progressive element
i.e organization communication climate which is different from organizational climate in literature
(Zaremba, 2003). Communication climate is different from organizational environment and climate. It
can be describe through the effective communication techniques using by the employees in the
organization. When employees avoid to sort out their conflicts with others they can used defensive
communication style (Poole, 1985). The formation of the communication climate of the organization is
the central duty of the management.
A team can work in highly systematic manner by an important factor which is a satisfying working
atmosphere; the enthusiasm of an employee enhanced by positive communication climate which played
consequential role in it. So it depends on manager to use his expertise in order to maintain and generate
positive communication climate and use it in their work to get inventive attainment in a well organized
and easy manner and the manager will be able to recognize the behavior is coherent or not and change it
accordingly. The organization’s decision-making and accomplishment of task is easy in positive
communication climate and it can also provide the even movement of information to the campaign. So,
all the organizations will attain a good communication environment if they remove the barriers inhibited
and completely well-inform about the significance of positive communication (Taguiri, R.1968) Conflict
is classified into the following types; Interpersonal conflict refers to a conflict between two people. This
happens usually thanks to however individuals are completely different from each other. Apparently, it's
a natural incidence which may eventually facilitate personal growth or developing your relationships
with others Intrapersonal conflict happens inside a person. (Akinsaya, A.O. and Momoh, A.M.2012).
The expertise takes place within the person's mind. Hence, it's a kind of conflict that's psychological
involving the individual's thoughts, values, principles, and emotions. Intergroup conflict; could be a sort
of conflict that happens among people inside a team. The incompatibilities associated misunderstandings
among these people cause internal conflict. It is arising from social disagreement (e.g. team members
have completely different personalities which can cause tension) (Evans, 2013).Conflict between people
is a fact of life. It is inherent in all social life. Its occur when an individual or a group feels negatively
affected by another individual or a group. Conflict as the internal state that results from difference in
ideas and feeling among different people.(Marquis.T&Huston.R,1996).
2. Literature Review
A research conducted by Shahrina et al., (2014).The study describe that when personnel used different
types of strategies to avoid conflict at the workplace ,So positive and supportive communication is help

Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies Vol. 7, No 1, March 2021
65
out them to deal and manage their conflict in the organization. The findings discuss the impact of
various communicative strategies used in conflict management on the organizational communication
climate. The results suggest that conflicts are always play important role in the organization. The
management of the organization or leaders has used different approaches to identify the conflict between
the employees. By using effective communication during conversation is sort out the problems among
top management and employees. Performance of the employees is depend on the environment and
climate in the organization.
A research conducted by Bushra Hassan and AneelaMaqsood and Muhammad Naveed Riaz on
“Relationship between Organizational communication climate and Interpersonal conflict management”
in (2011). This study examined the Relation between different styles of interpersonal conflict
management and dimensions of organizational communication climate were looked into, employing a
sample of 160 bank employees. Sample included men and women employees having age range of 27 to
55 years and education ranges from graduation to post graduation. The correlation analysis revealed that
supportive and defensive communication climate dimensions showed positive relationship with total
scores of conflict management inventory. The results further showed that integrating, obliging and
compromising styles of handling conflict has significant positive correlation with supportive
communication climate. Dominating and avoiding styles of handling conflict has significant positive
correlation with defensive communication climate. Findings revealed non significant differences with
respect to gender on communication climate women are found to use more “comprising” and “avoiding”
styles of conflict management. On education non significant differences existed on communication
climate however less educated people were found to be compromising and obliging on styles of conflict
management and highly educated people showed dominating styles of conflict management. Moreover,
younger employees are found to be highly endorsed on supportive communication climate than old age
employees and old age employees are also found to be more obliging.
A research conducted by Ojo Olu and Abolade on “how conflict management impact on employees’
performance. The research findings show that organization used conflict management styles to enhance
employee’s performance in an organization. It was responsibility of the organization should design on
training and retraining of its employees in area of dealing with conflict so as to create a productive
working environment for the employees and that there should be used supportive communication
between and among all of the management, staff and employees in the organization. This will deal and
sort out conflicting situations in the organization. The employees must be trained and discourage by
using defensive communication climate when they are dealing or manage their conflicts.
A research conducted by Reza Hosseinpour and Giti Pahlevani (2016) on communication and dealing
with conflict. This study explores the correlation between styles of conflict management and teachers’
organizational health in Kuhdasht County. This study is a descriptive-survey and correlational-type
research. The statistical population is consisted of all 431 teachers working in Kuhdasht County. Using
Krejcie-Morgan table, the sample size is determined to be 205; the sample members have been selected
using relative stratified random sampling method. In order to collect the required data Allen & Meyer
Organizational Commitment Questionnaire and Miles Organizational Health Questionnaire have been
used. In order to analyze the data descriptive statistics indices such as the mean and standard deviation
as well as inferential statistics tests such as Pearson’s correlation test and multivariate regression have
been used. The results suggest that avoiding, collaborating, accommodating, and compromising styles of
conflict management have a positive and significant relationship with organizational health.
Hypotheses of the study
1. There would be a significant impact of Communication climate on conflict management styles
among employees.
2. There would be a relationship between communication climate and conflict management styles?

Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies Vol. 7, No 1, March 2021
66
3. The employees will score high on supportive climate will also score high on Integrating and
obliging styles?
4. The employees will score high on defensive climate will also score high on dominating and
avoiding styles?
3. Research Framework
Communication Climate
Supportive Climate Defensive Climate
Obliging & Integrating Conflict Styles Dominating & Avoiding conflict Styles
Source: Researcher
4. Method
The present study is the sample was consisted of (N=295) employees were taken from different
organizations of Multan. The Random sampling technique was used to the collect data. The age range
was being from 25-45 years. Along with instruments, a demographical variable sheet was being attached
to measure the demographical variables (Age, Education, experience, income).Two research instruments
were used to collect data. Communication climate inventory developed by Schmiedler &Costigen(2001).
The Inventory consisted on 36 items scale, each item score on 5-point scale. Internal reliability ranged
from .80.Out of 36 items the odd numbers of items measure the defensive climate and even number of
items measures the supportive climate. How organizational members manage their interpersonal
disputes with superiors, subordinates and peers measure by Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory
(ROCI-11, Rahim, 1983). Conflict management styles are assessed by 28-items.The inventory contains
five subscales. Integrating (7items), obliging (6item), dominating (5 items), avoiding (6items), and
compromising 94item).The instrument measure how an organizational member handles his or her
conflict with superiors, subordinates, and peers. Internal reliability ranged from 60 to 83. An
organizational member responds to each statement on a five-point scale (1=N) never or almost never
true of you, (2=R) rarely or seldom true of you, (3=S) sometimes true of you, (4=O) often true of you,
(5=A) always or almost true of you. A higher score represents greater use of conflict style.
5. Results
Table-1Alpha Reliability Coefficient of ROCI and CCI (N=295)
Scales
No of Items
Cronbach s Alpha
Communication Climate Inventory
36
0.80
Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory
28
0.71
Above table shows that Cronbach’s alpha reliability of the scales.
Table-2 Regression Analysis showing Impact of Communication Climate on conflict management styles
among Employees (N=295)
Predictor
B
Std. Error
Beta
T
P
(constant)
Communication
Climate
.053
.034
.078
1.553
.000
Note. R=.078, R2=.006, adjusted R2=.004, F=2.412, P<0.05
Above table shos that there is a significant impact of communication climate on conflict management
styles among employees.

Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies Vol. 7, No 1, March 2021
67
Table-3 Pearson Correlation between Supportive Communication Climate and conflict management
styles among Employees (N=295)
Scale
Obliging
Integrating P value
Defensive Communication Climate
0.125**
0.270** 0.000
** Correlation 0.01 (2-tailed).
In Above table the result shows that integrating and obliging styles of handling conflict are significantly
correlated with supportive communication climate.
Table-4Pearson Correlation between Defensive Communication Climate and conflict management
styles among Employees (N=295)
Scale
Dominating
Avoiding P value
Defensive Communication Climate
0.165**
0.184** 0.000
** P-value is significant at (2-tailed).
The result also shows that dominating and avoiding styles are significantly correlated with defensive
communication climate.
6. Discussion
This finding is in line with literature that there is a relationship between communication climate and
interpersonal dispute administration styles.Hendel,Fish&Galon,(2005),Trombetta &Roger,(1988),Wei &
Morgan(1996) did studies and find out that For the usefulness and success of an organization,
communication climate has a supreme importance in an organization. The organization’s environment
affected by the communication climate of an organization. On the other hand, energetic engagement,
beneficial interchanges of information and positive disputes decision also inspired by organization with
supportive environment. In an organization collaborative communication climate can be implant through
productive administration of disputes. First Hypothesis is accepted that there is a significant impact of
Communication climate on conflict management styles.
Communication climate is directly effect on conflict management styles. When climate is Supportive
employees uses obliging and integrating styles by handling there conflict in the organization. Result find
out that, in organization employees used dominating and avoiding conflict management styles, when
communication climate is defensive .there is no significant gender difference could find out in the
context of gender. Pervious literature supports the findings of the present research.
7. Conclusion
Communication between the employees is very important to deal conflict and issues in the organization
and communication climate create the supporting environment for working condition. For the
Employees is to understand communication within an organization, it is important to explore that how
the processes of communication is effect on the organizational climate and how the conflicts managed
by the members through using communication. Communication climate describe through supportive and
defensive climate .The result shows that there is a significant impact of Communication climate on
Interpersonal Conflict styles. The implication of the study is very important in the context in the
organization, that employee’s batter understand the importance of communication climate and identify
that conflict management styles. Conflicts within the organization between the employees is a very
common thing, but if the conflict neither is nor proper handle by the organization management .It is
directly affect the organization development and employees performance as well. The implementation of
the current study is highly related with the employee understanding towards other persons. Conflict is
part of everyday life. When a person working in an organization, difference of opinion is always occurs.
Sometime is very productive but most of the time its effect on employees interpersonal relationship at
work place .This research finding is help out to employees to use supportive climate in the conversation
with others employees.

Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies Vol. 7, No 1, March 2021
68
References
Akinsaya, A.O. and Momoh, A.M. (2012).University Organizational Communication Climate and
Management of Industrial Conflict. JORIND 10 (2):171-174.
Evans, B.(2010).Life resistance: Towards a different concept of the political. Deleuze
Studies, 4(supplement), 142-162.
Gibb,G.R.(1966)Defensive communication climate. Journal of communication, 9(3)141-148.
Guzley, R. M. (1989). Tenure, socialization, and perceived supervisory interaction as indicators or
organizational commitment. Paper presented at the meeting of the Speech
Communication Association, San Francisco.
Guzley, R.M. (1992). Organizational Climate and Communication Climate: Predictors of
Commitment to the Organization. Management Communication Climate Quarterly,
5(379):379-402.
Hendle,T.,Fish,M.&Galon,V.(1996)Leadership style and choice of strategy in conflict management.
Journal of conflict management,10 (4),25-30.
Hackman, Michael Z., and Craig E. Johnson.(2000) Leadership: A Communication Perspective.
Waveland Press. Print.
Jablin, L.L. Putnam, K.H. Roberts, &L.W. Porter (Eds.) Handbook of organizational communication:
An interdisciplinary perspective (pp.195-227). Newbury Park: Sage.
Marquis,B.K.& Huston,C.J.(1996)Leadership roles and managers function in nursing. Philadelphia:
Lippicincott.
Miller, K. (2006). Organizational Communication: Approaches and Processes. USA: Thomson
Wordsworth.
Putnam,L.(1985).Communication and interpersonal conflict in the organization. Management
communication Quarterly,1,293-301.
Poole, M.S., & McPhee, R.D. (1983). A structural analysis of organizational climate. In L.L.
Schmeidler,M.A,Costigen,J.I,(2001).OrganizationalCommunicationOB321SupplementaryMaterials:Co
mmunicationClimateInventory.Retrievedfrom,www.cps.usfca.edu/ob/sudenthandbomnk/climate.
htm.
Taguiri, R. (1968). The Concepts of Organizational Climate, in R. Taguiri and G.H. Litwin
(editors), Organizational Climate: Exploration of a Concept, Boston: Harvard University
Press.
Trombetta, J.J. & Rogers, D.P.(1988)Communication climate, job satisfaction and organizational
commitment. Management Communication Quarterly, 1:494-514.
Wei,L. & Morgan,D.(2004).Supportiveness of organization climate. Journal of Product innovation
Management,21(6),375-380.
William J. Buchholz (2001). Open communication climate. Bentley College Waltham, Massachusetts.
Zaremba, A.J. (2003). Organizational Communication. Canada: Thomson Learning
Shahrina, M.N., Subarna, S., Ena, B., Wan Fatima, W.A. (2014) Organizational Communication Climate
and Conflict Management: Communications Management in an Oil and Gas Company January
2014 Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 109:1046-1058
Hassan, Bushra & Maqsood, Aneela. (2012). Relationship between organizational communication
climate and interpersonal conflict management. Pakistan journal of psychology. 42. 23-41..
Reza, H., Giti, P. (2016). The Relationship between Conflict Management Styles and Teachers’
Organizational Health. International journal of Humanities and Cultural studies ISSN 2356-
5926