Philippine E-Journals

Relationship Between Differentiation of Self Levels and Conflict-Handling Styles of Ministers

Ian C. Abordo

Discipline: Business, Management

 

Abstract:

Factors contributing to effective conflict management in workplaces have been well-examined, but the extent for which an individual’s differentiation of self plays a role in a person’s psychological adjustment associated with handling interpersonal conflict has not been well described. This study investigated associations between the ministers’ differentiation of self levels with their conflicthandling styles. Data through questionnaires were collected from 71 ministers from five chapters/divisions of a religious denomination in Mindanao, South Philippines. Results showed that the ministers demonstrated medium levels in all of the differentiation of self subscales, namely, I-fusion, I-position, emotional cut-off, and emotional reactivity. They reported compromising as the dominant conflict-handling style. Highly significant associations between competing style and emotional cut-off and emotional reactivity were found. Highly significant and positive associations were also established between avoiding and emotional cut-off and between compromising and I-position. The major findings provide further evidences that relationships between the areas of the differentiation of self and conflict- handling-styles are also relevant to the ministers in this religious denomination.