Leadership: Conflict Management, Cultural Links and Team Learning

A Critical Analysis

Introduction

Strong and effective leadership is fundamental to any organization, as it establishes the

culture, fuels growth, and drives the achievement of its goals. In today's rapidly evolving
business environment, this entails understanding conflict resolution strategies, adapting to a
diverse workforce, and enhancing teamwork.

In the field of leadership and conflict management, it is widely recognized that effective
leadership plays a crucial role in managing conflicts. Leadership styles have a significant impact
on the conflict management strategies and techniques employed. The success of a leader relies
on their ability to contextualize and develop skills in managing conflict.

This recognition is based on the understanding that leadership styles are not universally
effective and that different cultural values, norms, and expectations can greatly influence how
leaders are perceived and their ability to effectively lead the teams. Although there has been
considerable research on the connection between leadership styles, organizational culture, and
performance, little focus has been given to cultural influences on leadership styles.

Authentic leaders are perceived as genuine, transparent, and honest, which creates a
sense of trust and credibility among employees. Empowering leadership is a concept that is
intrinsically linked to leadership. Trust between leaders and subordinates and within team
members can positively enhance team learning.

This paper presents: a brief comparison of the three case studies and examines them on
their implications for understanding leadership.

Comparison of the case studies

The case studies I have chosen for analysis are:

i. Leadership styles: relationship with conflict management styles

This paper examines how managers handle interpersonal conflict by examining the
relationship between their leadership styles and conflict management. The study surveyed 150
middle-level managers from different private-sector manufacturing industries using
questionnaires on conflict management and leadership styles. The findings show that managers
who demonstrate more transformational leadership styles tend to use integrating and obliging
conflict management styles. In comparison, managers with more transactional styles tend to use
compromising conflict management styles, while laissez-faire leadership style managers tend to
use avoiding styles.

ii. Culturally-linked leadership styles

This paper examines whether cultural context affects the emergence of different
leadership styles. The study surveyed 324 middle-level managers from four similar industries in
Malaysia and Australia using the multifactor leadership questionnaire. The analysis found
significant differences between leadership styles and cultural groups, supporting the argument
that culture and leadership interact in diverse ways. The findings recognize the influence of
culture on leadership styles

iii. Empowering leadership and trust on team learning behaviour

This paper aims to investigate the link between learning behaviour in groups and
empowerment leadership. Trust among group members is also considered in this relationship.
The study surveyed 78 working groups from various industries in Indonesia. The results show
that empowerment leadership has a positive impact on learning behaviour in groups, and trust
among group members enhances this impact.

Leadership styles and conflict management: A critical analysis

According to Saeed, Haq, & Niazi (2014) for an organization to be successful, its
employees must work together effectively to reach common goals. Leadership is vital in
motivating and satisfying employees to achieve organizational goals (Anastasiou, 2020). For
this to happen, leadership is a critical factor that can influence employees' actions toward
achieving the goals. Organizational conflict is considered a normal and necessary part of
effective management, contributing to productivity when kept within certain limits (Rahim, 2002).
Researchers emphasize conflict management as a crucial aspect of leadership, making the lack
of attention to this surprising (Doucet, Poitras, & Chenevert., 2008), because a harmonious
workplace improves workers' performance. This, in turn, is affected by the behaviour and style
demonstrated by managers or supervisors when interacting with subordinates (Saeed et al.).
They also indicate that leadership styles have a direct impact on conflict management
strategies.
 Different leadership styles can have varying effects on conflict management within
organizations. The International Institute for Management Development (2023) lists the six
leadership styles: transformational, delegative, authoritative, transactional, participative, and
laissez-faire. The transformational and transactional leadership theory, which is also referred to
as the multifactor leadership theory, is among the theories that have received the greatest
attention over the last decade (Doucet et al., 2008). As per Anastisiou (2020), a great leader
should recognize which conflict management qualities and skills or solutions strategies are most
suitable for each case. This study focuses on three types of leadership, namely
transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire, and their relationship with conflict
management strategies.

Anastasiou (2020) states “Experienced transformational leaders may select conflict

management strategies which ensure that relationships are not destroyed and relations with
other members of the staff who are involved in a particular conflict are affected negatively.”
Doucet et al. (2008) state that this style can resolve conflict by emphasizing organization over
individual, encouraging cooperation, and intellectual stimulation. The results of the study also
find that it has a positive relation with constructive styles of conflict management and a negative
relation with destructive styles. Moreover, this also contributes a significant positive effect on
integrating style, obliging style, and negative impact on the dominating style of conflict
management. In turbulent environments and conflicting situations, transformational leaders are
likely to be more effective because they positively manage conflicts, and are less likely to
support the status quo.

Saeed (2014) states transformational leadership is not a substitute for transactional

leadership, but rather a complement to it. Swamy et al. (2014) and Anastasiou (2020) define
transactional leadership style as more about "trades" between the leader and follower by which
followers are compensated for meeting specific goals or performance criteria. According to the
study, this style exhibits a positive relation with the compromising style of conflict management
and is consistent with the theory that it is an exchange process based on the fulfilment of
contractual obligations, with rewards conditional on their behaviours. Using this style of
managing conflict in the organizations involves give-and-take to attain a mutually acceptable
agreement. Doucet et al. (2008) indicate contingent reward and constant positive reinforcement
help employees adopt the right behaviors and properly orient their efforts leading to a better and
positive compromise.
 The study finds that a laissez-faire leadership style has a significant positive effect on the
avoiding style of conflict management which may take the form of postponing an issue until a
better time or withdrawing from a threatening situation. This is confirmed by Doucet et al. (2008)
and Anastasiou (2020) who state that this leadership style is composed of a single dimension
representing supervisors who avoid managerial responsibilities, generally avoid taking
decisions, are reluctant to take action, and are not always there when they are needed.
Leaders abdicate their responsibility and avoid making decisions, which has an adverse effect
on the organization.

Practical implications

It is important to note that not all leadership styles are beneficial in managing conflicts and
some may promote conflict within the organization. Therefore, leaders must understand the
relationship between their leadership style and conflict management to effectively mitigate
conflicts within the organization. Effective conflict management requires leaders to adopt a
leadership style that promotes open communication, encourages collaboration, and fosters a
positive work environment. Therefore, leaders must assess their leadership style and its impact
on conflict management to create a harmonious and productive work environment that
encourages effective conflict resolution. Finally, it is important to keep in mind Rahim (2002),
“Organizational conflict as it stands now is considered legitimate and inevitable and a positive
indicator of effective organizational management. It is now recognized that conflict within certain
limits is essential to productivity. Little or no conflict in organizations may lead to stagnation,
poor decisions, and ineffectiveness.”

An Analysis of Leadership and Culture

”Most, if not all countries are already experiencing globalization which means that people
who are part of businesses or projects may come from different places with different cultures
and beliefs.” (Jogulu, 2010). Being sensitive to what they believe in (as part of such cultures) is
a huge requirement for leadership within this kind of business setup. To achieve a more
complete and accurate view of leadership styles, there is a need to understand different cultures
and their leadership perspectives. Ly (2019) supports this by stating that “While the
phenomenon of leadership is widely considered to be universal across cultures, how it is
operationalized is usually viewed as culturally specific.” Different cultures hold subjective beliefs
towards handling leadership and as such it is important to identify the leadership skills and
knowledge that are valued most by managers in countries that have different cultures. By
incorporating cultural factors into leadership styles, leaders can enhance the interest and
commitment of individuals within the organization.

The document provides valuable insights into the relationship between leadership styles
and culture, highlighting that leaders cannot separate their styles from cultural influences.
However, it is important to note that the document primarily focuses on the differences between
Asian and Western cultures, specifically Malaysia and Australia. This limits the generalizability
of the findings to other cultural contexts. Stephan and Pathak (2016) suggests cultural values
are very broad and general concepts and that there is a lack of clarity about the types of
constructs used to measure culture. As such, its scope is limited and it may not capture the full
range of cultural influences on leadership styles. The study does not take into account the
cultural differences within Asian and Western countries and how it might impact the relationship
between leadership styles and culture. Ly (2019), states that cultural heterogeneity within
cultures implies challenges and adjustments in managerial approaches. She also emphasizes
the need to understand socio-economic, political, technological, and trends to better understand
cultural influences on leadership traits and styles.

The participants of the research were only middle managers in Malaysia and Australia,
working in four similar industries. The variety of industry and participants exclusivity constrains
the scope of the study and its results. Jogulu (2010) admits that since the study was only based
on two cultures and four industry types, a similar study focused on a larger sample of countries
and industry types would strengthen the generalizability of the research. Furthermore, this study
did not focus on the outcome of the leadership styles or their actual behavioural manifestation.
Therefore, an important next step is to examine to what extent leadership styles are associated
with effectiveness and how they are enacted by leaders.

Additionally, the study does not explore the effects of culturally linked leadership styles on
subordinates' outcomes or organizational performance. Khajeh (2018) states that leadership
styles are one of the key determinants associated with the success of any organization, which
can be measured by organizational performance. These limitations point to the need for further
research to fully understand the complex relationship between culture and leadership styles and
their impact on organizational outcomes. In addition, the document does not address the
potential biases and limitations of using self-reported measures. Since the survey is deeply
rooted in the cognitive process and has a strong social desirability factor, self-report bias is
more likely to be present and survey conditions may alter interviewees' responses. Furthermore,
the document highlights the importance of leaders' behaviours and actions in managing people
from different cultures.

The survey that consists of multifactor leadership questions was used, to prove that the
“one size fits all” view about leadership is not appropriate. According to the results, transactional
leadership was habitually practiced in Malaysia while transformational leadership is seen too
often to be exercised in Australia. The study uses the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire
(MLQ) to measure leadership behaviours. However, the MLQ has received a great deal of
criticism within the academic literature for lacking validity and reliability. Hinkin and Schriesheim
(2008) state that MLQ is biased towards transformational style and far less attention has been
paid to transactional and non-leadership. It is also argued that the nine factors that constitute
the leadership factors that are part of the MLQ are highly correlated. This makes the ability to
determine whether an individual has more of a transformational or transactional leadership style
difficult.

Practical implications

The document highlights the importance of understanding culturally linked leadership

styles for effective leadership. The author suggests that leaders need to be aware of the cultural
beliefs and values of their followers to tailor their behaviour and actions accordingly.
Furthermore, the study emphasizes the significance of transformational leadership in
empowering employees and creating a harmonious leader-subordinate relationship. According
to Khan, Nawaz, & Khan (2016) leadership literature reveals that theories have been refined
and modified with passage of time and none of the theories is completely irrelevant. The impact
of cultural values on leadership styles cannot be understated. In Malaysia, where the culture
values harmony and respect for authority, a transactional leadership style is prevalent.
However, in Australia, where individualism and egalitarianism are valued, a transformational
leadership style is preferred. These findings demonstrate that cultural values deeply influence
leadership styles and that managers must adapt their approach accordingly. By understanding
cultural values and norms, managers can better lead their teams and achieve shared goals.
Therefore, managers need to recognize the cultural context in which they operate and adjust
their leadership styles accordingly.

Critical Analysis of Empowering Leadership and Trust on Team Learning Behavior

Empowered teams and related concepts, such as autonomous task groups, self-managing
groups or self-organization have received a lot of attention in theory and in practice (Hut and
Molleman, 1998). It has been accepted that team learning behaviour does no happen naturally
or automatically. A logical argument is that team leader behaviour is an important factor in
encouraging the learning behaviour process in groups. The results of the study provide a logical
mechanism and empirical evidence regarding the relationship between empowering leadership
and team learning behaviour. Tuckey, Bakker, & Dollard (2012) found leaders who empowered
their followers by delegating responsibility, encouraging independent action within teamwork,
and supported followers created better working conditions which led to an increase in
engagement. Like Hut et al and Cai, Cai, Sun, & Ma (2018), the research was carried out in a
real working groups and they all agree that empowerment has a positive correlation to team
learning. Moreover, the article suggests that trust plays a crucial role in enhancing the positive
impact of empowering leadership on team learning behaviour.

Mohan (2023) states that trust and empowerment can bring out the best in people. She
also states “Leaders who empower their teams and employees more effectively influence
employee creativity and citizenship behavior. They are likelier to be trusted by their
subordinates than leaders who don't empower them.” The article highlights the importance of
trust as a mediating mechanism between shared leadership and empowering leadership
behaviour. Accordingly, when employees trust their leaders, they are more motivated to engage
in learning activities and exhibit a greater sense of loyalty towards the organization.
Turkmenoglu (2019) finds empowering frontline staff in the hospitality industry leads to better
service delivery, enhancing trust within the organization and teams.

The researchers found groups that had trust as perceived by their members would be
better able to spur empowerment leadership to improve learning behaviour in groups. The
existence of trust among group members will further encourage the positive influence of
empowering leadership on learning behaviour. Social information perspective leads individuals
to believe information from group members when they have to share information in groups. The
interaction between empowerment leadership and trust among group members is believed to
lead to better quality and superior group processes. Tuckey et al. (2012) state that by delegating
tasks and encouraging team members to work together, there is a better sharing of third-party
information within the groups leading to better group learning and employee creativity. This
emphasizes the importance of trust in empowering leadership and its impact on team learning
behavior.

Furthermore, the article highlights the psychological mechanisms through which

empowering leadership affects employee behaviour. The authors suggest that empowering
leadership positively affects employee creativity through the mediating factors of motivation to
learn and trust in leadership. This suggests that when leaders empower their teams, it not only
enhances their motivation to learn and grow but also increases their trust in the leader. As a
result, it leads to increased levels of creativity among the members of the team.

It is important to conduct more research to understand the long-term effects of

empowering leadership on team performance and innovation. While directive leadership may
lead to short-term improvements in performance, empowering leadership offers long-term
benefits in terms of team learning and coordination. Understanding these delayed effects can
help leaders make informed decisions about their leadership style and its potential long-term
impact on outcomes.

Practical implications

Empowering leadership combined with trust among team members can enhance team
learning. This can be helpful for managers as it improves information sharing, innovation, and
performance. The article emphasizes the significance of trust reciprocity in the relationship
between leaders and subordinates. Leaders can do this by offering opportunities for autonomy,
delegating responsibilities, and openly communicating their belief in their subordinates' abilities.
Leaders can also promote trust-building by actively involving their team members in decision-
making processes. This not only gives employees a sense of ownership and autonomy but also
demonstrates trust in their abilities and expertise. By soliciting and valuing their input, leaders
can strengthen the trust between themselves and their subordinates.

Trust plays a pivotal role in empowering leadership and its effects on employee attitudes
and behaviours. When employees feel trusted by their leaders, they are more likely to be
empowered and exhibit higher levels of creativity. Furthermore, trust is not only beneficial for
individual employees but also for teams as a whole. Trust in leadership is essential for fostering
a positive team climate, promoting knowledge sharing, team efficacy, teamwork behaviour, and
overall job satisfaction.

Conclusion

Effective conflict management is a crucial skill for leaders in organizations. Leadership

styles impact the types of conflict management strategies that are used. Transformative style is
usually best suited for conflict management. Managers must always understand the triggers of
conflict to deal with it positively. They must be assertive when resolving conflicts. In a diverse
workplace, it is important to be culturally sensitive and value different opinions and beliefs.
Understanding power distance concepts in collective and individualistic societies can help
managers better cope with diversity and adapt leadership styles for better outcomes in the
workplace. Team learning is an important strategy for organizations to grow and adapt to
changing economic dynamics. Leaders can empower group members to build trust and share
information. Through a consultative and participative approach, a leader can build a strong team
for the organization's success. Above all a modern workplace should always have a team
manager.

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