Can conflict management be an antidote to subordinate absenteeism?

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between supervisors' conflict strategies and subordinates' affective commitment and absenteeism.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the hypotheses, the authors conducted a survey of 173 higher educated employees in consulting and staff functions. They measured supervisory conflict management by asking subordinates to rate the conflict strategy of their superior. For the measurement of absenteeism the officially recorded sick leave figures of days per year were used.

Findings

The results show a pure mediating effect of commitment in the relationship between supervisory integration strategy and absenteeism. The non‐confrontation strategy is negatively related to commitment, but neither directly nor indirectly related to absenteeism. There is no direct or indirect (through commitment) relationship between the supervisory controlling strategy and absenteeism.

Practical implications

Suggestions for absence management and management development are offered.

Originality/value

The work advances the thinking on supervisory cooperative and competitive behavior and the operating mechanisms between this behavior and employee work attitudes and behavior.

Citation

de Reuver, R. and van Woerkom, M. (2010), "Can conflict management be an antidote to subordinate absenteeism?", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 25 No. 5, pp. 479-494. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683941011048382