Books and journals Case studies Expert Briefings Open Access
Advanced search

Effect of mental construals on cooperative and competitive conflict management styles

Kanchan Mukherjee (Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, India and Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, India)
Divya Upadhyay (Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, India)

International Journal of Conflict Management

ISSN: 1044-4068

Publication date: 8 April 2019

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the psychological antecedents and processes that lead to competitive or cooperative attitudes in conflict management using the lens of construal level theory (CLT). CLT suggests that adopting a distal versus proximal psychological perspective changes the way people think and behave. This research explores the systematic effect of these abstract versus concrete mental construals on preferred conflict management styles.

Design/methodology/approach

First, theoretically grounded hypotheses linking different mental construals to cooperative and competitive conflict management styles were formulated. Subsequently, four empirical studies were conducted to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The studies provide support to the hypotheses showing that high construal abstract thinking is linked to preference for cooperation while low construal thinking is linked to preference for competition. Further, two different psychological processes mediate participants’ preferences for cooperative and competitive conflict management styles, the former mediated by perspective taking and empathic concern and the latter by impulsivity and aggression.

Research limitations/implications

The research measures conflict management styles rather than actual behavior. Also, focus is on trait mental construals rather than priming of high or low construal thinking.

Practical implications

Deeper understanding of the psychology of cooperative and competitive conflict management styles can help parties attain better outcomes and can potentially contribute to training and talent development by educating conflict management practitioners.

Social implications

The findings of this research can potentially inform effective interventions aimed at reducing intergroup conflicts.

Originality/value

Mental construals and related psychological processes are linked to conflict management styles for the first time.

Keywords

  • Construal level theory
  • Aggression
  • Perspective taking
  • Empathic concern
  • Impulsiveness
  • Conflict management styles

Citation

Mukherjee, K. and Upadhyay, D. (2019), "Effect of mental construals on cooperative and competitive conflict management styles", International Journal of Conflict Management, Vol. 30 No. 2, pp. 202-226. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCMA-11-2017-0136

Download as .RIS

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

Please note you do not have access to teaching notes

You may be able to access teaching notes by logging in via Shibboleth, Open Athens or with your Emerald account.
Login
If you think you should have access to this content, click the button to contact our support team.
Contact us

To read the full version of this content please select one of the options below

You may be able to access this content by logging in via Shibboleth, Open Athens or with your Emerald account.
Login
To rent this content from Deepdyve, please click the button.
Rent from Deepdyve
If you think you should have access to this content, click the button to contact our support team.
Contact us
Emerald Publishing
  • Opens in new window
  • Opens in new window
  • Opens in new window
  • Opens in new window
© 2021 Emerald Publishing Limited

Services

  • Authors Opens in new window
  • Editors Opens in new window
  • Librarians Opens in new window
  • Researchers Opens in new window
  • Reviewers Opens in new window

About

  • About Emerald Opens in new window
  • Working for Emerald Opens in new window
  • Contact us Opens in new window
  • Publication sitemap

Policies and information

  • Privacy notice
  • Site policies
  • Modern Slavery Act Opens in new window
  • Chair of Trustees governance statement Opens in new window
  • COVID-19 policy Opens in new window
Manage cookies

We’re listening — tell us what you think

  • Something didn’t work…

    Report bugs here

  • All feedback is valuable

    Please share your general feedback

  • Member of Emerald Engage?

    You can join in the discussion by joining the community or logging in here.
    You can also find out more about Emerald Engage.

Join us on our journey

  • Platform update page

    Visit emeraldpublishing.com/platformupdate to discover the latest news and updates

  • Questions & More Information

    Answers to the most commonly asked questions here