Michelakis, Georgios (2022) Diffusing the Workplace Conflict Bomb: Effects of Leader Competence and Age on Leader-Follower Conflict. Research Master thesis, Research Master.
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Abstract
A large body of literature has focused on the relationship between intra-organizational conflict and certain leadership qualities. We investigated the effect of leader competence on leader-follower conflict. Additionally, based on the Socioemotional Selectivity Theory, we investigated the moderating role of leader age in this relationship. Finally, we examined leaders’ generativity motive as a potential underlying mechanism of the above moderation. We hypothesized that leader competence negatively relates to leader-follower conflict and that leader age would strengthen that relationship. Finally, we anticipated that leader generativity would mediate the moderated effect of leader competence on leader-follower conflict involvement. In line with our predictions, Study 1, a two-week time-lagged study among employees showed that leader competence is negatively related to leader-follower conflict, while the effect was stronger when the leader was older. In Study 2, we found supporting evidence regarding the negative effect of leader competence on leader-follower conflict involvement by employing a 2x2 experimental study, yet we were unable to provide evidence for the moderating effect of age on the above relationship. Nevertheless, adding leader generativity as an underlying mechanism, we found significant results on the relationship between leader competence and conflict involvement as a function of leader age. It becomes evident that more emphasis should be placed on such elements (i.e., age, generativity) given the demographic changes that shape the workspace and their relevance with leadership phenomena and intra-organizational relationships. Future directions and implications are discussed.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Research Master) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Fousiani, K. |
| Degree programme: | Research Master |
| Differentiation route: | Other [Research Master] |
| Date Deposited: | 28 Jul 2022 11:14 |
| Last Modified: | 28 Jul 2022 11:14 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/1182 |
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