J. Basic. Appl. Sci. Res., 3(5)705-709, 2013
© 2013, TextRoad Publication
ISSN 2090-4304
Journal of Basic and Applied
Scientific Research
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Relationship of Managers’ Leadership Style
(Transactional Leadership) and Workplace Conflict
Mohammad Taheri Rouzbahani1, Nader Tahmasebi2, Saleh Beiranvand3, FatemehRezai4
1
Ph.D. Faculty Member of Islamic Azad University, Borujerd Branch, Iran, 2,3 M.A. Students of Islamic Azad
University, Borujerd Branch 4 M.A. Students of Islamic Azad University, Malayer Branch
ABSTRACT
The study aims at investigating the relationship between managers’ leadership style (transactional one) and
workplace conflicts in Welfare Organization of Lorestan province. This study is of applied descriptive type with
regard to its purpose and method and applies Pearson correlation coefficient to analyze data. Since some variables’
current status such as transformational and transactional leadership styles and workers’ conflicts are measured,
quality of their relationship will be investigated. Studied population is total of 360 workers of Welfare Organization
in Lorestan province. To calculate sample volume of desired population, we find that according to Tuckman or
Morgan table for total population of 360 people, a sample of 187 workers is required to achieve logical analytical
results. Applied questionnaire which consists of 41 questions in the research has been utilized in the article “impact
of leadership on conflicts” written by Oliver Doucet in 2009 and suggested by scholars and professors to be
administrated in the study. Then, Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.94 has been estimated for 30 participants
indicating high levels of questionnaire reliability. In the paper for statistical analysis, statistical method of
Cronbach’s Alpha and Pearson correlation coefficient tests have been utilized to examine the validity and existence
of relationship between variables. Obtained results indicate that transactional leadership style has no significant
relationship with workplace conflicts. Among its dimensions, however, contingent rewards have a significant
reverse relationship with conflict dimensions which are directly related to management by passive exception.
KEYWORDS: Leadership, Transactional Leadership Style, Conflict, Cognitive Conflict, Relational Conflict
INTRODUCTION
Leadership is a subject in which scholars and individuals have been interested from long time ago. Perhaps, its
wide popularity is due to the fact that leadership is a mysterious process which exists in all individuals’ life (Yukl,
2003, p. 2). Recent developments of leadership theories have been moved from Charismatic leadership ones in
which a leader is supposed to be a unique individual upon whom followers depend towards Neo-charismatic theories
which intend to develop the followers’ abilities. Accordingly, one of newest personal approaches has been created to
study the leadership based on Bass leadership model (1985) and implemented by Bass and Avolio (1995).
Transactional leadership is defined as a combination of transactions and bargains between leaders and
followers while transformational one is a leadership beyond motivating workers to achieve optimal performance. In
fact, it leads to the followers’ maturity, intellectual stimulation and inspiration to enhance their personal interests
instead of high collective goals (Kark, 2009, p. 160).
Conflict reduction and control by the means of organized plans are two problematic subjects resulting in the
decrease of workers’ efficiency and increase in health and medical costs (Dvir, 2006, p. 202). On the other hand,
there is a strong statistical relationship between health costs and economic growth (Rivera&Currais, 1999, p. 762).
Therefore, optimal leadership of health and medical systems and reduction of existing conflict expenses can
contribute to improve current economic situation to a large extent (Tayler, 2002, p. 18). Conflict is considered as an
inherent natural component of work environment.
Statistics indicate that when conflicts occur at workplace, ethics’ levels are considerably decreased, number of
absent workers increases and as a result, organizational productivity and performance will be reduced. It has been
estimated that managers spend at least 25% of their time to solve the problems and conflicts in the workplace.
Therefore, effective conflict encounter is a fundamental challenge in the individual interactions in the workplace.
Some research results have currently shown that workplace conflicts have negative effects on workers’ performance
and job satisfaction from the viewpoint of both cognitive and relational dimensions (Doucet et al., 2009, p. 342).
Corresponding Author: Mohammad Taheri, PhD. Faculty Member of Islamic Azad University, Borujerd Branch, Iran.
Email: taheri_mohammad2012@yahoo.com. Phone: +989122053722
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Rouzbahani et al., 2013
RESEARCH BACKGROUND
Haghighi has defined leadership as a process influencing individual or group practices in order to achieve goals
in a given situation (Haghighi, 2004, p. 123). A leader either a CEO or operating worker or even a stranger outside
the organization is the one who can successfully affect the others (Rezaeean, 2001, p. 424). According to Burns
(1978), transactional leadership is on the basis of two-way exchange between leader and followers so that personal
demands are provided. In other words, he believes that in this doctrine, everything is observed from the perspective
of the degree to which people derive benefits and the relationship of leader and followers is on the transaction basis
of giving this for receiving that. Actually, transactional leadership follows the exchange of economy, costs and
benefits to meet common material and physical needs of workers and in return, expects subordinates to provide a
collection of services on which they have reached an agreement (Bass, 1985, p. 14).
In 1985, Bass has argued reward and punishment as two basic dimensions of transactional leadership. He
believes that first element is the contingent reward comprising rewards for performance compensation and second
one is management by exception involving collective measures of leader in response to unacceptable deviation in
subordinates’ performance (Moghely, 2002, p. 79).
Contingent reward: refers to the rewards which are paid with regard to an agreement between leader and followers
based on performance standards (ibid, p. 80).
Management by exception: shows the leader reaction to encounter mistakes and deviations and involves the
practices to correct the deviations from standards. This management has two types including active and passive.
Management by active exception: indicates the active management which leadership utilizes to control mistakes
and law violations and then, perform corrective practices.
Management by passive exception: presents the passive management which leader applies when standards are not
satisfied or some problems are made in the workplace (Northouse, 2001, p. 141). In other words, they passively wait
for followers to make mistakes and after that, remind them negative feedback or rebuke them before doing
corrective measures (Bass &Steidlmeier, 1999, p. 184).
Conflict: refers to conflicts of organizational behaviors between individuals or organization unit due to various
goals and interest conflict (Zahedi, Alvani&Faghihi, 2004, p. 79). It has been recognized as physical and verbal
encounters, poor coordination and inefficient communications (Ghasemi, 2003, p. 9).
Cognitive conflict: is combined of work-related conflicts, interest incompatibility or job-related views on how to do
activities. Consequently, this conflict dimension includes conflicts of work perspectives and worker differences
about what should be performed (Doucet et al., 2009, p. 342).
Relational conflict: refers to those arguments which cause emotional incompatibilities, intervention and
obstructionism behaviors in the workplace. Incompatibilities of workers and their fault finding are, therefore, placed
in this dimension. Afterwards, conflict is resulted from individual difficulties stimulating strong feelings such as
anger, lack of trust, hatred, fear and disgust. This conflict category undermines the individuals’ energy and prevents
them regarding important work priorities (Doucet et al., 2009, p. 342).
KhodaYari (2006) wrote his master’s thesis on the relationship between transactional and transformational
leadership styles and organizational commitment of workers in industrial city of Zanjan and concluded that there is
significant relationship between above-mentioned styles and workers’ commitment and the leaders who apply
transactional leadership have been more successful in increasing the extent to which a worker has a commitment to
the organization. When managers’ leadership style has been moved from transactional to transformational one,
workers have had higher levels of loyalty to the organization.
Oliver Doucet (2009) studied the effects of leadership on workplace conflicts in a hospital in Canada and
concluded that a significant relationship is found between all components of transactional and transformational
leadership styles and cognitive and relational conflicts but non-communicational leadership style or non-intervention
has no impact on conflict.
NikoMoghadam (2007) has investigated the relationship of workers’ personality traits and organizational
conflicts in public organizations of Kerman and found that a positive significant relationship exists between
workers’ personality traits, power demand and organizational conflicts. Among personality traits, self-esteem and
workers’ situation compatibility have a negative relationship with organizational conflicts.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The study is an applied descriptive research with regard to purpose and method. T analyze the data, Pearson
correlation coefficient has been applied. Since current situations of such variables as transactional and
transformational leadership styles and workers’ conflicts are measured, their relationships are to be considered.
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J. Basic. Appl. Sci. Res., 3(5)705-709, 2013
Studied population is totally 360 workers of Welfare Organization in Lorestan province. According to Tuckman or
Morgan table, 186 individuals were selected out of 360 workers to present the desired sample volume and logical
analytical results. Questionnaire administrated in the research consists of 41 questions which have been utilized by
Doucet (2009) in the article “effects of leadership on conflicts”. Scholars and professors have suggested us to apply
the mentioned questionnaire after being translated. Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of whole questions was calculated
as 0.94 for 30 participants indicating high reliability of questionnaire. In the paper, inferential and descriptive
statistics were used for doing analysis. Descriptive one includes mean, standard deviation, frequency table and
related graphs. Inferential one involves validity tests’ Cronbach’s Alpha and Pearson correlation coefficients to
show the relationships of variables.
H1-Main hypothesis: There is a relationship between managers’ leadership style (transactional one) and workplace
conflicts (cognitive and relational ones).
Table 1: Results of Pearson correlation test for transactional leadership and cognitive and relational conflicts
Statistical test
Transactional leadership\ cognitive conflict
Pearson correlation coefficient (r )
-0.079NS
Significance level (sig)
P=0.288
Number (n)
185
*significant at 0.05 level **significant at 0.01 level NS not significant
Transactional leadership\ relational conflict
-0.111NS
P=0.131
185
As data have shown already, since Pearson correlation coefficients (r 1=-0.079, r2=-0.111) computed at
α=0.05 are not significant (p>0.05), transactional leadership has no significant relationship with cognitive and
relational conflicts.
H2: There is a relationship between contingent rewards and cognitive conflict.
Table2: Results of Pearson correlation test for contingent rewards and cognitive conflict
Statistical test
Pearson correlation coefficient (r )
Significance level (sig)
Number of respondents (n)
*significant at 0.05 level **significant at 0.01 level NS not significant
contingent rewards \ cognitive conflict
-0.414**
P<0.001
185
Based on above table, Pearson correlation coefficients (r= -0.414, N= 185, P= 0.001) computed at α=0.01 are
significant (P<0.001) and as a result, a negative significant relationship exists between contingent rewards and
cognitive conflict. In other words, as coefficients of contingent rewards increase, cognitive conflict’s ones are
decreased. Therefore, the hypothesis is confirmed.
H3: A relationship is found between contingent rewards and relational conflict.
Table 3: Results of Pearson correlation test for contingent rewards and relational conflict
Statistical test
Pearson correlation coefficient (r )
Significance level (sig)
Number of respondents (n)
*significant at 0.05 level **significant at 0.01 level NS not significant
Contingent rewards\ relational conflict
-0.492**
P<0.001
185
Since Pearson correlation coefficients (r= -0.492, N= 185, P<0.001) computed at α=0.01 are significant
(P<0.001), a significant relationship is seen between contingent rewards and relational conflict. As contingent
rewards’ coefficients increase, relational conflict’s ones are decreased so that the hypothesis is confirmed.
H4: A relationship exists between management by active exception and cognitive conflict.
Table 4: Results of Pearson correlation test for management by active exception and cognitive conflict
Statistical test
Pearson correlation coefficient (r )
Significance level (sig)
Number of respondents (n)
*significant at 0.05 level **significant at 0.01 level NS not significant
707
management by active exception \ cognitive conflict
0.124NS
P=0.091
185
Rouzbahani et al., 2013
According to results presented in table4, Pearson correlation coefficients (r= +0.142, N= 185, P=0.091)
computed at α=0.05 are not significant and consequently, there is no significant relationship between management
by active exception and cognitive conflict which rejects the hypothesis.
H5: A relationship is observed between management by active exception and relational conflict.
Table 5: Results of Pearson correlation test for management by active exception and relational conflict
Statistical test
Pearson correlation coefficient (r )
Significance level (sig)
Number of respondents (n)
*significant at 0.05 level **significant at 0.01 level NS not significant
management by active exception \ relational conflict
0.144NS
P=0.051
185
Because Pearson correlation coefficients (r=+0.144, N= 185, P=0.051) computed at α=0.05 are not significant,
no significant relationship exists between management by active exception and relational conflict which rejects the
hypothesis.
H6: A relationship exists between management by passive exception and cognitive conflict.
Table6: Results of Pearson correlation test for management by passive exception and cognitive conflict
Statistical test
Pearson correlation coefficient (r)
Significance level (sig)
Number of respondents (n)
*significant at 0.05 level **significant at 0.01 level NS not significant
management by passive exception \ cognitive conflict
0.368**
P<0.001
185
Table6 indicates that Pearson correlation coefficients (r=+0.368, N= 185, P<0.001) computed at α=0.01 are
significant and there is a direct significant relationship between management by passive exception and cognitive
conflict. In other words, increasing the coefficients of management by passive exception leads to the increase in
cognitive conflict ones. Therefore, above hypothesis is confirmed.
H7:There is a relationship between management by passive exception and relational conflict.
Table7: Results of Pearson correlation test for management by passive exception and relational conflict
Statistical test
Pearson correlation coefficient (r )
Significance level (sig)
Number of respondents (n)
*significant at 0.05 level **significant at 0.01 level NS not significant
management by passive exception \ relational conflict
0.411**
P<0.001
185
Based on results demonstrated in table7, Pearson correlation coefficients (r=+0.411, N= 185, P<0.001)
computed at α=0.01 are significant and a positive significant relationship is found between management by passive
exception and relational conflict confirming the hypothesis. As a result, the increase of management by passive
exception coefficients results in the increase of conflict ones.
CONCLUSION
In order to examine the hypothesis which shows a relationship between contingent rewards and cognitive
conflict, calculated correlation coefficient of -0.411 indicates that considering 99% possibility, there is a significant
reverse relationship between these two variables. Accordingly, it can be concluded that as contingent reward levels
are higher as one of transactional leadership dimensions, cognitive conflict is lower among workers. Correlation
coefficient of relationship between contingent rewards and relational conflict calculated as -0.492 shows that with
regard to 99% possibility, a significant relationship is found between them. Consequently, we can state that if
contingent reward levels are higher, relational conflict will be lower. Investigating the relationship between
management by active exception and cognitive conflict presents the correlation coefficient of +0.124 indicating the
lack of significant relationship between these variables. We conclude that changes in management by active
exception have no considerable effects on cognitive conflict.
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J. Basic. Appl. Sci. Res., 3(5)705-709, 2013
To study the relationship between management by active exception and relational conflict, correlation
coefficient of +0.144 has been obtained to demonstrate that no significant relationship exists between them.
Changing the management by active exception does not considerably affect relational conflict among workers.
Afterwards, it can be concluded that this management style referring to leaders’ supervision on followers cannot
contribute to prevent the emergence of conflict and incompatibility in the workplace resulting in their strained
interactions. It has been supposed that there is a relationship between management by passive exception and
cognitive conflict and correlation coefficient of +0.368 has been calculated which represents a direct significant
relationship between these variables with99% possibility.
On this basis, we come into the conclusion that enhancing the levels of management by passive exception
increases cognitive conflict. Correlation coefficient of +0.411 indicates a positive significant relationship between
management by passive exception and relational conflict with 99% possibility. As a result, it can be stated that as
management by passive exception level is higher among leaders considered as one of transactional leadership
dimensions, relational conflict is more in the organization.
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