Title: Relationship of emotional intelligence with conflict management styles: an empirical study in China

Authors: Chun-Sheng Yu, Ron M. Sardessai, June Lu, Jing-Hua Zhao

Addresses: Department of Management and Marketing, School of Business Administration, University of Houston-Victoria, 14000 University Blvd., Sugar Land, TX 77479, USA. ' Department of Management and Marketing, School of Business Administration, University of Houston-Victoria, 14000 University Blvd., Sugar Land, TX 77479, USA. ' Department of Management and Marketing, School of Business Administration, University of Houston-Victoria, 14000 University Blvd., Sugar Land, TX 77479, USA. ' The Central University of Finance and Economics, 39 Xueyan Nan Lu, Haidan District, Beijing, P.R. China

Abstract: In a survey study of 227 employed MBA students in China, we explored the relationship between supervisors| emotional intelligence and subordinates| styles of handling interpersonal conflicts. Five dimensions of emotional intelligence and five styles of handling conflict with supervisors were examined. The results of regression analysis indicated significant influence of emotional intelligence on both integrating and compromising conflict management styles. Integrating style can be most predicted by emotional intelligence. A confusing but interesting finding was that supervisors| emotional intelligence had significant influence on subordinates| dominating style – positively, not negatively as predicted.

Keywords: conflict management; emotional intelligence; enterprise; SMEs; China; interpersonal conflicts; supervisors.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMED.2006.008240

International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development, 2006 Vol.3 No.1/2, pp.19 - 29

Published online: 25 Nov 2005 *

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