Relationship between leadership personality traits and conflict management styles of IIUM academic administrators

Abstract

This research investigates the correlational relationship between leadership personality traits and conflict management styles of academic administrators of the main campus of International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM). A sample of 161 academic administrators of varying levels of job positions was surveyed via questionnaires. Their demographic profiles, in terms of gender, age and academic status were also studied. Data collected were analysed by employing descriptive analysis, bivariate Pearson correlation, independent sample t-test and one way ANOVA. Consequently, the main finding of this research reveals that ‘agreeableness’ is the most dominant leadership personality trait among IIUM academic administrators, while ‘integrating’ is the most practiced conflict management style by them. Furthermore, in general a low positive relationship was found between their leadership personality traits and their conflict management style. Additionally, a significant difference in leadership personality trait regarding the academic administrators’ gender was only found on ‘agreeableness’ and for age significant difference was found onconscientiousness. However, in terms of their academic status, statistical significant difference was found in ‘agreeableness’ and ‘conscientiousness’ respectively. Furthermore, significant differences in conflict management styles concerning the academic administrators’ gender was found in ‘avoiding’ and ‘competing’ conflict management styles and no difference was found regarding their age. However, in terms of their academic status, statistical significant differences were found in all the conflict management styles except ‘integrating’. In the research findings, there were some implications for academic administrators and some recommendations were made for future researches on the relationship between leadership personality traits and conflict management styles.