Impact of Project Manager Conflict Management Styles on Employee Turnover Intention

Abstract:

As a third party, the project manager can be provided with three conflict management styles when dealing with employees’ conflicts, namely resolution, prudence, and avoidance. Based on a questionnaire survey completed by 394 members of a construction project team, a research model is established, taking lead member exchange(LMX) as the intermediate variable, the colleague experience and team type as the moderator. The conclusion shows that resolution and prudence are significantly positive interrelated with LMX, while avoidance is negative interrelated with LMX and can result in an increase in turnover intention. LMX acts partly as an intermediary role between the three conflict management styles and employee’s turnover intention, while the colleague experience will strengthen the influence imposed by the conflict management styles upon LMX.

Key words:conflict management styles; lead member exchange(LMX); turnover intention