AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF THE STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES

Abstract

This study explored the relationships of the stages of moral development [pre‐conventional (i.e., low stage), conventionals (ie., middle stage), and post‐conventionals (i.e., high stage)] to the styles of handling interpersonal conflict [integrating (i.e., problem solving), obliging (i.e., accommodating), dominating (i.e., competing), avoiding, and compromising] in organizations. A field study with a collegiate sample of employed business students (N = 443) shows that the post‐conventionals used more integrating and less dominating and avoiding styles than conventionals. The conventionals used more integrating and less dominating and avoiding styles than pre‐conventionals. The conventionals used more compromising style than post‐conventionals, but post‐conventionals used more compromising style than pre‐conventionals. There were no differences in obliging style across the three stages of moral development. Implications of the study for management, directions for future research, and limitations were discussed.