Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Conflict Management Styles of Employees: A Study of the Indian Railways

Abstract

Most employees experience conflict at workplace with their colleagues as a usual or normal part of their job. Some individuals handle it better, while some of them may need intervention. The area of work conflict has rapidly grown over the last two decades. High conflicts and bad ways of managing them cause extreme job stress and low engagement at work. This study investigates the influence of Emotional Intelligence (EI)on the conflict management style of employees in government sector organizations. The study comprised of a sample 73 employees, both from management and non-management cadre of Indian Railways. The results obtained through quantitative analysis demonstrate a clear and definite relationship between the emotional intelligence of an employee and his/her conflict resolution technique.