Relationship Between Differentiation of Self Levels and Conflict-Handling Styles of Ministers

Abstract

Factors contributing to effective conflict management in workplaces have been well-examined, but the extent for which an individual’s differentiation of self plays a role in a person’s psychological adjustment associated with handling interpersonal conflict has not been well described. This study investigated associations between the ministers’ differentiation of self levels with their conflict-handling styles. Data through questionnaires were collected from 71 ministers from five chapters/divisions of a religious denomination in Mindanao, South Philippines. Results showed that the ministers demonstrated medium levels in all of the differentiation of self subscales, namely, I-fusion, I-position, emotional cut-off, and emotional reactivity. They reported compromising as the dominant conflict-handling style. Highly significant associations between competing style and emotional cut-off and emotional reactivity were found. Highly significant and positive associations were also established between avoiding and emotional cut-off and between compromising and I-position. The major findings provide further evidences that relationships between the areas of the differentiation of self and conflict- handling-styles are also relevant to the ministers in this religious denomination.Keywords: Differentiation of self, relationships, conflict-handling styles, conflictmanagement