The UTC Graduate School is pleased to announce that Ryan Limpus will present Master's research titled, THE IMPACT OF INTERDEPARTMENTAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY ON INTERDEPARTMENTAL CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES on 06/22/2023 at 10:30 AM in Virtual https://tennessee.zoom.us/j/3170168876 . Everyone is invited to attend. 

Engineering Management

Chair: Seong Dae Kim

Abstract:
Conflict is an inevitable part of life, and employees spend a sizable amount of time addressing it. Much literature has been written on conflict management as it occurs between individuals and teams. However, little research has been focused on intergroup-based conflict within companies. The current paper includes a description of how the psychological safety factor of a company changes when applied to interactions between departments and how it affects the specific conflict management style employees implement when addressing conflict between departments. Data for this study were collected from various companies in the United States across various industries and backgrounds using anonymous surveys to quantify respondents’ current level of general psychological safety, interdepartmental psychological safety, and preferential styles of conflict management specifically related to interdepartmental cases. The data revealed in this study will be helpful to managers and employees by illuminating how the psychological safety level of a company influences an individual’s propensity towards certain conflict management styles when addressing interdepartmental conflict and offers additional avenues of research to further the body of knowledge in both psychological safety and conflict management.