Abstract
A correlational study was conducted to investigate the relationship of Big five personality traits with conflict management styles of obliging, integrating, avoiding, compromising and dominating in men (n = 96)and women (n = 38) bank officers with age range of 22 to 58 years. It was hypothesized that there would be a relationship between five personality traits and conflict management styles which would differ in men and women. Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI-K; Rammstedt & John, 2005) and Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory–II (ROCI–II; Rahim, 1983a, 2001) were used for assessment. Results from hierarchical regression analyses revealed that extraversion and openness positively predicted integrating conflict management style, while, agreeableness negatively predicted dominating style. Moreover, openness positively predicted avoiding style. Further, neuroticism negatively predicted obliging, integrating and compromising styles. These results were similar for both men and women. However, conscientiousness predicted integrating style only in women. This study will help in understanding and predicting how an issue will be settled and reacted by parties involved in conflict and what role personality and gender plays in adoption of different conflict management styles.