Women and Relationship Conflict: Effect of Leadership Preferences, LMX, and Organizational Justice

Abstract

The 2018 report from the Indian Labor Organization (ILO) highlighted the serious issue of slow progression and underrepresentation of women in the global workforce. Several reasons for such underrepresentation have been documented in the literature, including lack of family support, low autonomy over career-related decisions, relationship conflict with superiors, gender discrimination, harassment during work, etc. For the career progression of women, social support not just from the family members, but also from the superiors and colleagues is important. Since there is a substantial difference in the expectations of men and women in the workplace, which often leads to role conflict and relationship conflict, it is significant to understand and align these expectations to develop harmonious work relationships between superiors and their women subordinates to ensure optimum performance. The present study therefore focuses on identifying the leadership behaviour preferences of Indian women employees. The study also aims to determine the effect of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) and the perception of Organizational Justice on the Relationship Conflict experienced by women employees vis-à-vis their superiors. The study follows an empirical approach and quantitative research methodology. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were deployed for data collection. Data were collected from 512 Indian women working across various sectors and at various levels in the organizational hierarchy. Descriptive statistics and Structural Equation Modelling were used for analyzing the data. Results of the study provide valuable insights into the leadership behaviour preferences of Indian women employees and the relationship between LMX, Organizational Justice, and Relationship Conflict. It is identified that Indian women prefer their superior to possess the attributes of ‘respect’, ‘ethics’ and ‘communication skills’. The results also indicate that organizational justice mediates between LMX and relationship conflict. The study findings will be useful for managers, HR professionals, and researchers to better understand the concerns of women in the workplace. The insights from the study will aid in gaining a comprehensive understanding of women's preferences at work, which will further help nurture superior-subordinate relationships and address relationship conflict more effectively.