Personality traits and conflict management styles via job performance in higher education

PurposeThis study aims to examine the direct and indirect relationships between Personality Traits (PTs) and Conflict Management Styles (CMSs) through Job Performance (JP) in Pakistan.Design/methodology/approachThis is a quantitative study that employed a survey questionnaire to collect cross-sectional data from academic leaders of Pakistan's Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). The researchers derived this study's findings from 320 useable responses.FindingsThe authors used a Structural Equation Model (SEM) which shows a positive and significant effect of agreeableness on Integrating Styles (IS), Avoiding Styles (AS), Obliging Styles (OS), Compromising Styles (CS) and Dominating Styles (DS). Extraversion has a positive and significant effect on IS, OS, DS and CS. Emotional Stability (ES) is the positive and significant predictor of IS, AS, OS and CS. The conscientiousness trait has a positive and significant effect in predicting IS, OS, DS, CS and AS. Likewise, openness has a positive and significant effect on IS, OS, DS and CS. On the other hand, extraversion and openness have a negative and insignificant effect on AS. Finally, amongst HEIs' academic leaders ES is the negative and insignificant predictor of DS.Practical implicationsThis study's findings offer additional insights into understanding the direct and indirect connections between PTs and CMSs through JP. These support the development of effective policies and organizational arrangements to resolve and manage conflict and employee behaviours. Finally, through another contribution of empirical evidence, these findings further enrich the worth of the literature.Originality/valueThis study's findings provide both, directly and indirectly, the original contributions of Pakistan's HEIs' academic leaders PTs and CMSs.