Intragroup Conflict and Resolution Styles Among Staff Nurses in a Government Hospital

Abstract

Workplace conflict is a common challenge in healthcare settings, affecting teamwork, communication, and patient care outcomes. This study examined the relationship between intragroup conflict and conflict resolution styles among staff nurses in a government hospital in Surigao City focusing on task, relationship, and process conflicts and how these relate to nurses’ ways of handling disagreements. A quantitative descriptive–correlational research design was used. The respondents were staff nurses from different hospital units, varying in age, sex, educational attainment, years of service, area of assignment, and employment status. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire composed of an intragroup conflict scale and a conflict resolution styles inventory measuring integrating, obliging, dominating, avoiding, and compromising styles. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize nurses’ characteristics, levels of conflict, and conflict resolution styles, while inferential statistics were applied to determine significant relationships among the variables. The findings showed that nurses’ personal and professional characteristics were significantly related to their levels of intragroup conflict. Relationship and process conflicts were particularly influential in shaping conflict management behaviors. Relationship conflict was significantly associated with the integrating style, while all types of intragroup conflict were significantly related to the dominating style. Process conflict was also significantly related to the compromising style. In contrast, obliging and avoiding styles were not significantly associated with any type of conflict. Intragroup conflict plays a crucial role in how nurses manage workplace disagreements, highlighting the need for effective conflict management programs to strengthen teamwork and support quality patient care.