Relationship conflict and negative affect state of the employees: Role of perceived social support at work place

This paper study tries to establish the association between relationship conflicts and negative affect state. Relationship conflict is considered as damaging to individuals, groups and organisations. Relationship conflict adversely affects individual and organisations alike. Affect states of the individual can predict various individual behaviours. Empirical studies addressed conflict and related behaviour as a rational process and neglected affect related variables. Influence of relationship conflict on affect states of the individual is neglected for a long time. Hence, this study tries to understand this relationship between relationship conflicts and affect states of the individual. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from IT engineers. Sample consists of IT engineers working in IT firms in Kerala. Data were analysed using SPSS. Simple linear regression analysis and moderation regression analysis were performed to check the hypothesised relationships. The results established relationship conflict is related to negative affect only. Also it is understood that perceived social support at work place is negatively moderates the relationship between relationship conflict and negative affect state of the individual. The findings of the study has both theoretical and practical applications. The study revealed that relationship conflict is a negative stimuli that increases the negative affect state only. Organisations are conflict ridden and conflicts are unavoidable providing social support at workplace for those who are experiencing can reduce the escalation of negative affect state. Since negative affect state influences various individual behaviours social can reduce the negative effect of conflicts at workplace. HR managers should design strategies to encourage social support providing activities.