THE IMPACT OF CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ON TEAM INNOVATION PERFORMANCE IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR

Abstract

This study examines how conflict management strategies affect team innovation performance in Sri Lanka’s manufacturing sector, focusing on five strategies: integrating, obliging, dominating, avoiding, and compromising. Data were collected from 200 operational employees at two apparel firms using structured online questionnaires. Quantitative analysis, conducted via IBM SPSS 27.0, included descriptive statistics, correlation, t-tests, ANOVA, and regression. Results revealed that integrating and compromising strategies positively impact innovation, while dominating and avoiding strategies have negative effects. Additionally, gender and organizational tenure moderate these relationships. The findings offer practical insights for enhancing innovation through effective conflict management in Sri Lankan manufacturing firms.