ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to examine whether transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles influence the conflict management style in handling interpersonal conflicts in public sector organizations in Indonesia. Government employees (N = 289) from various government agencies in Jabodetabek were given questionnaires based on instruments in the leadership style and conflict management style to gather responses about the behavior of their leaders. The leaders of the public sector organizations tend to opt for the transformational leadership style using integrating and obliging styles of handling interpersonal conflicts. Leaders opting for transactional leadership style use compromising style of handling interpersonal conflict, while leaders who opt for laissez-faire leadership style use dominating and avoiding styles of handling interpersonal conflicts. In the previous studies, leadership style and conflict management style have largely been examined among university academic staff, healthcare professionals, and manufacturing managers. However, public sector organizations remain unaddressed. The approach taken in this study is different because it does not take a form of self-reporting but a form of assessment by the subordinates to their leaders
