Purpose: The present study was conducted with the aim of examining the effect of job conflict management on social undermining, with interpersonal forgiveness serving as a mediating variable among primary school teachers. Despite the recognized importance of social undermining as a destructive workplace phenomenon — particularly in educational settings where professional relationships are continuous and cooperation-dependent — limited research has simultaneously investigated these three constructs. The study sought to address this gap by providing empirical evidence on how conflict management styles reduce socially undermining behaviors among teachers, and whether this effect operates partly through the psychological mechanism of interpersonal forgiveness. The overarching goal was to produce actionable insights for improving interpersonal relations and reducing the negative consequences of undermining behaviors in schools.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was applied in purpose and descriptive-correlational in method, based on structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population comprised all primary school teachers employed in Tuysarkan County during the 2024–2025 academic year, totaling 301 individuals. Using simple random sampling, a sample of 233 teachers was selected. Data were collected through three validated, standardized questionnaires. Job conflict management styles were measured using the Putnam and Wilson (1982) instrument, consisting of 30 items across three dimensions: competition (items 1–7; α = 0.61), cooperation and compromise (items 8–18; α = 0.71), and avoidance and accommodation (items 19–30; α = 0.70). Interpersonal forgiveness was assessed using Ehteshamzadeh's (2010) questionnaire comprising 25 items across three subscales: re-connection and revenge control (items 1–12; α = 0.77), resentment control (items 13–18; α = 0.73), and realistic understanding (items 19–25; α = 0.79). Social undermining was measured by the Duffy et al. (2002) scale, consisting of 14 items across two dimensions: peer-level undermining (items 1–7; α = 0.75) and supervisor-level undermining (items 8–14; α = 0.76). All instruments employed a five-point Likert scale. Construct validity was assessed through second-order confirmatory factor analysis, with all fit indices confirming acceptable model fit. Overall, Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.73, 0.80, and 0.89 for job conflict management, interpersonal forgiveness, and social undermining, respectively. Data analysis utilized both descriptive and inferential statistics, with SEM and confirmatory factor analysis conducted using SPSS and LISREL software. The mediation effect was tested using the Sobel test.
Findings: Structural equation modeling confirmed that the conceptual model fit the empirical data well, and all four hypotheses were supported. Job conflict management had a significant negative effect on social undermining, indicating that constructive conflict handling reduces harmful workplace behaviors. It also showed a significant positive effect on interpersonal forgiveness, suggesting that effective conflict resolution promotes forgiving attitudes among teachers. Interpersonal forgiveness negatively affected social undermining, meaning higher forgiveness levels reduce destructive behaviors. Additionally, interpersonal forgiveness significantly mediated the relationship between conflict management and social undermining. Correlation analysis showed significant relationships among all three variables at the 0.01 level.
Discussion and Conclusion: The findings highlight the important role of job conflict management in reducing social undermining both directly and indirectly through interpersonal forgiveness. Constructive conflict management prevents disagreements from escalating into damaging interpersonal behaviors, supporting conflict interaction theories and previous evidence regarding the negative consequences of unmanaged conflicts. Effective conflict resolution through dialogue, fairness, and mutual understanding also promotes forgiveness by reducing negative emotions and strengthening empathy. Interpersonal forgiveness functions as a protective psychological resource, as individuals with greater forgiveness capacity are less likely to engage in hostile, retaliatory, or destructive behaviors. The mediating role of forgiveness further demonstrates that conflict management influences workplace outcomes through emotional and psychological processes in addition to behavioral mechanisms. Practically, these findings suggest integrating conflict management training into teacher development programs while promoting school cultures emphasizing forgiveness, tolerance, and emotional regulation. Schools should also establish preventive mechanisms such as peer support systems, mediation committees, and safe reporting channels. Future studies should adopt longitudinal, experimental, and mixed-method approaches to improve causal understanding. However, generalization should be made cautiously due to methodological limitations, including cross-sectional design, self-report measures, geographic restrictions, and reliance on quantitative methods.