From trust to creativity and commitment: conflict mediation and the role of avoiding leadership

Purpose The primary purpose of this study is twofold. First, it seeks to evaluate the mediating role of conflict in transmitting the effects of team trust (TT) on employee creativity (EC) and organizational commitment (OC). Second, it investigates the moderating role of avoiding conflict management style (AS) in shaping the relationship between task conflict (TC) and relationship conflict (RC). Together, these objectives provide a deeper understanding of how trust and conflict interact to influence organizational outcomes in Vietnam’s IT industry. Design/methodology/approach Through online and offline surveys, data were collected from 381 IT employees in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the proposed path model. Findings The results show that TC and RC are significant mediators linking TT to EC and OC. Most notably, this study provides novel evidence of a strong moderating effect of AS on the relationship between TC and RC, highlighting its unique role in shaping how task-related disagreements are associated with more relationship-focused tensions within organizations. Research limitations/implications The findings suggest that organizations should not avoid conflict but manage it constructively by fostering trust and open communication. Leaders are encouraged to adopt context-appropriate strategies that prevent the escalation of TC into RC, thereby enhancing EC and OC. Originality/value This study contributes to conflict management theory by demonstrating that in harmony-oriented cultural contexts, higher levels of TC are associated with lower EC and with higher RC, which in turn relate negatively to both EC and OC. It further provides novel evidence that AS intensifies this escalation. Moreover, the findings highlight the critical role of TT in mitigating team conflict, enhancing EC and strengthening OC.