Narratives of workplace conflict: A mixed-methods analysis of HEXACO and Dark Triad personality predictors

Workplace conflicts are common, yet most evidence links personality to broad conflict management styles rather than to how concrete episodes unfold. We used a mixed-methods design to examine whether Dark Triad and HEXACO traits predict the content and course of real conflicts. Hungarian employees ( N = 318, 31.1% male, 68.9% female, M age = 35.24, SD = 10.34) completed personality measures and provided written narratives of a workplace conflict in which they were directly involved. Narratives were inductively coded into indicators of conflict context, process, outcomes, and narrative structure, and binary logistic regressions were used to examine associations with personality traits. Personality traits were more strongly related to how conflicts unfolded and were interpreted than to their structural features, such as who was involved or what triggered the conflict. Interpersonal traits from the HEXACO model showed the most consistent associations with conflict dynamics, emotional responses, and relationship outcomes. Dark Triad traits showed selective but limited associations with conflict processes, offering little evidence for broad predictive advantages beyond broader personality dimensions. Overall, the findings suggest that workplace conflict is not only enacted but also interpreted through the lens of personality, highlighting the importance of integrating dispositional and situational perspectives in research on organizational conflict.