Bridging Leadership and Conflict Styles in Interprofessional Education: Baseline Insights from Health Science Students

Understanding and fostering both leadership and conflict resolution skills are critical for developing effective interprofessional teams. This project aimed to investigate leadership and conflict styles among early health science students enrolled in the Introduction to Interprofessional Education (Intro to IPE) module at the University of Michigan. We aimed to identify potential baseline correlations between leadership styles, based on the Path-Goal Theory, and conflict resolution approaches, as measured by the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI). Given this, our research question was: What baseline patterns in leadership and conflict styles among health science students from various disciplines impact team dynamics in interprofessional education (IPE) settings?Methods/methodology: The study included 2,954 health science students enrolled in Intro to IPE from 13 disciplines from Fall 2023- Winter 2025. Students’ baseline leadership styles (Directive, Achievement-Oriented, Supportive, Participative) were assessed using the Path-Goal Theory Leadership Questionnaire. The TKI was utilized to evaluate conflict management styles (Avoiding, Accommodating, Competing, Collaborating, Compromising). Data was analyzed to identify patterns and correlations between these styles.Results: Preliminary analysis revealed patterns in both leadership and conflict styles across the various health science disciplines. Notable correlations between specific leadership styles and conflict resolution approaches were identified, such as a significant correlation between students’ lowest scored leadership styles and lowest conflict styles (achievement-oriented leadership and competing conflict) across disciplines. General trends saw a high prevalence in supportive leadership, and a high prevalence of the compromising conflict. Analysis will be presented at the CAB conference.Conclusions, implications, and curiosities: These findings suggest that an integrated approach to teaching leadership and conflict resolution may benefit interprofessional teams by aligning their collaborative and problem-solving methods. Implications for curriculum development include incorporating tailored training sessions to enhance these competencies and an adaptable use of all styles among health science students, ultimately improving team dynamics in healthcare.