FIRO-B® Test Team Results, Behavior and Team Conflict

Leadership in Action, 1994

This article explores the linkages between strategies for managing different types of conflict and group performance and satisfaction. Results from a qualitative study of 57 autonomous teams suggest that groups that improve or maintain top performance over time share 3 conflict resolution tendencies: (a) focusing on the content of interpersonal interactions rather than delivery style, (b) explicitly discussing reasons behind any decisions reached in accepting and distributing work assignments, and (c) assigning work to members who have the relevant task expertise rather than assigning by other common means such as volunteering, default, or convenience. The authors' results also suggest that teams that are successful over time are likely to be both proactive in anticipating the need for conflict resolution and pluralistic in developing conflict resolution strategies that apply to all group members. A great deal of empirical and theoretical attention has been focused in the past decade on intragroup conflict and its impact on team performance (see De Dreu & Weingart, 2003, and Jehn & Bendersky, 2003, for reviews). Two recent developments in this line of research are the impetus for this article. First, the intragroup conflict literature has begun to question the notion that measuring levels of conflict by using the tri-partite classification (i.e., task, relationship, and process conflict) will reliably explain group performance. For example, a recent meta-analysis has cast doubt on the usefulness of this classification by questioning the widely theorized benefits of task conflict and suggesting that task conflict predicts similar negative outcomes to relationship conflict (De Dreu & Weingart, 2003). A number of scholars have also reported negative and contradictory associations between process conflict and performance (e.g., Jehn & Mannix, 2001). The second and related development in the group conflict literature is the move away from the notion that different types of conflict have a direct impact on performance—instead scholars are increasingly suggesting that various aspects of group process and group dynamics serve to ameliorate or exacerbate the impact conflict has on group outcomes generally (see Jehn, 1997, and Jehn & Bendersky, 2003, for a review). For example, task conflict in the presence of trust is more likely to result in positive effects than where trust is low (Simons & Peterson, 2000). Building on these developments, we take a closer look at the effects of conflict resolution (i.e., vs. absolute level of conflict). We want to know how conflict resolution tactics are associated with the impact of task, relationship, and process conflicts on group outputs, and how different approaches to managing each type of conflict are associated with increases versus decreases in team performance. In doing so, we suggest that the way a team manages its conflicts is critically important for predicting team viability and over time performance.

Social Science Research Network, 2017

HE key issue in dealing with team conflict is for the team to realize that the focus is not on conflict itself, but how it is managed. The consequences of poorly handled team conflict result lowering of team energy, disruption of healthy relationships, and the prevention of job accomplishment. Certain causes for team conflict include, perceived breach of faith; unresolved disagreement, miscommunication, personality clashes, differences in acquired values, underlying stress and tension, ego problems, etc. Certain curing measures for the resolution of conflicts are improved communication skills, team counseling, relinquishing, accommodating, collaborating, listening, responding, understanding, etc. Key guidelines for avoiding or resolving team conflicts include, reaching consensus through collaboration, controlling emotional outburst, enhance self-esteem, preserve individual dignity, listen carefully and with empathy, be honest about concerns, get individual ego out of management style, etc. Valuable suggestions to resolve conflicts are: training on the human dynamics of working together, gain alignment around core team processes, develop a conflict resolution process, keep disagreement from escalating into conflict, develop a relationship with difficult team members, etc. Conflict pervades the core of team processes, and, if un-addressed, conflict serves to stunt the development of a team.

In an organization productive utilization of human resources is essential as it increases the capability of the organization to respond to the fast changing business environment. In present globalized competitive scenario more and more organizations are having workforce belonging to diverse culture having heterogeneous skills and experiences. There are various benefits of team work at the same time conflict is also inevitable because every team member has their own perceptions and desires. Conflict is considered as having negative impact but there are some benefits also. This paper discusses the positive and negative impact of team conflict on goal achievement, organizational success and the importance of conflict resolution which is associated with the increase or decrease in team productivity. There are various kinds of conflicts resolution strategies which may be used by the organization depending on the person involved and as well as on the situation. Effective resolution of the conflict is essential for the success of the organization. This paper proposes a conceptual model ‘5 Factors Model for Organizational Success’ which focuses on the impact of effective resolution of the conflict as it plays vital role in the success of the organization and also increases the probability of the same team members working together in future.

Journal of Applied Psychology, 2008

This article explores the linkages between strategies for managing different types of conflict and group performance and satisfaction. Results from a qualitative study of 57 autonomous teams suggest that groups that improve or maintain top performance over time share 3 conflict resolution tendencies: (a) focusing on the content of interpersonal interactions rather than delivery style, (b) explicitly discussing reasons behind any decisions reached in accepting and distributing work assignments, and (c) assigning work to members who have the relevant task expertise rather than assigning by other common means such as volunteering, default, or convenience. The authors' results also suggest that teams that are successful over time are likely to be both proactive in anticipating the need for conflict resolution and pluralistic in developing conflict resolution strategies that apply to all group members.

European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 2009

Academy of Management Journal, 2001

This article explores the linkages between strategies for managing different types of conflict and group performance and satisfaction. Results from a qualitative study of 57 autonomous teams suggest that groups that improve or maintain top performance over time share 3 conflict resolution tendencies: (a) focusing on the content of interpersonal interactions rather than delivery style, (b) explicitly discussing reasons behind any decisions reached in accepting and distributing work assignments, and (c) assigning work to members who have the relevant task expertise rather than assigning by other common means such as volunteering, default, or convenience. The authors' results also suggest that teams that are successful over time are likely to be both proactive in anticipating the need for conflict resolution and pluralistic in developing conflict resolution strategies that apply to all group members.

The present study was conducted in colleges, universities in India to understand the relationship between the team performance, organizational citizenship behavior and team conflict. The data has been collected through questionnaire and analyzed data to know the team conflict mediation effect on relationship conflict, task conflict, team performance and organizational citizenship behavior. The study consist of 204 team members which participated from 25 different colleges and universities and the data analysis was performed through SPSS 22 version used for hierarchical regression to get desire results. The detailed analysis was performed and discussed in detail.

Conflict is inevitable in a team. Although conflict brings down the productivity of a team but it can be also helpful in enhancing team performance. Conflict arises during the different phases of team formation. During these phases, team members practice different styles to manage conflicts within a team. However, they go through different types of conflicts too. Jehn (1997) mentioned three types of conflict related to task, relationship and process.The first part of this paper explains about the formation of team and types of conflict. The second part highlights the conflict management styles in a given situation. The third and the final part of this paper gives a model with respect to two by two matrix between relationship conflict and task conflict and then after proposing conflict management styles to overcome them.