de Wit: intragroup conflict

Question 1

3 types of conflict

Answer 1

• Task conflicts
  
  • regarding content and outcome of the task
• Relationship conflicts
  
  • regarding interpersonal issues
• Process conflicts
  
  • regarding logistics of task accomplishment

Question 2

2 types of moderators of the effects of conflict

Answer 2

• Contextual characteristics
  
  • co-occurence of conflict types
  • task type
  • organizational context
  • cultural context
• Methodological characteristics
  
  • average level of intragroup conflict
  • setting
  • subjects
  • conflict scale
  • operationalization of group performance
  • measurement of performance
  • publication status

Question 3

2 outcome types of the effects of conflicts

Answer 3

• Proximal group outcomes
  
  • emergent states:
    
    • cognitive, motivational, aand affective states of
      groups, such as intra-group trust and cohesion
  • group viability:
    
    • reflects group member affect and behavioral
      intentions and is represented by members’
      intention to remain working in the group as well as
      group member satisfaction and commitment
• Distal group outcomes
  
  • group performance:
    
    • innovation, productivity, and effectiveness

Question 4

The effects of conflicts are dependend on…

Answer 4

• Type of conflict
• Context studied
• Methods used

Question 5

Main effects and moderators

Answer 5

• Task conflict and group performance more positively related (no strong and negative association)
• Stable negative relationships were found between relationship and process conflict, and group outcomes
• 3 types of conflict are more negatively related to proximal group outcomes than to distal group outcomes
• Overall association of relationship and process conflict with group performance is more uniformly negative
• None of the studies on process conflict reported a positive association of process conflict with emergent states and group viability

Question 6

Factors that may explain when conflict is more negatively or positively related to group outcomes

Answer 6

• Type of conflict
• Type of outcome
• Correlation between task and relationship conflict
• Organizational level
• How variables are operationalized and measured