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The role of regulatory focus and team mindfulness in megaproject conflicts

Dedong Wang (Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, China)
Yuxue Wang (Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, China)

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management

ISSN: 0969-9988

Article publication date: 9 November 2021

Issue publication date: 14 March 2023

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Abstract

Purpose

Project conflicts are inevitable. Megaproject conflicts need to be managed across different levels. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of individual-level regulatory focus and organization-level team mindfulness in managing megaproject conflicts.

Design/methodology/approach

By combining the individual motivation basis and organizational background of conflict resolution, this study constructed a multi-level structural equation model. The hypothesis is tested based on data collected from 182 respondents.

Findings

The findings of this study show that project manager's promotion focus has a direct positive effect on task conflict and a negative effect on relationship conflict. Prevention focus has a positive effect on relationship conflict and a negative effect on task conflict and process conflict. Team mindfulness has a negative effect on relationship conflict and process conflict and a positive effect on task conflict. Task conflict was negatively affected by the interaction between team mindfulness and promotion focus. The interaction between team mindfulness and prevention focus had a positive effect on relationship conflict.

Originality/value

This study verifies the positive role of project manager's promotion focus and prevention focus in conflict management and clarifies the strengthening role of team mindfulness in constructive conflict and the prevention role in destructive conflict. This study also confirms that team mindfulness can act as a reinforcement and complementary factor of regulatory focus in megaproject conflict, contributing to the current understanding of the project manager's role in megaproject mindfulness contexts.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This project was jointly supported by (1) the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. DUT21RW207); (2) Humanities and Social Science Research Project of the Ministry of Education (No. 21YJA630067).

Citation

Wang, D. and Wang, Y. (2023), "The role of regulatory focus and team mindfulness in megaproject conflicts", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 30 No. 2, pp. 714-733. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-05-2021-0400

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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