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Article
Publication date: 9 April 2020

Malgorzata W. Kozusznik, Hillie Aaldering and Martin C. Euwema

A strong relation between task and relationship conflict has toxic impact on teams and poses a high-risk factor in startup organizations. The purpose of this study is to…

Abstract

Purpose

A strong relation between task and relationship conflict has toxic impact on teams and poses a high-risk factor in startup organizations. The purpose of this study is to investigate the moderating role of conflict behavior and related coping strategies on the relationship between task and relationship conflict in startup teams.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted surveys among 100 Dutch and German startup members (Study 1) and 75 Belgium startup members (Study 2). In Study 3, 75 startup members completed weekly surveys in 11 consecutive weeks.

Findings

Both Study 1 and 2 show that the positive association between task and relationship conflict is buffered by problem-solving conflict behavior while this relationship is amplified by the use of avoiding strategies in startup teams. Similarly, the results of Study 3 show that individual and team-level problem-focused coping over a period of 11 weeks buffers the association between task and relationship conflict during this period, while individual disengagement coping potentiates it.

Originality/value

This study adds to the literature on conflict management and entrepreneurship by studying conflict behavior as a moderator in the association between task and relationship conflict in startup teams. Moreover, it takes a comprehensive perspective by including coping strategies conceptually related to conflict behaviors at both individual and teamlevel, as moderators in this relationship. The results of this study provide practical recommendations for entrepreneurs on how to prevent conflict escalation via conflict-oriented behaviors and more general coping strategies.

Details

International Journal of Conflict Management, vol. 31 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1044-4068

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 August 2009

Annika Tidström

The purpose of this study is to increase understanding about the causes of conflict in intercompetitor cooperation.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to increase understanding about the causes of conflict in intercompetitor cooperation.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical part is based on two case studies within two different industries in Finland: the transportation industry and the natural products industry. Interviews with managing directors were carried out in 2003‐2006.

Findings

The findings of the study show that causes of conflict in intercompetitor cooperation can be related organisationally, relationally or externally. Organisational causes of conflict in intercompetitor cooperation can be either operational or normative, while relational causes can be strategic or normative. On an external level there are several actors that may influence conflicts in intercompetitor cooperation: suppliers, salesmen, customers and political actors.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of the study derive from the scarce possibilities for generalisations and the risk of a fairly case‐specific study. Further research should focus on external network actors and their impact on conflict in business‐to‐business relationships. Another avenue for further study would be to investigate the extent to which the findings from this study can be related to vertical business relationships with minimum levels of competition.

Practical implications

Cooperating competitors usually have a history, which is mainly based on competition. This history appears to be hard to forget since there is a tendency for competitors to act individualistically by focusing on what is best for their own company instead of the industry as a whole.

Originality/value

The study focuses on two research areas, neither of which has been adequately researched in the existing literature about interorganisational relationships: conflict and intercompetitor cooperation.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 24 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2024

Hakeem A. Owolabi, Azeez A. Oyedele, Lukumon Oyedele, Hafiz Alaka, Oladimeji Olawale, Oluseyi Aju, Lukman Akanbi and Sikiru Ganiyu

Despite an enormous body of literature on conflict management, intra-group conflicts vis-à-vis team performance, there is currently no study investigating the conflict prevention…

Abstract

Purpose

Despite an enormous body of literature on conflict management, intra-group conflicts vis-à-vis team performance, there is currently no study investigating the conflict prevention approach to handling innovation-induced conflicts that may hinder smooth implementation of big data technology in project teams.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses constructs from conflict theory, and team power relations to develop an explanatory framework. The study proceeded to formulate theoretical hypotheses from task-conflict, process-conflict, relationship and team power conflict. The hypotheses were tested using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) to understand key preventive measures that can encourage conflict prevention in project teams when implementing big data technology.

Findings

Results from the structural model validated six out of seven theoretical hypotheses and identified Relationship Conflict Prevention as the most important factor for promoting smooth implementation of Big Data Analytics technology in project teams. This is followed by power-conflict prevention, prevention of task disputes and prevention of Process conflicts respectively. Results also show that relationship and power conflicts interact on the one hand, while task and relationship conflict prevention also interact on the other hand, thus, suggesting the prevention of one of the conflicts could minimise the outbreak of the other.

Research limitations/implications

The study has been conducted within the context of big data adoption in a project-based work environment and the need to prevent innovation-induced conflicts in teams. Similarly, the research participants examined are stakeholders within UK projected-based organisations.

Practical implications

The study urges organisations wishing to embrace big data innovation to evolve a multipronged approach for facilitating smooth implementation through prevention of conflicts among project frontlines. This study urges organisations to anticipate both subtle and overt frictions that can undermine relationships and team dynamics, effective task performance, derail processes and create unhealthy rivalry that undermines cooperation and collaboration in the team.

Social implications

The study also addresses the uncertainty and disruption that big data technology presents to employees in teams and explore conflict prevention measure which can be used to mitigate such in project teams.

Originality/value

The study proposes a Structural Model for establishing conflict prevention strategies in project teams through a multidimensional framework that combines constructs like team power conflict, process, relationship and task conflicts; to encourage Big Data implementation.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 February 2021

Tosin Seun Adebayo and Logo Oluwamayowa

The compulsory lockdown issued by the Nigeria Government to curb the spread of the virus has undoubtedly negatively affected the livelihoods of households. As a result, many have…

Abstract

Purpose

The compulsory lockdown issued by the Nigeria Government to curb the spread of the virus has undoubtedly negatively affected the livelihoods of households. As a result, many have lost their sources of income and have no other means for survival. It is important to note that it has the potential of triggering violent conflicts and civil unrest as a popular African adage goes as thus: “A hungry man is an angry man”. Unfortunately, little attention has been given, neither has extant literature adequately covered the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak as it directly affects households in a rural community in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

This study proceeded from on both a qualitative and quantitative method and adopted a mixed-method and case study research design. Data for this study was collected through primary and secondary data. Primary data for this study was collected through a questionnaire and focus group discussions (FGD). The questionnaire used for this study was a validated instrument designed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to measure food security amongst households. The USDA household’s instrument was used and then modified to access the food security status of households during the lockdown.

Findings

Findings from this study revealed that households, in general, were categorised as having “very low food security” during the lockdown as they testified to all the food insecure conditions. In general, the food intake of household members reported irregular eating patterns as the household lacked the money to purchase food. This study further indicated that a high number of respondents see violence as a means of attaining food. Extreme volatility in their inability to access food as a result of food shortages and the inability to benefit from government palliatives has been found to trigger incidents of conflict and malnutrition on households.

Research limitations/implications

This method was sampling method was adopted because of the compulsory and constitutional lockdown imposed by the government to curb the spread of the novel COVID-19 which limited the movement of the researcher to other households in the community which proved to be limited during the time this research was carried limiting the scope of the sample size.

Originality/value

This research adopted mixed-method research and was written by the researchers who did the study. This paper was conducted during the mandatory lockdown issued by the Federal Government in Nigeria with to understand the impact of the mandatory lockdown on rural households using Ilaje local of Ondo state as a case study while establishing a link between food security and conflict.

Details

Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, vol. 13 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-6599

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 December 2018

Jie Ma and Cong Liu

Research concludes that supervisor conflict is a primary antecedent of employee counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs). However, previous studies mainly focused on direct…

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Abstract

Purpose

Research concludes that supervisor conflict is a primary antecedent of employee counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs). However, previous studies mainly focused on direct supervisor conflict, with indirect supervisor conflict understudied. To fill the research gap, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between indirect supervisor conflict and employee CWBs and the buffering effect of emotional intelligence on indirect supervisor conflict–CWB relationships in two studies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used time-lagged design (Study 1) and longitudinal design (Study 2) with multisource data to test the theoretical model presented in this study.

Findings

The positive relationship between indirect supervisor conflict and CWBs were consistently supported with self-report CWBs but not with coworker-report CWBs. SEA and OEA were found to buffer the indirect supervisor conflict–CWB relationships with both self-report and coworker-report CWBs.

Originality/value

The study suggests that while covert and implicit, indirect supervisor conflict could drive employees to engage in CWBs that impose a threat to organization and its members. The emotional-appraisal aspect of emotional intelligence (i.e. SEA and OEA) could help employees to better cope with indirect supervisor conflict and mitigate employees’ engagement in CWBs.

Details

International Journal of Conflict Management, vol. 30 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1044-4068

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 June 2019

Poonam Mishra and Amitabh Deo Kodwani

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between relationship conflict and the perception of organization politics (POP) and the moderating role of employee…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between relationship conflict and the perception of organization politics (POP) and the moderating role of employee engagement. The study hypothesizes that the conflict results in the presence of POP only for those employees who are relatively less engaged with the organization. The paper further explores the mediating role of perceived politics between the relationship conflict and job-related outcome variables including openness to diversity, turnover intent and perception of justice. In sum, the authors contend that employee engagement will act as a moderator between relationship conflict and POP, and POP further will act as a mediator between relationship conflict and its job-related outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

A descriptive study was carried on to conduct this research. Data were collected at two different points of time from the employees of two public sector undertakings (n=206). About 80 questionnaires were not returned by the respondents, reducing the sample size to be 126. Of these, 115 were usable, resulting in a 55.83 percent response rate. SEM was employed to test the hypotheses with the help of Smart PLS 3.0. A two-step process was followed to test the hypothesized model. Testing the significance of proposed relationships in the structural model was followed by the evaluation of the measurement model.

Findings

The results of the study highlighted a positive association between the relationship conflict and POP. A moderating effect of employee engagement on relationship conflict and perceived organizational politics (POP) was observed. Further, POP was found to have a positive relationship with the intention to leave and a negative relationship with openness to diversity and perception of justice was observed. POP mediated the relationship between relationship conflict with the intention to leave and the perception of justice.

Research limitations/implications

The very first limitation of the present study is its cross-sectional design. Since the data were gathered from the same respondents, the causal relationships between variables are subject to biases (Bobko and Stone-Romero, 1998). Further, the data were gathered with the help of self-report questionnaires, and the findings of this study might have been influenced by the social desirability response bias (Podsakoff et al., 2003). Hence, future work should focus on using a combination of sources for data collection. This study also proposes a possible role of emotional intelligence in employee engagement and their POP, which can be tested in future studies.

Practical implications

The study suggests that relationship conflict leads to POP, which eventually results in adverse job-related outcomes. In order to control the negative effects of politics perception, organizations should undertake conflict prevention and conflict management techniques. To further reduce the level of POP, organizations shall take steps to better engage their employees because even when the level of relationship conflict is high, people perceive less politics if they are highly engaged with the organization.

Originality/value

The study is an original work carried out to understand the relationship between relationship conflict and the POP, and the moderating role of employee engagement.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 26 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 April 2008

Lloyd C. Harris, Emmanuel Ogbonna and Mark M.H. Goode

The objective of this paper is to contribute empirical evaluation of the factors, behaviours and processes that lead to intra‐functional conflict, and in so doing to contribute to…

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Abstract

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to contribute empirical evaluation of the factors, behaviours and processes that lead to intra‐functional conflict, and in so doing to contribute to theory building on these issues, which have important contemporary relevance for theorists and practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 1,000 firms was conducted to elucidate the associations between both functional and dysfunctional intra‐functional conflict and a number of intra‐ and extra‐organisational variables.

Findings

Evidence was found indicating that participative decision making (positively), heterogeneity and centrality of marketing (both negatively) are linked to functional intra‐departmental conflict, while leadership quality of senior staff, team spirit and risk‐taking proclivity are positively associated with functional intradepartmental conflict and negatively with dysfunctional intra‐departmental conflict. No support was found for the claims that departmentalisation and organisation size were associated with either form of conflict.

Research limitations/implications

The study supplies an empirical contribution through conceptualising, and subsequently empirically verifying, a model of the antecedents of intra‐functional conflict. Empirical contributions stem from findings that, while some parallels exist between the antecedents of intra‐functional and inter‐functional conflict, differences are evident, and in some cases even orthogonal. This study further reinforces suggestions that marketers have over‐emphasised the negative dimensions of conflict and have overlooked the positive (that is, the functional) aspects of conflict.

Practical implications

The findings of the study also have numerous implications for practitioners. At a strategic level, the study suggests that executives should acknowledge in their change processes that decisions at an organisational level could have a profound effect on both the functional and dysfunctional conflict in their organisation. Further, given the significant effect of inter‐group dynamics, managers of functions may find it beneficial to manipulate a range of intra‐functional variables to enhance functional conflict.

Originality/value

The value of the current study centres on the conceptual and empirical contributions regarding the drivers of intra‐functional conflict.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 42 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 September 2021

Regina Kim, Jimena Y. Ramirez-Marin and Kevin Tasa

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiences of nonnative speakers in conflictual situations with native speakers in the workplace. In three studies, the authors…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiences of nonnative speakers in conflictual situations with native speakers in the workplace. In three studies, the authors examine whether nonnative speakers experience stereotype threat in workplace conflict situations with native speakers, whether stereotype threat is associated with certain conflict managing behaviors (e.g. yielding and avoiding) and the relationship between stereotype threat, satisfaction with conflict outcomes and processes, and objective conflict outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Studies 1 and 2 use critical incident recall methodology to examine nonnative speakers’ conflict behaviors and satisfaction with conflict outcomes. In Study 3, data were collected from a face-to-face simulation with a random-assignment design.

Findings

Findings suggest that nonnative speakers indeed experience heightened stereotype threat when interacting with native speakers in conflict situations and the experience of stereotype threat leads to less satisfaction with conflict outcomes, perceptions of goal attainment, as well as worse objective conflict outcomes.

Originality/value

The current study is one of the first studies to document the effects of accent stereotype threat on conflict behaviors and outcomes. More broadly, it contributes to the conflict studies literature by offering new insight into the effects and implications of stereotype threat on workplace conflict behaviors and outcomes.

Details

International Journal of Conflict Management, vol. 33 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1044-4068

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 September 2022

Shuman Zheng and Dongjin Li

The usage of augmented reality (AR) in online shopping websites provides a “try-on” experience for consumers. AR technology combines the virtual and real world. Previous studies

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Abstract

Purpose

The usage of augmented reality (AR) in online shopping websites provides a “try-on” experience for consumers. AR technology combines the virtual and real world. Previous studies have addressed AR usage’s benefits to consumers’ online shopping experience. However, this study aims to explore the dark side of AR usage in consumers’ online purchasing process.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conduct six experiments to examine whether AR usage leads to adverse effects on consumers’ purchase intention and explain the mechanism of its dark side.

Findings

The result shows that AR usage in online shopping websites reduces consumers’ purchase intention. The authors further reveal that the usage of AR leads to more vital psychological ownership of the product, and psychological ownership positively relates to cognitive conflict. Cognitive conflict explains the negative influence of AR usage on purchase intention.

Originality/value

First, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore the impact of embedded AR function of websites on consumers’ decision-making process. Also, it is the first study on the application of AR in a real shopping scene, which makes the study of AR close to reality. Second, psychological ownership is introduced in this study. Although there are many types of research on psychological ownership, few scholars have explored it in AR research. Third, most studies stress the advantages of using AR during purchase; this research demonstrates that embedding AR function in a shopping website may negatively affect purchase intention.

Details

Nankai Business Review International, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8749

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1997

S. Pandey and E.S. Kumar

This article describes the development of a measure of role conflict. Role conflict was conceptualized as consisting of four dimensions: intrasender, intersender, interrotle, and…

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Abstract

This article describes the development of a measure of role conflict. Role conflict was conceptualized as consisting of four dimensions: intrasender, intersender, interrotle, and person‐role conflict respectively. Study 1 (N = 65), which was conducted to pilot test the 96 item questionnaire (reduced from 224 items after expert rating), resulted in the reduction of the questionnaire to 43 items with three interpretable dimensions. Study 2 (N = 100) was carried out to examine the construct validity of the scale and confirm the factor structure. There was convergence with the findings of Study 1. Cronbach alpha for each subscale was adequate, and evidence of concurrent, convergent, and discriminant validities was found. Study 3 (N = 242) attempted to provide some normative data for the measure, in addition to carrying out a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using LISREL. The findings of Study 2 were almost duplicated, and the CFA results lent greater support to a three‐factor structure of role conflict.

Details

International Journal of Conflict Management, vol. 8 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1044-4068

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