Purpose: Although conflict has traditionally been considered destructive, recent studies have indicated that conflict management can contribute to effective teamwork. The present study explores conflict management as a team phenomenon in schools. The author examined how the contextual variables (task interdependence, goal interdependence) are related to team conflict management style (integrating vs. dominating) and school team effectiveness (team performance).
Research Design:Data were collected from 149 school teams (including team coordinators and team members) at 149 elementary schools.
Results: Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrate, as expected, a positive relation between conflict management of integrating and team performance and a negative relation between dominating and team performance. In addition, there are positive relations between the congruent low-low or high-high combinations of task and goal interdependence and integrating and positive relations between the incongruent low-high or high-low combinations of task and goal interdependence and team conflict management of dominating. Moreover, results indicate that the highest level of integrating is under the condition of high task interdependence and high goal interdependence, whereas the highest level of dominating is under the condition of high task interdependence and low goal interdependence. Finally, a team's conflict management was partially mediated by the combination of task and goal interdependence and team performance.
Conclusions: The present results provide additional empirical support for the notion that conflict management can be considered a team phenomenon. The study should serve to encourage educational administration researchers to focus more attention on characteristics of organizational and team context as related to team conflict management and team effectiveness.
Alper, S., Tjosvold, D., & Law, K.S. (1998). Interdependence and controversy in group's decision making: Antecedents to effective self-managing teams. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 74, 33-52.
3.
Alper, S., Tjosvold, D., & Law, K.S. (2000). Conflict management, efficacy, and performance in organizational teams. Personnel Psychology, 53, 625-642.
4.
Ayoko, O.B., Hartel, C.E.J., & Callan, V.J. (2004). Resolving the puzzle of productive and destructive conflict in culturally heterogeneous work groups: A communication accommodation theory approach. International Journal of Conflict Management , 13, 165-187.
5.
Baron, R.M., & Kenny, D.A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173-1182.
Blau, P. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. New York: John Wiley.
8.
Bliese, P.D., & Halverson, R.R. (1996). Individual and nomothetic models of job stress: An examination of work hours, cohesion, and well being . Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 26, 1171-1189.
9.
Bono, J.E., & Judge, T.A. (2003). Self concordance at work: Toward understanding the motivational effects of transformational leaders. Academy of Management Journal, 46, 554-571.
10.
Bottger, P.C., & Yetton, P.W. (1987). Improving group performance by training in individual problem solving. Journal of Applied Psychology, 72, 651-657.
11.
Brass, D.J. (1981). Structural relationships, job characteristics, and worker satisfaction and performance. Administrative Science Quarterly, 22, 331-348.
12.
Campion, M.A., Papper, E.M., & Medsker, G.J. (1996). Relations between work group characteristics and effectiveness: A replication and extension. Personnel Psychology , 49, 429-452.
13.
Chen, G., Liu, C., & Tjosvold, D. (2005). Conflict management for effective top management teams and innovation in China. Journal of Management Studies , 42, 277-300.
14.
Cohen, S.G., & Ledford, G.E., Jr. (1994). The effectiveness of self-managing teams: A quasi-experiment. Human Relations, 47, 13-43.
15.
De Dreu, C.K.W., & Beersma, B. (2005). Conflict in organizations: Beyond effectiveness and performance. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 14, 105-117.
16.
Deutsch, M. (1973). The resolution of conflict. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
17.
Deutsch, M. (1980). Fifty years of conflict. In I. Festinger (Ed.), Retrospections on social psychology (pp. 46-77). New York: Oxford University Press.
18.
Dewey, J. (1961). Logic: The theory of inquiry. The later works, 1925-1953 (Vol. 12, J. Boydston, Ed.). Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press. (Original work published 1938)
19.
Dimmock, C., & Walker, A. (1998). Comparative educational administration: Development a cross-cultural conceptual framework. Educational Administration Quarterly, 34, 558-595.
20.
Drach-Zahavy, A., & Somech, A. (2002). Team heterogeneity and its relationship with team support and team effectiveness: An investigation of school-staff teams. Journal of Educational Administration, 40, 44-66.
21.
Edmondson, A.C., Roberto, M., & Watkins, M. (2003, August). Negotiating asymmetry: A model of top-management team effectiveness. Paper presented at the Academy of Management meetings, Washington, DC.
22.
Ehrhart, M.G., & Naumann, S.E. (2004). Organizational citizenship behavior in work groups: A group norms approach. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89, 960-974.
23.
Erez, M., & Somech, A. (1996). Is group productivity loss the rule or the exception? Effects of culture and group-based motivation. Academy of Management Journal, 39, 1513-1537.
24.
Farmer, S., & Roth, J. (1998). Conflict-handling behavior in work groups. Effects of group structure, decision processes, and time. Small Group Research, 29, 669-713.
25.
Flynn, F.J. (2003). How much should I give and how often? The effects of generosity and frequency or favor exchange on social status and productivity . Academy of Management Journal, 46, 539-553.
26.
George, J.M. (1990). Personality, affect and behavior in groups. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 462-474.
27.
George, J.M., & Bettenhausen, K. (1990). Understanding prosocial behavior, sales performance and turnover: A group level analysis in a service context. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75, 698-709.
28.
George, J.M., & Jones, G.R. (1997). Organizational spontaneity in context. Human Performance, 10, 153-170.
29.
Hackman, J.R. (1976). Influences on individuals. In M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 1455-1525). Chicago: Rand McNally.
30.
Hackman, J.R., & Morris, C.G. (1975). Group tasks, group interaction processes, and group performance effectiveness: A review and proposed integration. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (pp. 45-99). New York: Academic Press.
31.
Hogg, M.A. (2000). Social identity and social comparison. In J. Suls & L. Wheeler (Eds.), Handbook of social comparison: Theory and research (pp. 401-421). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum.
32.
James, L.R. (1982). Aggregation bias in estimates of perceptual agreement . Journal of Applied Psychology, 67, 219-229.
33.
James, L.R., Demaree, R.G., & Wolf, G. (1993). rwg: An assessment of within-group interrater agreement. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78, 306-309.
34.
Janz, B.D., Colquitt, J.A., & Noe, R.A. (1997). Knowledge worker team effectiveness: The role of autonomy, interdependence, team development, and contextual support variables . Personnel Psychology, 50, 877-904.
35.
Jehn, K. (1995). A multimethod examination of the benefits and detriments of intragroup conflict. Administrative Science Quarterly, 40, 256-282.
36.
Jehn, K.A., Chadwick, C.T., & Sherry, M.B.1997. To agree or not to agree: The effects of value congruence, individual demographic dissimilarity, and conflict on workgroup outcomes. International Journal of Conflict Management, 8, 287-305.
37.
Jehn, K., & Mannix, E. (2001). The dynamic nature of conflict: A longitudinal study of intragroup conflict and group performance. Academy of Management Journal, 44, 238-251.
38.
Johnson, B. (2003). Teacher collaboration: Good for some, not so good for others. Educational Studies, 29, 337-350.
39.
Johnson, D.W., & Johnson, R.T. (1996). Conflict resolution and peer mediation programs in elementary and secondary schools: A review of the research. Review of Educational Research, 66, 459-506.
40.
Johnson, D.W., Maruyama, G., Johnson, R.T., Nelson, D., & Skon, S. (1981). Effects of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic goal structures on achievement: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 89, 47-62.
41.
Jordan, C.F. (1999). Using collaborative action teams to create community schools. National Association of Secondary School Principals , 83, 48-58.
42.
Kirk, R.E. (1996). Practical significance: A concept whose time has come. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 56, 746-759.
43.
Kirkman, B.L., & Rosen, B. (1999). Beyond self management: Antecedents and consequences of team empowerment. Academy of Management Journal, 42, 58-74.
44.
Klein, K.J., & Sorra, J.S. (1996). The challenge of innovation implementation. Academy of Management Review, 21, 1055-1080.
45.
Korabik, K., Baril, G., & Watson, C. (1993). Managers' conflict management style and leadership effectiveness: The moderating effects of gender. Sex Roles , 29, 405-421.
46.
Kramer, R. (1991). Intergroup relations and organizational dilemmas . In L. L. Cummings & B. M. Staw (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior (Vol. 13, pp. 191-228), Greenwich, CT: JAI.
47.
Kruse, S.D., & Louis, K.S. (1997). Teacher teaming in middle schools: Dilemmas for a school-wide community. Educational Administration Quarterly , 33, 261-289.
48.
Kuhn, T., & Poole, M. (2000). Do conflict management styles affect group decision making? Evidence from a longitudinal field study. Human Communication Research, 26, 558-590.
49.
Lovelace, K., Shapiro, D.L., & Weingart, L.R.2001. Maximizing cross-functional new product team's innovativeness and constraint adherence: A conflict communications perspective. Academy of Management Journal, 44, 779-793.
50.
McGrath, J.E. (1991). Time, interaction and performance (TIP): A theory of groups. Small Group Research, 22, 147-174.
51.
Morris, J.H., & Steers, R.M. (1980). Structural influences on organizational commitment . Journal of Vocational Behavior, 17, 50-57.
52.
Moye, N., & Langfred, C.W. (2004). Information sharing and group conflict: Going beyond decision making to understand the effects of information sharing on group performance. International Journal of Conflict Management, 15, 381-410.
53.
Newmann, F.M., King, B., & Youngs, P. (2000, April). Professional development that addresses school capacity. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.
54.
Oetzel, J. (1999). The influence of situational features on perceived conflict styles and self-construct in work groups. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 23, 679-695.
55.
Organ, D.W. (1988). Organizational citizenship behavior: The good soldier syndrome. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
56.
Pruitt, D.G., & Rubin, J.Z. (1986). Social conflict: Escalation, stalemate. New York: Random House.
57.
Rahim, A., & Bonoma, T.V. (1979). Managing organizational conflict: A model for diagnosis and intervention. Psychological Reports, 44, 1323-1344.
58.
Rahim, M., Magner, N., & Shapiro, D. (2000). Do justice perceptions influence styles of handling conflict with supervisors? What justice perceptions, precisely?International Journal of Conflict Management, 11, 9-31.
59.
Rahim, M.A. (1983). A measure of styles of handling interpersonal conflicts. Academy of Management Journal, 26, 368-376.
60.
Rahim, M.A. (2001). Managing conflict in organizations (3rd ed.). Westport, CT: Quorum.
61.
Rousseau, D.M. (1985). Issues of level in organizational research: Multi-level and cross-level perspectives. Research in Organizational Behavior , 7, 1-37.
62.
Saavedra, R., Earley, P.C., & Van Dyne, L. (1993). Complex interdependence in task-performing groups . Journal of Applied Psychology, 78, 61-72.
63.
Salancik, G.R., & Pfeffer, J. (1978). A social information processing approach to job attitudes and task design. Administrative Science Quarterly , 23, 224-253.
64.
Sambamurthy, V., & Poole, M.S. (1992). The effects on variations in capabilities of GDSS designs on management of cognitive conflicts in groups. Information Systems Research, 3, 224-251.
65.
Schneider, B. (1987). The people make the place. Personnel Psychology, 40, 437-453.
66.
Simons, T., & Roberson, Q. (2003). Why managers should care about fairness: The effects of aggregate justice perceptions on organizational outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 432-443.
67.
Somech, A. (2004). Teacher's personal and team empowerment and their relations to organizational outcomes: Contradictory or compatible constructs ? Educational Administration Quarterly, 39, 1-30.
68.
Somech, A. (2006). The effects of leadership style and team process on performance and innovation in functionally heterogeneous teams. Journal of Management, 32, 1-26.
69.
Somech, A., & Drach-Zahavy, A. (2007). School as team-based organizations: A structure-process outcomes approach. Group Dynamics: Theory , Research, and Practice: Special Issue on Groups in Education , 11, 4.
70.
Stanne, M.B., Johnson, D.W., & Johnson, R.T. (1999). Does competition enhance or inhibit motor performance: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 125, 133-154.
71.
Thomas, K.W. (1976). Conflict and conflict management. In M. D. Dunnetee (Ed.), The handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 889-935). Chicago: Rand McNally.
72.
Tjosvold, D. (1999). Bridging East and West to develop new products and trust: Interdependence and interaction between a Hong Kong parent and NorthAmerican subsidiary. International Journal of Innovation Management, 3, 233-252.
73.
Tjosvold, D., Hui, C., Ding, D., & Hu, J. (2003). Conflict values and team relationships: Conflict's contribution to team effectiveness and citizenship in China. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24, 69-88.
74.
Tjosvold, D., Hui, C., & Yu, Z. (2005). Conflict management and task reflexivity for team in-role performance and extra-role performance in China. International Journal of Conflict Management, 14, 141-163.
75.
Tjosvold, D., Leung, K., & Johnson, D.W. (2000). Cooperative and competitive conflict in China . In M. Deutsch & P. T. Coleman (Eds.), The handbook of conflict resolution: Theory and practice (pp. 475-495). San Francisco : Jossey-Bass.
76.
Tjosvold, D., Morishoma, M., & Belsheim, J.A. (1999). Complaint handling on the shop floor: Cooperative relationships and open-minded strategies. International Journal of Conflict Management, 10, 45-68.
77.
Tschannen-Moran, M., Uline, C.L., Woolfolk Hoy, A., & Mackley, T. (2000). Creating smarter schools. Journal of Educational Administration, 38, 3-21.
78.
Uline, C.L., Tschannen-Moran, M., & Perez, L. (2003). Constructive conflict: How controversy can contribute to school improvement. Teachers College Record, 105, 782-816.
79.
Van der Vegt, G.S., Van de Vlient, E., & Oosterhof, A. (2003). Informational dissimilarity and organizational citizenship behavior: The role of intrateam interdependence and identification . Academy of Management Journal, 46, 715-728.
80.
Vesey, J. (1996). Team collaboration leads to sense of community . National Association of Secondary School Principals, 80, 31.
81.
Victor, B., & Blackburn, R.S. (1987). Interdependence: An alternative conceptualization. Academy of Management Review, 12, 486-498.
82.
Weick, K.E. (1976). Educational organizations as loosely coupled systems . Administrative Science Quarterly, 21, 1-19.
83.
Weiss, C.H., Cambone, J., & Wyeth, A. (1992). Trouble in paradise: Teacher conflicts in shared decision making. Educational Administration Quarterly, 28, 350-367.
84.
West, M.A. (2002). Sparkling fountains or stagnant ponds: An integrative model of creativity and innovation implementation in work groups. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 51, 355-424.
85.
Wineburg, S. (1997). T. S. Eliot, collaboration, and the quandaries of assessment in a rapidly changing world. Phi Delta Kappan , 79, 59-63.
86.
Zornoza, A., Ripoll, P., & Peiro, J. (2002). Conflict management in groups that work in two different communication contexts: Face-to-face and computer-mediated communication . Small Group Research, 33, 481-500.
