Thomas A. O’Neill, Matthew J.W. McLarnon, Genevieve Hoffart, Denis Onen and William Rosehart
This paper aims to offer an integrative conceptual theory of conflict and reports on the nomological net of team conflict profiles. Specifically, it integrates social…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to offer an integrative conceptual theory of conflict and reports on the nomological net of team conflict profiles. Specifically, it integrates social self-preservation theory with information-processing theory to better understand the occurrence of team profiles involving task conflict, relationship conflict and process conflict.
Design/methodology/approach
The study collected data from 178 teams performing and engineering design tasks. The multilevel nomological net that was examined consisted of constructive controversy, psychological safety and team-task performance (team level), as well as perceptions of learning, burnout and peer ratings of performance (individual level).
Findings
Findings indicated mixed support for the associations between conflict profiles and the hypothesized nomological net.
Research limitations/implications
Future research should consider teams’ profiles of team conflict types rather than examining task, relationship and process conflict in isolation.
Practical implications
Teams can be classified into profiles of team conflict types with implications for team functioning and effectiveness. As a result, assessment and team launch should consider team conflict profiles.
Originality/value
The complexity perspective advanced here will allow research on conflict types to move forward beyond the extensive research examining conflict types in isolation rather than their interplay.
Dawna I. Ballard and Dron M. Mandhana
The central focus of this chapter is the mutually constitutive relationship between time and group interaction. Groups shape individuals' experiences of time and individuals'…
Abstract
The central focus of this chapter is the mutually constitutive relationship between time and group interaction. Groups shape individuals' experiences of time and individuals' experiences of time enable and constrain their group interactions. The chapter begins with a brief history of time in groups to situate early concerns which still shape many contemporary investigations, and then examines several theoretical perspectives as well as midrange frameworks and constructs which inform research on time and group communication. The chapter concludes with a summary and directions for future research in the area.
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Allen Shorey, Lauren H. Moran, Christopher W. Wiese and C. Shawn Burke
Over the past two decades, the study of team resilience has evolved from focusing primarily on team performance to recognizing its importance in various aspects of team…
Abstract
Over the past two decades, the study of team resilience has evolved from focusing primarily on team performance to recognizing its importance in various aspects of team functioning, including psychological health, teamwork, and overall Well-Being. This evolution underscores the need for a broader, more inclusive understanding of team resilience, advocating for a shift from a narrow performance-centric view to a holistic perspective that encompasses the multifaceted impact of resilience on teams.
In advocating for this holistic perspective, this chapter reviews the extant literature, highlighting that resilience is not merely about sustaining performance but also about fostering a supportive, adaptive, and psychologically safe environment for team members. Significant areas for further exploration, including the nuanced nature of adversities teams face, the processes underpinning resilient behaviors, and the broad spectrum of outcomes resilience can influence beyond task performance are also discussed.
The chapter serves as a call to action for a more inclusive examination of how resilience manifests and benefits teams in organizational settings. The proposed shift in perspective aims to deepen understanding of team resilience, promoting strategies for building resilient teams that thrive not only in performance but in all aspects of their functioning.
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Misty L. Loughry and Allen C. Amason
– The purpose of this paper is to suggest why the theoretically positive relationship between task conflict and team performance has received mixed empirical support.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to suggest why the theoretically positive relationship between task conflict and team performance has received mixed empirical support.
Design/methodology/approach
We review the literature on task conflict and offer explanations for findings that contradict the expected positive relationship between task conflict and team performance.
Findings
High levels of correlation among task, relationship and process conflict, and measurement and data analysis issues make it difficult to isolate the effects of each type of conflict. Group-level moderators, including values congruence, goal alignment, norms for debate and the group’s performance history and conflict history affect the relationship between task conflict and performance. The complex relationship between conflict and trust may cause task conflict to have mixed effects on performance. Individual differences and conflict management approaches also affect the relationship between task conflict and performance. Temporal issues and stages of group development are other relevant influences.
Practical implications
To better achieve the theorized performance benefits of task conflict, a context characterized by trust is needed. Then norms fostering task conflict can be cultivated and employees can be trained in conflict management. Individual differences that affect team members’ ability to confidently accept task conflict can be considered in selection.
Originality/value
Suggestions are presented for future research that may explain discrepant findings in the past empirical literature. In particular, it may be difficult for some team members to perceive task conflict in well-functioning teams. Measures of task conflict that avoid the use of words with a negative connotation should be tested.
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It is commonly believed that personality traits determine a person's ability to work in a team and academic performance. However, studies have shown inconsistent results with some…
Abstract
Purpose
It is commonly believed that personality traits determine a person's ability to work in a team and academic performance. However, studies have shown inconsistent results with some personality traits better than the other in predicting students' performance in different academic majors. The purpose of this study is to examine the interrelation between personality traits, teamwork competencies and academic performance among first-year first semester engineering students in an Australian university located in the Sarawak state of Malaysia.
Design/methodology/approach
The Individual and Team Performance (ITP) metrics were administered among 189 students to gauge their personality traits as well as self-rated and peer-rated teamwork competencies. The correlations between personality traits and teamwork competencies as well as correlations of both the variables to academic performance were subsequently analyzed.
Findings
This study shows no significant difference between the self-rated and peer-rated teamwork competencies. Adventurous trait appears to negatively correlate with teamwork competencies. This study also reveals teamwork competencies as better predictors of academic performance than personality traits. Commitment and focus show relatively larger effect on academic performance. It can be concluded that commitment is the most significant factor to excel in first-year engineering in the university. Therefore, interventions that promote commitment is crucial to academic performance of the first-year first semester engineering students.
Practical implications
This study promulgates the development of team competencies which are more crucial to academic excellence than personalities. It is useful for the design of team learning activities which lead to the development of teamwork competencies while improving academic performance. It shows that team activities which reinforce commitment especially and focus secondarily, will have significant positive effect on academic performance of the first-year engineering students generally.
Originality/value
While most studies in this area examine the correlation between personality traits and academic performance, this study is among the very few that looks into the aspect of teamwork competencies. This study also finds its value in its regional significance as such correlational studies are not prevalent in Malaysia.
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Isaac A. Lindquist, Joseph A. Allen and William S. Kramer
Stand-up meetings have received attention for their functional effectiveness in the workplace, but they can also cause affective reactions among attendees. These reactions can…
Abstract
Purpose
Stand-up meetings have received attention for their functional effectiveness in the workplace, but they can also cause affective reactions among attendees. These reactions can affect workplace attitudes and alter the way that employees view and perform their work to the benefit or detriment of the organization.
Design/methodology/approach
Following the tenets of the job characteristics model (JCM), a study was conducted on relevant stand-up meetings' effects on beliefs about the meaningfulness of one's work and subsequent motivation. Further analysis explored the effects that meeting load (i.e. the number of meetings) has on the outcomes of meetings.
Findings
Consistent with hypotheses, stand-up meeting relevance has an indirect effect on work motivation through work meaningfulness. Meeting load moderates both the indirect effect, such that the effect is stronger at higher numbers of meetings, and the direct effect on work meaningfulness in the opposite direction, as the effect is strongest with fewer meetings.
Practical implications
Organizations should ensure that stand-up meetings are relevant to all attendees and hold the meetings at an appropriate regularity for the best outcomes.
Originality/value
This work examined the stand-up meeting. Most prior meetings research has focused on meetings as a whole or other subtypes and examine meeting relevance and contribution to employee motivation through the lens of JCM.
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– The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework for clinical governance, in particular, the compliance of data privacy in a healthcare organisation.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework for clinical governance, in particular, the compliance of data privacy in a healthcare organisation.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach of the research was to highlight problem areas in compliance and governance risk management (governance, risk and compliance (GRC)) in general, and then identify knowledge in other domains that could be combined and applied to improve GRC management, and ultimately improve governance outcomes.
Findings
There is a gap in the literature is respect of systems and frameworks to assist organisations in managing the complex minutiae associated with compliance. This paper addresses this gap by proposing a “compliance action framework” which builds on work existing in other domains in relation to education, process control and governance.
Research limitations/implications
The present research provides a starting point for an implementation of the framework within a number of organisations, and opens questions for further research in the field.
Originality/value
The GRC framework proposed in this paper contributes to the state of the art, by proposing processes for improving the governance capability and compliance outcomes within an organisation for governance of data privacy risk and data protection.
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Taghrid Saleh Suifan, Salah Alhyari and Rateb J. Sweis
Teamwork is important for firms’ innovation and effectiveness, but often within-team conflicts arise. Prior literature reported inconsistent associations between conflict and team…
Abstract
Purpose
Teamwork is important for firms’ innovation and effectiveness, but often within-team conflicts arise. Prior literature reported inconsistent associations between conflict and team outcomes. This study aims to clarify these relationships and examine if team reflexivity improves outcomes and weakens intragroup conflict tendencies.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through a survey questionnaire of 288 team members working on projects at 41 different high-tech firms in Jordan. The authors then built a model of intragroup conflict effects and used structural equation modeling to test for both direct and indirect effects.
Findings
Indirect effects of intragroup conflict were significantly associated with teamwork quality. Teamwork quality was also significantly related to improved team outcomes, and team reflexivity moderated this relationship. Furthermore, it was found that the direct effect of intragroup conflict was not significantly related to either teamwork quality or effectiveness. Finally, results supported the idea that some conflict is required for teams to remain viable, self-critical and innovative.
Research limitations/implications
This is a cross-sectional study conducted in a single country and business industry, which limits the generalizability of results.
Practical implications
Team leaders should use reflexivity to create a sense of openness for collaborative interaction to improve group performance and member satisfaction.
Originality/value
This study provides a verified model to determine the circumstances in which conflict benefits team innovation and effectiveness. A central study contribution is that reflexivity reduces the negative impact of intragroup conflict.