Perceptions of intragroup conflict: The effect of coping strategies on conflict transformation and escalation

Abstract

In this longitudinal study, we contribute to the contingency models of intragroup conflict by examining the moderating role of coping strategies in the evolution of conflict over time. We conceptualize coping strategy as a configural group property and focus on whether task conflict evolves into relationship conflict (conflict transformation) and on whether relationship conflict perpetuates over time (conflict escalation). We use a multilevel model to test the way in which individual conflict perceptions interact with other members’ coping strategies to influence the level of intragroup conflict at later stages. The results indicate that (a) the interaction between task conflict and problem-focused coping decreases the chances that task conflict transforms into relationships conflict and (b) the interaction between relationship conflict and emotion-focused coping decreases and the interaction between relationship conflict and problem-focused coping increases the chances that relationship conflict escalates over time.