Putting Team Faultlines and Conflicts into Context: Faultline Activation and Deactivation

Abstract

In this conceptual paper, we develop a team faultline model that builds upon the notion that the effects of team faultlines on team conflicts are context specific. Team faultlines are hypothetical dividing lines that may split a group into subgroups based on one or more team member attributes. The attention for team faultlines has recently burgeoned, however theoretical progress in structurally integrating findings has not kept similar pace. To address this issue, we redefine the concept of faultline activation, the process by which members of a team come to perceive subgroups, and develop the related concept of faultline deactivation, the process of minimizing the salience of perceived subgroups in teams. We build a model to explain how these two processes are triggered by faultline activators and deactivators, for which we develop a typology. We further develop testable propositions on their effects while taking into account distinct faultline and team conflict types. In doing so, we offer an integrated model of team faultlines that can be used to assess the effects of team faultlines in different contexts. We discuss the implications of the model for future theoretical developments and managers’ daily practice.