Abstract
This paper explores the effect of diversity and conflict management on the relationship between teamwork and organizational outcomes of small technology-based firms. To study the relationship between those variables, a quantitative research was conducted. The results of the survey involving 107 small Brazilian high-tech firms show that diversity and conflict management positively moderate the relationship between teamwork and organizational outcomes. So that, at higher levels of diversity and conflict management, best organizational outcomes. At the same time, it has been verified that conflict management is important regardless the level of diversity within teams. This research sheds new light on the factors that should be considered to become teamwork more effective in this specific context.
Highlights
Technology-based firms commercially explore and develop technological innovations (Little, 1977)
Following the Cognitive Resource Diversity Theory (Campion, Medsker, & Higgs, 1993; Hambrick, Cho & Chen, 1996), this heterogeneity may benefit team performance, as team members can constructively contribute to work tasks with distinctive insights and perspectives, responding better to work challenges while learning from each other and enriching individual human capital with new vocabulary, cognitive patterns, and work styles. We argue that such dynamics triggered by team diversity may be highly relevant for Small Technology-Based Firms (STBFs)’ overall performance in light of the importance that brainstorming and knowledge-sharing has for these firms vis-à-vis the pursuit of innovation (Hülsheger, Anderson, & Salgado, 2009)
This study has used a survey-type research method to provide a more detailed analysis on the way teamwork contributes to organizational performance, consistent with the call made by West, Brodbeck, and Richter (2004), Delarue et al (2008) and, more recently, Klotz et al (2014)
Summary
Technology-based firms commercially explore and develop technological innovations (Little, 1977). This study focuses on organizational-level teamwork, and it explores the role that two team facets may play in explaining the differentials in teamwork’s contri-bution to business success. These characteristics are 1) team diversity, and 2) conflict management. By team diversity we mean the level of knowledge and skill plurality that the members of a work team have in relation to the task they perform (Horwitz, 2005); while by conflict management we mean an approach whereby opposing views on an issue are leveraged to produce solutions shared by team members (West, 2002). The study aims to provide STBF managers with insights that may help them to build more effective teams by means of team composition and conflict management strategies
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
