Conflict Management Perspective Research Articles

The Impact of Cognitive Heterogeneity on the Behavioral Integration of the R&D Team: The Perspective of Conflict Management

The impact of team heterogeneity on team effectiveness has received extensive attention. The paper aims to explore the mechanism of the effect of cognitive heterogeneity on behavioral integration in R&D teams. Based on the IPO theory, this study proposed six hypotheses about how cognitive heterogeneity directly and indirectly (via team conflict and conflict management) affect behavioral integration in R&D teams. Using data collected from 383 R&D teams in 326 high-tech enterprises in China, we investigated whether the dimensions of team conflict mediate the relationship between cognitive heterogeneity and behavioral integration and whether the dimensions of conflict management regulate the impact of cognitive heterogeneity on behavioral integration. The results show the following: (1) cognitive heterogeneity has a significant negative impact on the behavioral integration of R&D teams. Task conflict and relationship conflict fully mediate the relationship between cognitive heterogeneity and behavioral integration. (2) Cooperative conflict management positively moderates the impact of cognitive heterogeneity on task conflict and the impact of task conflict on team behavioral integration. (3) Avoidance conflict management reversely adjusts the positive impact of cognitive heterogeneity on task conflict and relationship conflict and the negative impact of relationship conflict on team behavioral integration. The research results can provide theoretical guidance to improve the process management of cognitive heterogeneity R&D teams.

Rethinking the role of team mindfulness in team relationship conflict: A conflict management perspective

SummaryWhy and when does team mindfulness help to reduce team relationship conflict? To answer this question, we develop and test a theoretical model that builds on Deutsch's theory of cooperation and competition. A two‐wave time‐lagged survey was conducted with 68 teams in an airline food service company located in China. The results showed that team mindfulness was negatively related to team relationship conflict via an increased cooperative conflict approach and a decreased competitive conflict approach. Further, high team job demands were shown to weaken the positive direct effect of team mindfulness on a cooperative conflict approach, as well as the indirect effect of team mindfulness on team relationship conflict via a cooperative approach. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.

Re-positioning workplace aggression interventions: a violence framework

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the socio-psychological systems in organizations that structurally support workplace aggression.Design/methodology/approachUsing both a structural and contextual model of intimate partner violence (IPV), the factors supporting workplace aggression were analyzed. The narratives were provided from the participants’ lived experiences of workplace aggression, producing clear indications of where formal and informal power reside.FindingsThe methods of power and control used by workplace perpetrators parallel those illustrated in IPV. The inaction of management and the lack of social support enabled informal power asymmetries and the organizational norm of silence. The findings have implications for how workplaces view and intervene in relationship-based violence.Originality/valueWorkplace aggression has been studied from a conflict management perspective, without exploring the components that enable and support organizational abuse. As a result, organizational responses to workplace aggression have failed to address the complex relationship-based components and consequences. The primary contribution of this study is the disruption of the conflict-based perspective of workplace aggression into a more appropriate framework of violence, power and control.

Rethinking the Role of Team Mindfulness in Relationship Conflict: A Conflict Management Perspective

Building on Deutsch’s theory of cooperation and competition and prior work on team mindfulness, we develop a model to outline how and when team mindfulness reduces team relationship conflict. A time-lagged survey was conducted with 73 teams in an airline food service company located in China. The results showed that team mindfulness was negatively related to team relationship conflict via increased cooperative conflict management and decreased competitive conflict management. Further, high perceived job demands within a team were shown to weaken the positive effect of team mindfulness on cooperative conflict management. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.

MANAJEMEN KONFLIK DALAM PENYELESAIAN PERMASALAHAN HUBUNGAN INDUSTRIAL (Studi Dalam Bidang Hubungan Industrial Dinas Tenaga Kerja Kabupaten Pasuruan)

In the interaction of industrial relations, there will be differences in thinking between the company management and workers that can cause industrial relation disputes . Such conflicts are commonly known as industrial relation s disputes. In this regard , it is expected that the government be able to create a good environment in the industrial sector in order to resolve conflicts or disputes that occur in industrial relations or minimize possible conflicts by linking to relevant agencies in the employment sector. E fforts and support s are necessary to resolve industrial relation s disputes/conflicts for the continuity of the company's business, the life of workers and their families, and the stability of the national economy. This study is aimed at describing and analyzing 1) conflict management in the process of dispute resolution in Industrial Relations in Pasuruan Regency and 2) the role of the Manpower Agency in resolving industrial relations in Pasuruan Regency in the perspective of Conflict Management.

An empirical study on the entrepreneurial team and entrepreneurial performance

The relationship between the entrepreneurial team and performance has been a focus of intensive study over the past years. However, it is still inconclusive if entrepreneurial team promotes or inhibits entrepreneurial performance. In this study, we used 421 samples from 20 entrepreneurial teams to build a mediated moderation model from the conflict management perspective. We used this model to test the role of team diversity and team environment in modulating the relationship between the entrepreneurial team and performance. The results showed that conflict management plays an important role in modulating the relationship between the entrepreneurial team and performance, and the effect of the mediation is significant. In addition, team heterogeneity and team environment have a significant impact on the relationship between the entrepreneurial team and performance. Importantly, this modulatory effect is mediated through conflict management. Specifically, the relationship between the entrepreneurial team and performance is positively regulated by task-related diversity.

An empirical study on the entrepreneurial team and entrepreneurial performance

The relationship between the entrepreneurial team and performance has been a focus of intensive study over the past years. However, it is still inconclusive if entrepreneurial team promotes or inhibits entrepreneurial performance. In this study, we used 421 samples from 20 entrepreneurial teams to build a mediated moderation model from the conflict management perspective. We used this model to test the role of team diversity and team environment in modulating the relationship between the entrepreneurial team and performance. The results showed that conflict management plays an important role in modulating the relationship between the entrepreneurial team and performance, and the effect of the mediation is significant. In addition, team heterogeneity and team environment have a significant impact on the relationship between the entrepreneurial team and performance. Importantly, this modulatory effect is mediated through conflict management. Specifically, the relationship between the entrepreneurial team and performance is positively regulated by task-related diversity.

PENDIRIAN RUMAH IBADAT PASCA PBM NOMOR 9 DAN 8 TAHUN 2006 DAN KERUKUNAN UMAT BERAGAMA (Kasus Pendirian Gereja di Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat)

The establishment of house of worship is one of the crucial issues in the harmony of religious life in Indonesia. Some research have been conducted on the case of the construction of houses of worship, but it use the civic pluralism or human rights perspectives. This paper presents the results of research on the case of the construction of houses of worship, namely the church in Bandung, West Java, with conflict management perspective. This study was designed as a case study, by conducting interviews and observations as well as reviewing documents with conflict management perspectives and regulations on the establishment of houses of worship, by examining the elements of the community involved in the process of building houses of worship and the social mechanisms undertaken. The results of this study indicate that the openness and communication between elements involved in the construction of houses of worship, as well as the process of socialization became an important factor in the establishment of the church, even in places where religious worshipers became ‘minorities.’ Social mechanisms or socialization between elements involved in the construction by itself will strengthen the harmony of religious life.

The late medieval and early modern Hanse as an institution of conflict management

ABSTRACTEver since research on the Hanse began in the nineteenth century, there have been repeated efforts to redefine the boundaries and the core of the phenomenon. Views of the Hanse have evolved, and it has been seen by turns as a profoundly German league of towns, and as a network or organisation of towns and traders that was present in commercial centres and harbours from Novgorod to Portugal, and from Norway to Italy. In more general discussions on the institutional development of commerce in Europe, many of them influenced by the New Institutional Economics, the Hanse has even appeared as a mega-guild. The revival of the field of institutional economics and the history of commerce in pre-modern Europe has recently spawned a reappraisal of Hanseatic sources. The present article contributes to this debate by arguing that from the perspective of conflict management, the late medieval and early modern Hanse was an institution. There were several institutional mechanisms, such as a strong preference for mediation and arbitration in conflicts between individuals, as well as a mediation strategy for internal conflicts between towns. All of these mechanisms combined in a multifaceted institution of conflict management, which represented the added value of Hanse membership for traders, and for their towns.

Taking advantage of dissonance: a CPD framework

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to communicate the findings of an empirical research project based on a real world problem that involved the development of a continuous professional development (CPD) framework for a children’s integrated service workforce. In addition, to give attention to the notion that children’s integrated services have not necessarily been viewed from the perspective of conflict management and that this has meant ensuing conflicts that characterise such organisations are more often than not ignored.Design/methodology/approachA case study approach involving a mixed methodology consisting of semi-structured interviews for senior managers and service leads; a quantitative survey for frontline practitioners and focus groups for service users, carers and children.FindingsRather than the service being fully integrated, services were aligned, and this was reflected in the conflict between professional cultures, reinforcing an “us and them” culture. This culture had seemingly permeated all aspects of the organisation including the senior management team. It was also noted that certain systems and processes, as well as bureaucracy, within the service were seen as hindering integrated working and was in effect a catalyst for conflict.Research limitations/implicationsWhat has become evident during the course of this empirical study is the need to further explore the functioning of children’s integrated services using conflict management theories, tools and techniques so as to understand how best to manage conflict to an optimum where an environment of creativity and productiveness is created.Practical implicationsTherefore, when devising a CPD framework it can be argued that there is a need to address some of the types of conflict at the micro-frontline practitioner level of the organisation, as it is this level where there is opportunity through a variety of mechanisms, for example formal and non-formal learning, ring-fenced time, attendance at conferences, team away days and shadowing opportunities can be used to achieve a greater understanding of professional roles, improve working relationships and engage in the division of tasks in a fashion that will promote collaborative working.Social implicationsThe extent to which a children’s integrated service can be the harbinger of a range of multi-faceted conflicts that include the jarring of professional cultures, task conflict, inter-personal incompatibilities and competing value bases cannot be underestimated. Therefore, when devising a CPD framework it can be argued that there is a need to address some of the types of conflict at the micro-frontline practitioner level of the organisation.Originality/valueThrough the application of conflict management theory it will be illustrated how conflict could be used to effectively steer children integrated services towards creativity and productivity through an organisational wide framework that not only embraces dissonance, but also promotes a learning environment that takes advantage of such dissonance to incorporate a hybrid of professional practice and expertise.

Exploring the Effects of the Privacy‐Handling Management Styles of Social Networking Sites on User Satisfaction: A Conflict Management Perspective

ABSTRACTThe issue of consumer information privacy, arguably the most substantial and persistent problem confronting e‐commerce companies in general and online social networking service providers in particular, often results in unsatisfied customers. Researchers have investigated privacy from various perspectives and in a multitude of settings, yet there have been few attempts to understand privacy versus satisfaction, particularly from the perspective of conflict management. Because users’ privacy can be negatively affected by social networking sites (SNSs), this study focuses on the privacy conflicts between SNSs and their users. Drawing on conflict management theory, this article investigates the effects of different conflict management styles exhibited by an SNS on users’ satisfaction with its privacy practices, which then affects their intention to disclose personal information. The SNS examined in this study is Facebook, the most popular SNS with the largest number of users. Data were collected using an online survey and were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results suggest that the two cooperative conflict management styles demonstrated by the SNS—accommodating and problem‐solving—positively affect users’ satisfaction with the privacy practices of the SNS both directly and indirectly through perceived privacy risk control. With regard to uncooperative styles, an avoiding style negatively affects user satisfaction directly, whereas an asserting style negatively affects user satisfaction indirectly through perceived privacy risk. The results also support that satisfaction is positively related to intention; users who are satisfied with the privacy practices of SNSs are more willing to disclose personal information than unsatisfied ones.

Understanding transnational information systems with supranational governance: A multi-level conflict management perspective

Management of transnational information systems (TIS) faces major challenges, as the diversity of both organizational and national contexts provides increased potential for conflict. This is even more so, especially in the case of supranational TIS, where an additional source and layer of potential conflicts is added by a supranational body, such as the EU, which can impose TIS by law. This paper seeks to explore “how to understand conflicts that occur when developing and implementing supranational TIS.” Understanding conflicts can help TIS managers to take proactive, rather than reactive, measures to handling conflict situations that they encounter. We propose a multi-level conflict management framework and utilize an interpretive case study methodology to demonstrate how it can be applied in the context of one supranational TIS (a transit system that was introduced in the EU), taking the management perspective of one national government (here the Netherlands). Our findings indicate that the national government simultaneously faces multiple conflicts as it is positioned between the supranational body, its own IT department, and national businesses. Unlike TIS studies reporting avoidance as a viable strategy in the early stages of TIS development, our study implies that when the deadline approaches, there is little room for avoiding conflicts; rather, they are faced and addressed promptly. This study provides a novel theoretical perspective to analyzing TIS management, and contributes to the efforts of developing methods and tools to aid TIS managers in their practices.

Analysis of Options for Managing Democratic Ethnic Competition and Conflicts: the Nigerian Experience

Ethnicity has been constructively attacked from the perspective of conflict management and constitutional engineering within several countries in Africa. African leaders have recognized the problem of ethnicity and have sought to address it through many and varied schemes. This paper analyses some of these devices that address democratic ethnic competition and conflicts. The transformation of ethnicity in Nigeria has been enhanced by a variety of ethnic management constitutional devices. Several options ( de jure or de facto ) to operate multi-ethnic democracy have been tried in Nigeria. Among which includes federalism, tenure limit, geo-political zoning and rotation of power, constitutionally prescribed party systems and electoral systems. The finding is that these practices have been efficacious in mitigating the intense ethnic conflict that has dominated Nigerian politics since independence. They permit the expression of ethnic differences in constructive ways, thus making Nigeria, a good example in the management of democratic ethnic competition and conflicts.

Uncertainty Threat and Inhibition of Compensatory Behaviors: A Goal Conflict Management Perspective

Much research on uncertainty focuses on the compensatory responses that this psychological threat can trigger. Previous work has provided considerable insight into the kinds of effects that uncertainty can cause, but provides somewhat less insight into the actual process of uncertainty management. We consider this process from the perspective of uncertainty as a signal of goal conflict, and suggest that this conflict can be conceptualized in terms of the interplay between behavior inhibition and activation systems. We present two studies following from this conceptualization which are consistent with the idea that a temporary, cognitive resource-dependent inhibition process may precede compensatory responses to uncertainty threat.

Village Elections, Violence and Islamic Leadership in Lombok, Eastern Indonesia

Indonesia has undergone a major political transformation over the past decade from authoritarianism to democracy with significant power being delegated to the provincial and local levels. One of the consequences has been the development of rivalries between local elites over the rewards of this decentralization, which can potentially lead to violence. From a conflict management perspective, this article examines one of these localized conflicts that emerged from political machinations on the eastern Indonesian island of Lombok in a village just outside the capital city, Mataram, and the strategies utilized to restore calm. Specifically considered will be the actions of state officials and community leaders, as well as the adat (customary) practices employed and the pivotal role of local Muslim religious leaders, Tuan Guru .

Madagascar between peace and conflict—domestic capabilities for peaceful conflict management

Despite severe political instability and many political crises since independence, Madagascar has experienced peace for nearly four decades. Unlike the dominant research on causes of armed conflict, this article focuses on the causes of peace. It introduces a new concept—domestic capabilities for peaceful conflict management—to identify factors related to conflict fault lines, civil–military relations and a culture of constructive conflict management, that facilitate the prevalence of peace. The domestic capabilities for peaceful conflict management perspective draws attention away from preventive diplomacy and external intervention and places the focus on internal capabilities for peace. On this basis, the article also analyses the severe crisis in 2009 and how it was handled.

Ghanaian Elections and Conflict Management: Interrogating the Absolute Majority Electoral System

In Ghana a president is elected by an absolute majority (50% plus one vote) of the total valid votes cast in the whole country. From a conflict-management perspective this electoral system has two major flaws which can, potentially, jeopardise the fragile electoral peace that has endured since the 1992 elections. First, it gives extra and strong incentive to the two dominant parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to engage in crude ethnic politics to win even when they have lost in the majority of the ten regions. Second, by turning the whole country into a single-member constituency, regardless of its ethno-regional divisions, the votes of minority regions could become insignificant in electing the president, a dynamic that can lead to political exclusion and, subsequently, conflict. To remedy this situation and to promote conciliatory politics in the increasingly acrimonious political climate of Ghana, this paper argues, a double-winning system should be introduced which requires that, in addition to the 50 per cent-plus-one vote a candidate must win in five regions with a simple majority of valid votes cast.

Organizational Conflict: A Critical Approach on Formal and Informal Management Processes

Many researches and scholars would without hesitation justify the role of formal processes to manage the conflict in the workplace. The organizational culture and conflict management research in mainstream thinking has often neglected to examine the impact and implications of culture on informal processes of conflict management in organizations. This preliminary study examines the amount and types of conflict in organizations, the processes used to informally manage conflict, and the relationship between culture and informal conflict management processes by examining the results of a survey questionnaire given to 168 employees of three Public Administrations. The findings show that there is a relationship between culture, defined by sociability, and informal methods of conflict management. In this scenario, formal processes of conflict management become prescriptions and lose their relevance for understanding the challenges and the evolutions of conflict situations. The practice of conflict management is seen as more problematic, especially bringing the topic of organizational culture into discussions with conflict theory literature. Therefore, organizational culture and informal processes are factors that must be considered contributing to a critical perspective of conflict management.

Organizational Communication and Conflict Management Systems

AbstractThe purpose of the present article is to examine the prevailing model of systematic organizational conflict management from an organizational communicative perspective and to suggest directions for improvement. Particularly the model of conflict management system (CMS) is examined at the macro-level from the novel theoretical perspective of social complexity augmented with an interpretive view of organizational communication. Specifically two models – the dual function of communication and the arena model – are utilized to illustrate weaknesses and points of development in traditional CMS thinking. CMS was found to represent a rather limited vision of contemporary conflict management. It is rooted in a mechanistic view of organizational communication, which, we assert, is problematic from the organizational conflict management perspective, both theoretically and practically. The differences between CMS and social complexity approaches are identified, and a fresh framework for strategic conflict management is introduced.

How NOT to Manage a Project: Conflict Management Lessons Learned from a DOD Case Study

This is a case study of a failed Department of Defense (DOD) project, even though it was fully justified and badly needed. Project management within the DOD is a complicated process. Projects are beset by the agenda of various stakeholders within the DOD organizational structure. When this occurs, strong project management leadership is necessary for success. This paper analyzes the potential causes of the project failure resulting from the three domains of organizational conflict, and identifies lessons learned from the failure via a conflict management perspective. Lessons learned are presented to facilitate the management of interpersonal-based, task-based, and process-based conflicts on the part of project managers and project sponsors, thus increasing the likelihood of successful project management outcomes. This case study fills a void in the project management literature by examining the relationship between the three dimensions of organization conflict and the increase in various project costs, and then offering a Project-Conflict Management Framework.