Team Conflict Management and Dynamics in the Workplace

Introduction

Organizational tasks are becoming increasingly complex and more involved; as a result, teams have become valuable for easier and more effective accomplishment of work (Chekwa & Thomas, 2013). Teamwork has emerged as a crucial driver of organizational productivity in the contemporary workplace (Breugst et al., 2012; Martinez-Moreno et al., 2015; Lee et al., 2015), which largely explains why employers are increasingly seeking individuals with outstanding teamwork abilities. Nonetheless, owing to differences in needs, objectives, opinions, interests, priorities, values, and beliefs among team members, conflicts are bound to emerge frequently (Brown et al., 2011). Without proper handling of these conflicts, both individual and team productivity can be significantly hampered (Fusch & Fusch, 2015).

This paper provides a review of literature relating to conflict management in teams. The review pays particular attention to team development and dynamics, team conflict and conflict resolution, the role of the team leader in resolving team conflicts, and the importance of developing an ethical and diverse culture within the team setting.

Team Development

Team development essentially denotes the process of mobilizing a group of people and motivating them to achieve a defined goal or objective (Raes et al., 2015). Accomplishing tasks in teams has become important due to the associated advantages: greater synergy, quicker and more effective execution of tasks, better problem-solving, increased morale, and improved organizational productivity (Chekwa & Thomas, 2013; Jiang et al., 2014). To achieve these developmental goals, the right fundamentals must be put in place. These fundamentals include effective selection of team members, clear communication of team goals and objectives, proper allocation of tasks and responsibilities, continuous training and learning, and effective leadership and conflict management (Chekwa & Thomas, 2013; Raes et al., 2015).

Successful team development also calls for effective motivation of team members through both financial and non-financial techniques, an atmosphere of inclusive and participatory decision-making, and involvement in activities that foster team spirit and healthy interpersonal relationships (Chang & Lee, 2013). These processes occur across the various stages of team development, which include forming, storming, norming, and performing (Raes et al., 2015).

Team Conflict, Conflict Resolution, and Dynamics

While the significance of teamwork cannot be overstated, conflicts are usually inevitable (Brown et al., 2011). According to Fusch and Fusch (2015), team conflict in the workplace has been on the rise due to the increasingly complex nature of work structures and relationships. These structures and relationships have become more sophisticated, intense, and, unfortunately, fractured, thereby placing greater demands on workers. The three primary sources from which team conflicts can emerge are task, relationship, and process (Fusch & Fusch, 2015).

Task conflicts arise from the objectives and content of the task at hand (Canelon et al., 2015). For instance, a task may be characterized by immense pressure and interdependence (Lee et al., 2015). Process conflicts originate from the manner in which the task is accomplished (Canelon et al., 2015); for example, different team members may have divergent opinions about how to approach a given task. Inadequate understanding of each other's responsibilities and scope of work can also lead to conflict (Brown et al., 2011). Relationship conflicts, also known as interpersonal conflicts, occur between individuals (Canelon et al., 2015) and may stem from differences in personality, values, and cultural background (Eiser & Eiser, 2016).

Although research in this area has reported mixed results, conflict between team members can be costly at both the individual and organizational levels — particularly in terms of creating dissatisfaction with work, increasing absenteeism, and hampering individual performance and organizational productivity (Breugst et al., 2012; Martinez-Moreno et al., 2015; Canelon et al., 2015; Lee et al., 2015). These negative outcomes often stem from the interpersonal aggression, hostility, threats, and sabotage that conflict can generate (Fusch & Fusch, 2015). Nonetheless, conflict is not necessarily bad or negative (Miller, Balapuria & Sasay, 2015). For instance, differences of opinion about how to execute a given task may result in the evaluation of multiple perspectives, ultimately leading to the choice of the most appropriate course of action.

Whether a necessary evil or not, team conflicts must be properly and effectively handled whenever they arise. The five major approaches for resolving team conflict include: competing (prioritizing one's own interests over others'); collaborating (working together to find a mutually beneficial solution); avoiding (ignoring the conflict); accommodating (placing one's interests below those of others); and compromising (sacrificing something in order to reach a solution) (Martinez-Moreno et al., 2015). While collaboration tends to be the most appropriate conflict resolution approach, it may not always be feasible — some situations may call for compromising, avoiding, or accommodating (Chekwa & Thomas, 2013; Chang & Lee, 2013; Yazid, 2015). Regardless of the approach taken, conflict resolution is crucial for team cohesion, effectiveness, satisfaction, and productivity.

Although the above approaches can be useful, resolving team conflict is often not a straightforward undertaking. Barriers such as workload, lack of time, failure to recognize conflict situations, perceived lack of authority, fear of confronting others, and lack of enthusiasm for dealing with conflict can all hinder resolution (Brown et al., 2011). Conflict resolution may be further hampered by geographical distance between team members (Martinez-Moreno et al., 2015). In today's technologically advanced world, teams are increasingly geographically dispersed and linked by modern information and communication technologies (Chekwa & Thomas, 2013). This geographical separation can present unique challenges to conflict resolution (Wakefield, Leidner & Garrison, 2008). Understanding these barriers can lead to more effective management of team conflicts.

Conclusion

Literature extensively demonstrates the role of teamwork in driving organizational productivity and performance. Teamwork facilitates faster and more effective accomplishment of tasks. Nonetheless, team effectiveness may be hampered by conflict, which is inevitable in any team setting. Accordingly, leaders play an important role in creating conflict-competent teams. They achieve this by motivating their followers, facilitating conflict resolution processes, cultivating fairness and equal treatment of all team members, and advocating for collaboration. Leaders play an even more important role in creating an ethical and diverse culture, which is essential for team development and effectiveness. If properly handled, conflicts present significant opportunities for teams.

Breugst, N., Patzelt, H., Shepherd, D., & Aguinis, H. (2012). Relationship conflict improves team performance assessment accuracy: Evidence from a multilevel study. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 11(2), 187–206.

Brown, J., Lewis, L., Ellis, K., Stewart, M., Freeman, T., & Kasperski, J. (2011). Conflict on interprofessional primary health care teams — can it be resolved? Journal of Interprofessional Care, 25, 4–10.

Canelon, J., Ryan, T., Iriberri, A., & Eryilmaz, E. (2015). Conflicts on team satisfaction and face loss and the moderating role of face work behaviors in online discussions. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 19(3), 45–61.

Chang, W., & Lee, C. (2013). Virtual team e-leadership: The effects of leadership style and conflict management mode on the online learning performance of students in a business-planning course. British Journal of Educational Technology, 44(6), 986–999.

Chekwa, C., & Thomas, E. (2013). Is interpersonal conflict a death sentence to team building? International Journal of Business & Public Administration, 10(1), 30–44.

Eiser, A., & Eiser, B. (2016). How physician leaders can successfully resolve team conflicts. Physician Leadership Journal, 44–47.

Fusch, P., & Fusch, G. (2015). Leadership and conflict resolution on the production line. International Journal of Applied Management and Technology, 14(1), 21–39.

Jiang, J., Chang, J., Chen, H., Wang, E., & Klein, G. (2014). Achieving IT program goals with integrative conflict management. Journal of Management Information Systems, 31(1), 79–106.

Lee, C., Lin, Y., Huan, H., Huang, W., & Teng, H. (2015). The effects of task interdependence, team cooperation, and team conflict on job performance. Social Behavior & Personality, 43(4), 529–536.

Martinez-Moreno, E., Zornoza, A., Orengo, V., & Thompson, L. (2015). The effects of team self-guided training on conflict management in virtual teams. Group Decisions & Negotiation, 24, 905–923.

Miller, A., Balapuria, M., & Sasay, M. (2015). Facilitating project success by eliminating interpersonal conflicts. Journal of IT and Economic Development, 6(1), 41–57.

Oliveira, J., & Scherbaum, C. (2015). Effects of activating team diversity dimensions on member perceptions of conflict, trust, and respect. The New School Psychology Bulletin, 13(1), 21–37.

Qian, C., Cao, Q., & Takeuchi, R. (2013). Top management team functional diversity and organizational innovation in China: The moderating effects of environment. Strategic Management Journal, 34, 110–120.

Raes, E., Kyndt, E., Decuyper, S., Bossche, P., & Dochy, F. (2015). An exploratory study of group development and team learning. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 26(1), 5–30.

Wakefield, R., Leidner, D., & Garrison, G. (2008). A model of conflict, leadership and performance in virtual teams. Information Systems Research, 19(4), 434–455.

Yazid, Z. (2015). Exploring conflict management using qualitative approach. Gadjah Mada International Journal of Business, 17(1), 65–82.