The efficacy of contractual governance on task and relationship conflict in inter-organisational transactions

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingya You ◽  
Yongqiang Chen ◽  
Yuanyuan Hua ◽  
Wenqian Wang
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Task Conflict ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
Relationship Conflicts ◽  
Hierarchy Analysis ◽  
Contractual Governance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to explain how contractual complexity, including contractual control, coordination and adaptation, makes a difference to the task and relationship conflict, and then, to investigate the moderating roles played by both, total interdependence and interdependence asymmetry, in altering the association between the two types of conflicts. Design/methodology/approach This study obtained data through a questionnaire survey in the Chinese construction industry and the final sample consisted of 232 responses. The data were analysed using hierarchy analysis using SPSS. Findings The results are as follows: first, higher contractual control and coordination reduce the level of relationship conflicts, and higher contractual coordination also reduces the level of task conflicts; second, task conflict positively affects relationship conflict; third, task conflict mediates the relationship between contractual coordination and relationship conflict; and finally, when total interdependence is higher, task conflict induces more relationship conflict. On the contrary, high interdependence asymmetry weakens the positive relationship between task and relationship conflicts. Practical implications This study highlights the importance of contracts in conflict management. The findings can guide practitioners in drafting suitable contracts to deal with task and relationship conflicts more effectively. Originality/value This study differentiates the effects of distinct components of contracts on task and relationship conflicts, and then reveals the contingent effects of interdependence on the relationship between task and relationship conflicts in inter-organisational transactions.

Antecedents of frontline manager handling relationship conflicts

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasir Tanveer ◽  
Qi Jiayin ◽  
Umair Akram ◽  
Anum Tariq
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Styles ◽  
Textile Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interpersonal Conflicts ◽  
Relationship Conflicts ◽  
Conflict Handling ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Frontline Managers ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Conflicts are inevitable in organizations and are a significant challenge for frontline managers (FLMs). This study aims to investigate the relationship between the leadership styles of FLMs and relationship conflicts (RLCs), with the indirect intervention of emotion regulation (ER) and five conflict-handling styles (CHSs). Design/methodology/approach Research data were obtained from 243 FLMs in the Pakistan textile industry. SPSS 23 and PROCESS macros software were used to test and verify hypotheses regarding leadership styles, ER, CHSs and RLC. The authors conducted 5,000 bootstrap replications to verify mediation. Findings Leadership styles are significantly associated with RLC. A high degree of ER can negatively moderate RLCs through transformational leadership (TFL) and transactional leadership (TCL) styles and positively moderate RLCs through a laissez-faire leadership (LZF) style. Among CHSs, a compromise style mediates the relationship between RLC and the TFL and LZF styles, and a domination style mediates the relationship between RLC and the TCL style. Practical implications FLMs should be trained to overcome workplace interpersonal conflicts. Appropriate cognizance of a conflict before it occurs is a requisite skill. FLMs must be able to use all five given CHSs. Originality/value This study identifies the association of leadership styles with CHSs and ER to manage RLC in a non-Western context. The study enhances understanding of the use of the ER factor with the different CHSs of FLMs.

How does network position influence project performance in Chinese megaprojects? An inter-organizational conflict-based perspective

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cong Liu ◽  
Jiming Cao ◽  
Guangdong Wu ◽  
Xianbo Zhao ◽  
Jian Zuo
Keyword(s):  
Project Performance ◽  
Network Governance ◽  
Task Conflict ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Organizational Conflict ◽  
Structural Holes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Network Position ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to explore the relationship between network position, various types of inter-organizational conflicts and project performance in the context of megaprojects. Design/methodology/approach Centrality and structural holes were used to represent network position. A theoretical model was developed, and a structured questionnaire survey was conducted with construction professionals involved in megaprojects. A total of 291 valid responses were obtained, which were analyzed via structural equation modeling. Findings The results showed that centrality negatively impacts project performance, while structural holes do not significantly impact project performance. Centrality negatively affects task conflicts, but positively affects process conflicts and relationship conflicts. Structural holes positively impact task conflicts, but negatively impact both process conflicts and relationship conflicts. Task conflict and relationship conflict exert constructive and destructive effects on project performance, respectively, while process conflict does not significantly impact project performance. Task conflict and relationship conflict play mediating roles. Task conflict weakens while relationship conflict strengthens the relationship between centrality and project performance. Task conflict strengthens while relationship conflict weakens the relationship between structure hole and project performance. Research limitations/implications This study provides a reference for the implementation of network governance, inter-organizational conflict management and project performance management in megaprojects. However, the impact of dynamic changes of inter-organizational conflicts and network position on project performance has not been discussed in the context of megaprojects. Future research may explore the impact of dynamic changes of conflicts and network position on project implementation. Originality/value This study increases the current understanding of the impact of network position on project performance. Moreover, a new direction for network governance in the context of megaprojects is provided. This study also verified both the constructive and destructive effects of conflicts and the mediating role they play, thus supplementing the literature on inter-organizational conflict management in the construction field.

Envy climate and group performance in full-service hotels: the roles of intragroup relationship conflict and competitive climate

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Wu ◽  
Dan Ni ◽  
Shaoxue Wu ◽  
Lu Lu ◽  
Xijing Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Group Performance ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Functional Perspective ◽  
Group Members ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The extant literature mainly focuses on the antecedents and outcomes of envy at the individual level. Workgroups have become ideal units for research on envy given the ubiquitous teamwork in organizations. This study aims to examine whether, how and when envy climate can influence group performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors analyzed data collected in three waves from a sample of 72 groups with 475 team members in full-service hotels in China. Findings Envy climate was negatively associated with group performance via intragroup relationship conflict. Furthermore, competitive climate moderated the effect of envy climate on intragroup relationship conflict and the indirect effect of envy climate on group performance through intragroup relationship conflict. Practical implications The present research offers organizations valuable insights into how to minimize the climate of envy and competition within a group and relieve the relationship conflict that may damage group performance. Originality/value Drawing on a social functional perspective of emotions, this study enriches the envy research by conceptualizing envy climate as a collective perception and clarifying its effect on group performance. The authors extend the understanding of envy climate by showing how a climate of envy embedded in a group influences group performance and also explain when group members may be more likely to act in a destructive way to respond to such a climate.

Partnering in offshore drilling projects

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sjur Børve ◽  
Tuomas Ahola ◽  
Bjorn Andersen ◽  
Wenche Aarseth
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Offshore Drilling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Integrated Risk ◽  
Offshore Development ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate to which extent partnering practices observed in earlier research focussing on the construction industry are applied in offshore development drilling projects. Design/methodology/approach The paper reviews earlier research on project partnering and the relationship-based procurement (RBP) taxonomy. The taxonomy is then empirically applied to describe partnering practices in an incentive-based drilling project in Norway. Findings Many elements of project partnering observed earlier in construction projects were found to characterize offshore development drilling projects. However, as assessed using the RBP framework, the authors found that partnering elements in observed context rated consistently lower than elements previously reported in the construction industry, indicating a lower maturity of partnering practices in the studied context. Practical implications The present study provides a multi-dimensional and systematic description of partnering practices in offshore drilling projects. Project owners can utilize this information to identify partnering elements requiring particular emphasis when initiating and managing drilling projects. Based on the findings, such elements include transparency and open-book auditing, integrated risk mitigation and insurance practices and establishment of authentic leadership. The findings further imply that partnering models cannot be directly applied across industry boundaries but must be tailored to fit the salient characteristics of each context. Originality/value The paper systematically describes to which extent specific partnering elements of the RBP taxonomy are applied in offshore drilling projects.

Differential leadership, team conflict and new product development performance

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 544-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianming Zhou ◽  
Shuo Liu ◽  
Xinsheng Zhang ◽  
Ming Chen
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
New Product ◽  
Task Conflict ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Conflict ◽  
Team Task ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of native Chinese R&D team directors’ differential leadership on team performance, so as to understand whether and how the directors’ differential leadership impacts team conflict, whether and how team conflict impacts new product development performance of the R&D team and whether team conflict plays full mediation on the relationship between directors’ differential leadership and new product development performance. Design/methodology/approach A literature review on differential leadership and team conflict provided the model and hypothesis. Two-wave data collected from 103 directors and 344 subordinates from 103 R&D teams of high-tech enterprises from China’s Pearl River Delta Area were used as empirical study samples. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to test the model and hypothesis. Findings First, the team director’s differential leadership would cause significant team relationship conflict and team task conflict in the R&D team. Second, team relationship conflict and team task conflict would produce significantly bad new product development performance in the R&D team. Third, team relationship conflict would significantly mediate the relationship between the team director’s differential leadership and the team’s new product development performance. Research limitations/implications To yield broader conclusions and to show to that the results can be replicated in other areas or in other types of organizations, further empirical research should expand the sampling by choosing high-tech enterprises from Beijing and Shanghai that have strong innovative abilities. Moreover, to extend the differential leadership theory, few more related variables of consequences, such as team communication, team cooperation and team knowledge share, should be included in future studies. Practical implications In general, the native Chinese R&D department director needs to try their best to avoid the use of differential leadership style. In addition, reasonable incentive measures, promotion mechanisms and fair team work culture are needed so as to reduce the negative impact from the director’s differential leadership. Originality/value The paper is original in its investigation on how Chinese indigenous organizational factor – differential leadership – influences the R&D team’s conflict and new product development performance, and provides theoretical contribution and managerial implications for the R&D team management.

International diversification and firm performance: a four-stage model

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 362-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Ferraris ◽  
Stefano Bresciani ◽  
Manlio Del Giudice
Keyword(s):  
Multinational Firms ◽  
International Diversification ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Stage Theory ◽  
Unified Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between international diversification (ID) and performance in multinational firms by proposing a new and unified theory of multinationality that incorporates, integrates and extends previous concepts and hypotheses. Design/methodology/approach The study relies on data concerning the world’s largest companies, derived from the Fortune Global 500. An OLS regression analysis has been carried out in order to test a four-stage relationship between ID and performance. Findings On a final sample of 391 multinationals, this paper provides an empirical evidence that support the existence of a four-stage theory by using a relevant sample of “top” multinational firms. Research limitations/implications This study has two main limitations: first, a single indicator was used to measure ID; second, some potential variables have had to be excluded due to data availability. Practical implications This paper offers some intriguing practical implications, as well: first, it points out to some thresholds where performances are higher at certain level of ID; second, it highlights that performance will face two kinds of decreases due to intra-regional and inter-regional liability of foreignness; finally, it individuates differences with regard to some firms’ characteristics such as home or host country’s behaviors and about the kind of industries in which they operate, as well. Originality/value This is one of the first studies that tests and finds positive evidences about a four-stage theory, regarding to the relationship between ID and performance. Moreover, it proposes other interesting results with regard to the differences between home vs host country-oriented firms and between manufacturing vs services multinational firms.

Is it about task conflict or relationship conflict?

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 324-343
Author(s):  
Jianxun Chen ◽  
Songbo liu ◽  
Yue Wang ◽  
Tao Wang ◽  
Xueqiang Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Transactional Leadership ◽  
Leadership Behavior ◽  
Task Conflict ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Exploratory Learning ◽  
Learning Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ceo Leadership ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Based on the team conflict theory and organizational learning theory, this study aims to discuss the two different types of conflicts of the top management team (TMT) on the different mechanisms of exploratory learning behavior of firms, and, based on the perspective of CEO-TMT (CEO – chief executive officer) interface, the different moderating effects caused by different CEO leadership styles are clarified. Design/methodology/approach Using the sample of 193 firms’ samples with multi-source data, the authors take an empirical test of the theoretical framework. Findings The effect of task conflict on exploratory learning behavior was insignificant, and relationship conflict had a positive effect on exploratory learning behavior. However, when CEO’s transformational leadership level was high, or transactional leadership level was low, there existed “bathtub curve” relationship between task conflict and exploratory learning behavior, and the relationship conflict under these conditions strengthened exploratory learning behavior. When CEO’s transactional leadership level was high, or transformational leadership level was low, there existed the inverted U-shaped relationship between task conflict and exploratory learning behavior, and the relationship conflict under such conditions weakened exploratory learning behavior. Originality/value First, the authors challenge the assumption of linear mechanism of task conflict, trying to build the mechanism of curve hypothesis, and the nonlinear explanation might be able to integrate the inconsistent results in the existing literature. Second, according to the inconsistent results of relationship conflict in existing literature, this study takes perspective of the CEO-TMT and introduces CEO leadership behavior as a moderating variable to test the moderating effect of CEO leadership and clarifies the boundary conditions of TMT conflicts.

Burning hearts in conflict

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kjell B. Hjerto ◽  
Bård Kuvaas
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Team Performance ◽  
Team Effectiveness ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Task Conflict ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intragroup Conflict ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between three conflict types, cognitive task conflict, emotional relationship conflict and emotional task conflict, and team effectiveness (team performance and team job satisfaction). Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a group-level ordinary least square regression analysis of 61 working teams to investigate the study variables, and possible interaction effects among them. In an auxiliary analysis (36 teams), they analyzed the role of mood dimensions (hedonic valence and general conflict activation) as mediators to the relationship between cognitive task conflict and team effectiveness. Findings Cognitive task conflict was negatively related to team performance, emotional relationship conflict was negatively related to team job satisfaction and emotional task conflict was positively related to team performance, all controlled for the effect of each other. The relationship between cognitive task conflict and team job satisfaction was negatively moderated by team size. Mood valence mediated the relationship between cognitive task conflict and team performance, and between cognitive task conflict and team job satisfaction. Research limitations/implications Several possible research lines emanate from the current field study. First of all, the authors suggest that emotional task conflict may be of particular interest, as this is hypothesized and found to be incrementally positively related to team performance. Second, their auxiliary study of the mediating effect of mood valence on the relationship between cognitive task conflict and performance may spur curiosity concerning the role of mood as a mediator of the relationship between task or cognitive conflicts and team effectiveness. Practical implications The practitioner should be advised to try to facilitate the distribution of intragroup conflict in their teams in the direction of an increased level of emotional task conflict (positive for performance) at the expense of cognitive task conflict (negative for performance) and emotional relationship conflict (negative for satisfaction). The practitioner should allow intragroup conflicts to be highly activated (intense), as long as the interactions are strictly directed to the task in hand, and not being personal. In addition, a positive mood in teams may significantly strengthen the team's resilience against adverse consequences of conflicts. Originality/value The three conflict types in this three-dimensional intragroup conflict model (3IC) have never been tested before, and the findings open for a conflict type – emotional task conflict – that may generally be conducive for the teams’ performance, evaluated by the teams’ supervisors. This is a conflict type where people simultaneously are emotional and yet task oriented. To the authors’ knowledge, this is a novelty, and they hope that it may encourage further research on this conflict type.

Does customer sociability matter? Differences in e-quality, e-satisfaction, and e-loyalty between introvert and extravert online banking users

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 538-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad A Ahmad Al-Hawari
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Online Banking ◽  
Banking Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
Bank Managers ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Different Levels

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between e-quality, e-satisfaction and e-loyalty and test how these relationships vary across different levels of customer sociability in the UAE banking industry. Design/methodology/approach – The relative importance of customer sociability in the relationships between e-quality, e-satisfaction and e-loyalty was examined. A self-administered questionnaire was developed, and data were collected from a final sample of 245 bank customers. The study’s conceptual model and four hypotheses were tested using AMOS18. Findings – E-quality influences e-satisfaction, which, in turn, affects customer e-loyalty. This study’s findings confirm that the relationships between e-quality, e-satisfaction and e-loyalty are stronger if the online banking user is an introvert (less social) rather than an extravert (very social). Practical implications – This study demonstrates how bank managers could use the sociability level of their customers to manage the relationships between e-quality, e-satisfaction and e-loyalty. Originality/value – The key contribution of this paper is that it demonstrates how the customer sociability level might affect the relationship between customers and online banking services.

Solving intra-group conflicts by supporting employees’ identification and commitment

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoltán Krajcsák
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Employee Commitment ◽  
Task Conflict ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Professional Commitment ◽  
Normative Commitment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how employee commitment and identification affect the intra-group conflicts and to demonstrate the moderator role of some dimensions of core self-evaluation (CSE) on the relationship between commitment and conflict. Exploring relationships can provide a better understanding of the nature of intra-group conflicts and the development of prevention and conflict management strategies. Design/methodology/approach This study uses case studies to illustrate the factors that amplify and weaken conflicts. Case studies describe conflicts within a single multinational company. Findings According to the results, the high levels of affective commitment and the degree of group identification reduce the relationship conflict, and the impact of affective commitment on the relationship conflict is moderated by the degree of self-esteem. The high levels of normative commitment and the degree of organizational identification reduce the process conflict, and the impact of normative commitment on process conflict is moderated by the degree of self-control. The high levels of professional commitment and the degree of occupational identification reduce the task conflict and that the impact of professional commitment on the task conflict is moderated by the degree of self-efficacy. Research limitations/implications The results should also be confirmed by research using a quantitative method. Practical implications Managers need to increase employees’ commitment in a targeted way to increase their performance and to prevent conflicts. An important lesson for recruitment professionals is that in jobs where conflict prevention is particularly important, CSE levels that determine personality traits should also be tested. Originality/value The degree of commitment and identification also largely depends on organizational circumstances and the support of the manager. The factors brought into play by the employees, including the personality of the staff involved in the conflict, also play a role in conflicts. While these do not trigger it, some personality variables influence the outcome of conflicts. The study demonstrates that targeted enhancement of employee commitment and identification can address intra-group conflicts and that CSE is able to prevent certain types of intra-group conflicts through its moderating effect.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document