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.

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.

The impact of interpersonal conflict on construction project performance

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 479-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lianying Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyan Huo
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Conflict ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Construction Project ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Political Skill ◽  
Project Performance ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between interpersonal conflict and construction project performance. The authors test the proposition that this relationship is mediated by negative emotions and moderated by political skill. Design/methodology/approach – This study used a structured questionnaire survey and gathered 266 completed data from 45 construction project teams in mainland China. To test the hypotheses, bootstrapping procedures were used. Findings – The results show that interpersonal conflict and negative emotions all have inverse relationships with project performance. Additionally, negative emotions mediated the relationship between interpersonal conflict and project performance, and this indirect relationship will be mitigated when team members have a high level of political skill. Research limitations/implications – These findings indicate that interpersonal conflict has a detrimental influence on project performance and should attract broad attention for future empirical literature. Furthermore, political skill is an effective contingent factor to suppress the detrimental influence of interpersonal conflict. Practical implications – The findings imply that managers should highlight the importance of interpersonal conflict in construction projects. Originality/value – This paper addresses a moderated mediation model to examine the relationship among interpersonal conflict, negative emotions and construction project performance, and it takes into account the moderating role of political skill. The paper also offers practical assistance to construction project managers in managing interpersonal conflict.

The dual effects of task conflict on team creativity

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 132-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun Kyung Lee ◽  
Ariel C. Avgar ◽  
Won-Woo Park ◽  
Daejeong Choi
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Harmful Effect ◽  
Task Conflict ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Team Creativity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Conflict ◽  
Positive Direct ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the dual effects of task conflict on team creativity and the role of team-focused transformational leadership (TFL) as a key contingency in the task conflict–team creativity relationship.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 325 teams across ten large companies in South Korea. The study tested the hypothesized moderated mediation model using an SPSS macro (PROCESS, Hayes, 2008).FindingsResults showed that task conflict is directly and positively related to team creativity and is negatively and indirectly related to team creativity via relationship conflict. Furthermore, the study found that team-focused TFL moderates all paths through which task conflict affects team creativity. Specifically, team-focused TFL enhances the positive direct effect of task conflict and alleviates the negative indirect effects of task conflict on team creativity.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough this study could not test the causal chains of the proposed relationships owing to a cross-sectional nature of data, the present research provides theoretical implications for the conflict, leadership and team creativity literatures. The study highlights the role of transformational leadership in the process through which team conflict is managed so as to increase team creativity.Practical implicationsTo capitalize on the creativity-related benefits associated with task conflict, managers will need to pay attention to the role they can play and their leadership that emphasizes collective goals and identity. Managers and team leaders are also expected to intervene in conflict situations to minimize the harmful effect of task conflict that may take place owing to the association between task conflict and relationship conflict.Social implicationsThe findings will have implications for any social contexts where people work together toward common goals. In such contexts, the study emphasizes the role of leadership in teams to use the creative potential associated with different opinions and values regarding what and how work to be completed.Originality/valueThe study’s examination of the dual paths through which task conflict affects team creativity brings insights into why the impact of task conflict on team creativity has been inconsistent or unclear in past research. This paper also articulates a leader’s role in teams in relation to managing team conflict to increase team creativity.

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.

How does strength of ties influence project performance in Chinese megaprojects?

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 753-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangdong Wu ◽  
Junwei Zheng ◽  
Xianbo Zhao ◽  
Jian Zuo
Keyword(s):  
Project Performance ◽  
Task Conflict ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Weak Ties ◽  
Strong Ties ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strength Of Ties ◽  
Process Conflict

Purpose This study aims to investigate how the strength of ties (i.e. strong ties and weak ties) in megaproject networks influences project performance in terms of types of conflicts. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was undertaken with professionals in Chinese megaprojects and 445 valid responses were received. A conflict-based theoretical model was developed and tested with structural equation modeling. Findings The results indicated that task conflict had a constructive effect on project performance, whereas relationship conflict and process conflict had destructive effects. Both strong and weak ties positively affected project performance, and that weak ties exerted greater effects on performance. The introduction of conflicts significantly weakened the effect of strong ties on project performance. Strong ties indirectly affected project performance via task conflict and relationship conflict, whereas weak ties affected performance only through task conflict. Task conflict had a constructive effect on project performance, whereas relationship conflict and process conflict had destructive impact. Research limitations/implications This study identified the positive effect of strength of ties on project performance as well as the constructive and destructive roles of conflicts. Furthermore, the findings provided evidence that strength of ties and conflicts were critical factors for project performance. While, there are still limitations. There are other attributes of megaproject networks, such as network nodes’ characteristics and network structure, which may influence conflicts and project performance. Future research would be conducted to explore the role of these variables. Meanwhile, because different types of conflicts may mutually transform under certain conditions, future research would also address this issue in megaprojects. Practical implications As for the management strategies, project stakeholders should know the existence of project networks, exactly assess their resource endowment, especially their external and internal relationship network. In accordance with changes of the project network, stakeholders should share knowledge and learn techniques about how to respond to relationship disturbances, thus reducing relationship conflict and process conflict. Furthermore, stakeholders should place an emphasis on fostering and reinforcing communication and trust, thus effectively resolving task conflict, ambiguity and uncertainty engendered from network ties in a megaproject network. Originality/value The main contribution of this study is threefold. First, this study will enrich the literature on strength of ties by accentuating the roles of conflicts in megaproject context. Second, this study contributes to the theoretical development of a conceptual model for explaining the interrelationships among strength of ties, conflicts and project performance. Third, this study will respond to the call “which dimension, i.e. strong ties or weak ties, is more influential” by exploring the direct and indirect effects of strength of ties on project performance.

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.

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.

Exploring the relationship between network position and innovation performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-111
Author(s):  
Min Li ◽  
Fangbin Xiao ◽  
Yang Cheng ◽  
Bi-Jun Xie ◽  
Chen-Yun Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Jiangxi Province ◽  
Central Position ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Structural Holes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Network Position ◽  
The One ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to attempt to explore the influence of network position on innovation performance, specifically for companies from a less-developed area in China. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a social network analysis method based on the data of high and new tech companies from Jiangxi province, China. It relies on Ucinet 6.212 software for data processing. Findings The present work, on the one hand, reveals that a high and new tech company from Jiangxi province tends to achieve better innovation performances if it is in the central position of its social network. On the other hand, it indicates that the same type of company from the same area does not always accomplish better innovation performance, even it possesses more structural holes. Originality/value The conclusions of this paper suggest that a high and new tech company from a less-developed area in China should build up its position closer to the center when constructing a social network. Meanwhile, the company should also exert more effort into managing its networks, as only building structural holes offers little help with operations besides showing that it has a broad social network.

Impact of connective leadership on employees’ goal commitment during M & A integration

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 789-801 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shimei Yan ◽  
Shan Wu ◽  
Gang Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Goal Commitment ◽  
Task Conflict ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Connective Leadership ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of connective leadership in the promotion of employee goal commitment, and to determine whether conflict can mediate the relationship between connective leadership and goal commitment during the integration of mergers and acquisitions (M & A). Design/methodology/approach – The study draws on survey data (n=255) from Chinese employees who work for 12 native M & A enterprises. Structural equation modeling and regression analysis are applied to analyze the data. Findings – The results show that connective leadership is positively related to employee goal commitment (p < 0.01). In addition, relationship conflict partially mediates the relationship between connective leadership and employee goal commitment. Task conflict fully mediates the relationship between connective leadership and employee goal commitment. Originality/value – This study introduces connective leadership into M & A and may contribute to the literature related to connective leadership and M & A integration as well as the literature focussed on goal commitment, especially antecedents of goal commitment.

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