Modelling organizational conflict processes: the organizational value of employee commitment and the moderating role of transformational leadership

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoltán Krajcsák
Keyword(s):  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Employee Commitment ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Professional Commitment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Conflict Processes ◽  
Relationship Conflicts ◽  
Process Conflict ◽  
Conflict Process ◽  
Organizational Value

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to model the nature of intra-group conflicts and to show how conflict process phases that are beneficial to the organization can be supported and how disadvantageous conflict process phases can be prevented or managed. Task (process) and relationship conflicts can appear alternately in the same conflict process, so the overperformance cannot be estimated by the number of intra-group conflicts alone. By exploring the intra-group conflict processes, the author can identify patterns of employee commitment that can increase, mitigate or prevent certain phases of conflict processes. Design/methodology/approach The study presents three intra-group conflicts from the same multinational company using the narrative tool. Qualitative methods are particularly suitable for modeling feelings, thoughts, fears and workplace attitudes. The cases come from the immediate managers of the conflict-affected groups. Findings The process of intra-group conflicts can typically be divided into four phases: task (process) conflict; relationship conflict; task (process) conflict; end of conflict (end of teeming). Task conflict, which provides overperformance for the organization, is supported by the employees’ normative and professional commitment, while the prevention of relationship conflict, which is detrimental to performance, is supported by increasing the employees’ affective commitment. The relationship between affective commitment and relationship conflict is moderated by transformational leadership. Finally, the minimum of team performance is affected by both the degree of relationship conflict and the lack of affective commitment, while the maximum of team performance is positively affected by the degree of task (process) conflict and the employees’ normative and professional commitment. Research limitations/implications In the future, the results should be confirmed by researches using quantitative methods. Practical implications The results suggest to managers that enhancing employees’ affective commitment is primarily important for preventing the disadvantageous relationship conflicts, while enhancing their normative and professional commitment is important for fostering the performance-related task conflict. The results show that increasing commitment goes beyond the organizational value of employees’ loyalty alone, and also highlight the importance of training and development. Originality/value In the literature on intra-group conflicts, most studies treat task and relationship conflicts independently of each other in conflict processes. This paper shows that both conflicts can be part of the same process at the same time. In addition, little research had addressed how employee commitment reduces or increases the certain phase of a specific type of conflict process.

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.

Emotion regulation and conflict transformation in multi-team systems

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter van den Berg ◽  
Petru L. Curseu ◽  
Marius T.H. Meeus
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Relationship Conflicts ◽  
Team Interactions ◽  
Regulation Mechanisms ◽  
Regulation Strategies ◽  
Process Conflict

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to test the moderating role of emotion regulation in the transformation of both task and process conflict into relationship conflict. Design/methodology/approach – A field study of multi-teams systems, in which (94) respondents are engaged in interpersonal and inter-team interactions, was conducted to test the effects of the interaction of emotion regulation and task and process conflict on the emergence of relationship conflict in 23 multi-team client/supplier systems. Findings – The findings show that when collective emotion regulation strategies are effective, process conflict is less likely to transform into relationship conflict. An emerging finding of this study shows that process conflict mediates the interaction between task conflict and emotion regulation on relationship conflict in multi-team systems. Research limitations/implications – This study uses a relatively small number of projects and participants: further studies with larger samples are recommended; in addition, longitudinal studies would allow for further testing the effect of team longevity in the emergence of effective emotion regulation strategies.ct transforming into relationship conflicts. Practical implications – The findings imply that managers of multi-team systems should actively try to stimulate their teams to develop effective emotion regulation strategies as effective emotion regulation mechanisms minimize the risk of process conflict transforming into relationship conflicts. Originality/value – The paper looks at a real-world (as opposed to lab-situation) environment; it addresses a contingency model of intra-group conflict and tests the transformation of task and process conflicts into relationship conflict taking into account the moderating effect of emotion regulation.

Leadership credibility and change success: mediating role of commitment to change

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noufou Ouedraogo ◽  
Michel Zaitouni ◽  
Mohammed Laid Ouakouak
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Employee Commitment ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Normative Commitment ◽  
Commitment To Change ◽  
Continuance Commitment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Negative Effect

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of leadership credibility on employees' behaviours and attitudes towards organisational change through the lens of employee commitment to change.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a quantitative study in which 239 participants from diverse organisations participated.FindingsUsing structural equation modelling techniques, the results reveal that leadership credibility has a positive effect on both affective and normative commitment to change but a negative effect on continuance commitment to change. The authors also report that change success is positively impacted by affective commitment to change and negatively impacted by continuance commitment to change but is not significantly affected by normative commitment to change.Research limitations/implicationsThus, the authors contribute to closing a knowledge gap in change management theory while making practical recommendations for leading people during times of organisational transition.Originality/valueThis study sheds light on the role of leadership credibility and employee commitment during organisational change.

Do employee responses to organizational support depend on their personality? The joint moderating role of conscientiousness and emotional stability

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg J. Sears ◽  
Yu Han
Keyword(s):  
Job Performance ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Employee Commitment ◽  
Emotional Stability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects

PurposeThis study explored whether two Big Five traits – conscientiousness and emotional stability – jointly moderate the positive effects of perceived organizational support (POS) on employee commitment and job performance. Drawing on organizational support theory and a self-regulation perspective, we proposed that employees high on both traits will more effectively leverage POS to enhance both their commitment and their performance.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 141 employees in a multinational transportation security firm. Employees completed measures assessing their POS, personality and affective commitment. Supervisors provided ratings of employees' job performance.FindingsResults indicated that POS exerts a stronger influence on both employee commitment and performance when workers are high on conscientiousness and emotional stability. Moreover, POS was only found to be significantly associated with job performance when employees were high on both traits.Research limitations/implicationsThese results suggest that personality traits play an integral role in influencing workers' perceptions of, and responses to, POS. Specifically, employees who demonstrate a stronger task focus and self-regulation capabilities appear to respond more favorably to POS.Practical implicationsThese findings reinforce the value of implementing HR practices that convey support for employees but also highlight the importance of attracting and retaining employees who are conscientious and emotional stable in order to fully realize the benefits of these practices.Originality/valueRecent evidence indicates that the relationship between POS and employee performance is tenuous. Our results are consistent with a contingency perspective on POS and signal that this may be partly owing to the `influence of individual differences, such as personality traits, in moderating the effects of POS.

Conflicts and creative idea endorsement

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 637-656
Author(s):  
Ahmad Adeel ◽  
Zhang Pengcheng ◽  
Farida Saleem ◽  
Rizwan Ali ◽  
Samreen Batool
Keyword(s):  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Idea Generation ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Exchange Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Political Skills ◽  
Creative Idea ◽  
Relationship Conflicts

Purpose This paper aims to investigate relationship conflicts and creative idea endorsement to develop the understanding of managerial reactions towards ideas of those who develop relationship conflicts with managers/supervisors at work. Taking a contingency perspective, the authors also investigated role subordinates’ political skills and implementation instrumentality play in determining supervisors’ endorsement of subordinates’ creative ideas. Design/methodology/approach The authors used two sources of data collected from 243 subordinates and their respective 41 supervisors of a multinational software company operating in an emerging economy (Pakistan) and analyzed the hypothesized model with Mplus using random coefficient modeling. Findings With this research, the authors contributed to management literature by investigating how the effects of relationship conflicts on creative idea endorsement depend on subordinates’ political skills and implementation instrumentality. They postulate a negative relationship between relationship conflict and creative ideas endorsement and predict that this negative relationship is augmented by subordinates’ implementation instrumentality but attenuated by subordinates’ political skills. They also give directions to decision makers in organizations that they must inform the managers/supervisors about negative effects of their relationship conflict with their subordinates and train supervisors and subordinates about reducing their relationship conflicts with each other for mutual benefits. Originality/value Organizations should take a relationship perspective when creating an environment for creativity: an environment based on mutual trust and respect so that exchange relationships can foster. With this research, the authors extended the list of potential detriment associated with relationship conflicts, that is the endorsement of creative ideas by supervisors. The authors also extended creativity literature by investigating social relationships for selection-focused creativity (idea endorsement) instead of variance-focused creativity (idea generation).

Fostering learning organisation in transitional economy – the role of authentic leadership and employee affective commitment

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 441-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milan Delić ◽  
Terje Slåtten ◽  
Bojana Milić ◽  
Uglješa Marjanović ◽  
Srđan Vulanović
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Employee Commitment ◽  
Transitional Economy ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Learning Organisation ◽  
Market Conditions ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The aim of this study is to examine how and in what way authentic leadership and affective employee commitment foster the learning organisation in the context of transitional market conditions. Acting as role factors, their relationships with the learning organisation were examined simultaneously, at leadership and employee level. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted on a sample of 500 employees from various industries of Serbian transitional economy. For the research purposes, structural equation modeling (SEM) methodology was used. Findings The findings reveal that authentic leadership and employee commitment both play an important role. Specifically, authentic leadership directly and indirectly affects the learning organisation. The indirect effect is partially mediated by the employee affective commitment. Research limitations/implications The focus of this study is limited to the role of authentic leadership in fostering the learning organisation. Apart from leadership and employee commitment, it might be assumed that other variables have the potential to play a role in fostering the learning organisation as well. Originality value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous study has focused on authentic leadership and employee commitment as an “enabling-mechanism” in fostering learning organisations in the context of transitional economies. Consequently, this paper provides theoretical and practical implications on how and in what way they impact a learning organisation by empirically studying them in the context of transitional market conditions.

The role of regulatory focus and team mindfulness in megaproject conflicts

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dedong Wang ◽  
Yuxue Wang
Keyword(s):  
Regulatory Focus ◽  
Task Conflict ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Prevention Focus ◽  
Promotion Focus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Process Conflict ◽  
Positive Effect

PurposeProject conflicts are inevitable. Megaproject conflicts need to be managed across different levels. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of individual-level regulatory focus and organization-level team mindfulness in managing megaproject conflicts.Design/methodology/approachBy combining the individual motivation basis and organizational background of conflict resolution, this study constructed a multi-level structural equation model. The hypothesis is tested based on data collected from 182 respondents.FindingsThe findings of this study show that project manager's promotion focus has a direct positive effect on task conflict and a negative effect on relationship conflict. Prevention focus has a positive effect on relationship conflict and a negative effect on task conflict and process conflict. Team mindfulness has a negative effect on relationship conflict and process conflict and a positive effect on task conflict. Task conflict was negatively affected by the interaction between team mindfulness and promotion focus. The interaction between team mindfulness and prevention focus had a positive effect on relationship conflict.Originality/valueThis study verifies the positive role of project manager's promotion focus and prevention focus in conflict management and clarifies the strengthening role of team mindfulness in constructive conflict and the prevention role in destructive conflict. This study also confirms that team mindfulness can act as a reinforcement and complementary factor of regulatory focus in megaproject conflict, contributing to the current understanding of the project manager's role in megaproject mindfulness contexts.

scholarly journals The relationship between interpersonal conflict and workplace bullying

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 250-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose M. Leon-Perez ◽  
Francisco J. Medina ◽  
Alicia Arenas ◽  
Lourdes Munduate
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Management ◽  
Workplace Bullying ◽  
Interpersonal Conflict ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Conflict Process ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the role that conflict management styles play in the relationship between interpersonal conflict and workplace bullying. Design/methodology/approach – A survey study was conducted among 761 employees from different organizations in Spain. Findings – Results suggest that an escalation of the conflict process from task related to relationship conflict may explain bullying situations to some extent. Regarding conflict management, attempts to actively manage conflict through problem solving may prevent it escalating to higher emotional levels (relationship conflict) and bullying situations; in contrast, other conflict management strategies seem to foster conflict escalation. Research limitations/implications – The correlational design makes the conclusions on causality questionable, and future research should examine the dynamic conflict process in more detail. On the other hand, to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study empirically differentiating interpersonal conflict and workplace bullying. Originality/value – This study explores how conflict management can prevent conflict escalating into workplace bullying, which has important implications for occupational health practitioners and managers.

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.

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