How workplace conflict expression shapes team performance
Workplace conflict has played a foundational role in theories about how people interact on the job. In a recent paper, researchers developed a new measure of how conflict is expressed among workers that highlights how the ways individuals voice their dissent vary in terms of oppositional intensity and directness.
Workplace conflict has long been a subject of study in understanding how people interact on the job. A recent paper from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, Indiana University, UCLA, California State University, Stony Brook University, the University of Melbourne, INSEAD, and an independent researcher offers new insights into how conflict is expressed among team members.
The study, published in Small Group Research, introduces the Conflict Expression Tendencies (CET) measure, which evaluates how individuals voice dissent within a workgroup.
The CET measure identifies four distinct approaches to conflict expression: arguing, debating, subverting, and disguising. These categories capture varying levels of directness and intensity in how opposition is voiced. By integrating less-studied forms of opposition, such as social undermining and passive aggression, with more traditional conflict constructs like arguing and debating, the CET measure provides a comprehensive view of conflict tendencies within a group.
The researchers conducted six studies involving diverse participants, both in laboratory and real-world settings. The results showed that debating, when conducted with high directness but low intensity, enhanced workers' information acquisition, positive affect, and trust. On the other hand, subverting, disguising, and arguing were associated with negative outcomes, including reduced cognitive performance and lower levels of trust.
Interestingly, the study also found that the same conflict interaction could be perceived differently by group members based on their individual perspectives. This highlights the importance of understanding how individuals experience and interpret conflict within a team.
The CET scale is designed to be a valuable tool for researchers and team leaders. It allows for the assessment of conflict expression tendencies within a work unit from the members' viewpoints, enabling more targeted and effective team management strategies. By recognizing and accommodating the diverse ways individuals engage with conflict, leaders can foster a more adaptive and responsive approach to conflict management. This ultimately promotes constructive communication and healthier team dynamics.
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