Workplace Conflict

What is Group Conflict?

Group conflict occurs when there are misunderstandings or disagreements between two or more actors (Driskell et al., 2017). The reason could stem from intrapersonal, interpersonal, intragroup, or intergroup conflict (Burton-Hughes, 2017).  Awareness of the varied forms of group conflict can help identify, address, and/or diffuse the root cause of the issue.  From there, the best conflict resolution approach can be applied. Noted below are three main forms of group conflict.

Common Forms of Group Conflict

Task Conflict: “or cognitive conflict, is a perception of disagreements among group members about the content of their decisions and involves differences in viewpoints, ideas, and opinions” (Simons & Peterson, 2000). Task conflict could result due to differences in how an organization’s process should be carried out and how it affects one’s work duties. However, task conflict has shown that it can be beneficial in aiding group decision-making via a greater understanding of issues among group members and increased satisfaction with decisions made (Simons & Peterson, 2000).

Relationship Conflict: “an interpersonal struggle based on differing beliefs, personalities, or experiences, with little respect to the task at hand” (Kozlowski, 2022). Relationship conflict can be thought of as a conflict between two individuals versus a task conflict which could be thought of as an individual against a specific organizational task/process (Kozlowski, 2022). We can all relate to the struggle when two people on your team do not get along and seem to have a clash of personalities. Thus, relationship conflict can create emotional tension that can then lead to other forms of conflict, such as task conflict.

Status Conflict: “disputes over people’s relative status positions in their group’s social hierarchy” (Pai & Bendersky, 2020). Status disagreements can occur when individuals prioritize their advancement in status over the needs and interests of the group (Pai & Bendersky, 2020). Status conflict can snowball into other forms of conflict and can drastically hinder group performance (Bendersky & Hays, 2012).

Impact Conflict has on Groups

The type of conflict and how the conflict is managed can influence whether the impact of conflict on a group is either negative or positive. In some instances, group conflict can act as a “possible barrier to team effectiveness” and, in other situations, can be the driver of team effectiveness (Maltarich et al., 2018). Negative group conflict can be a result of factors such as personal/emotional issues, competition over resources, communication breakdowns, or external work conditions (Lumen, n.d.). While positive group conflict can “spark new ideas and generate creativity,” as well as help avoid groupthink (Lumen, n.d.).

The Role Personality Plays in Group Conflict

With the continued advancement of technology, organizations today are able to do business around the world, despite differing time zones, language disparities, or cultures. While members of groups are also able to work geographically dispersed, thanks to platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom. Further, there is a push to generate diversity, innovation, and new ideas in the workplace to remain competitive. With such comes conflict. When we use the Cycle of Socialization to better understand how individual differences are influenced by a variety of inputs, it is easy to understand how such can result in disagreements (Harro, 2000). Further, personality specifically can be viewed as a key player in the emergence of conflict and how conflict is managed (Anderson, 2009; Bono et al., 2002).

The American Psychological Association (2023) defines personality as “the enduring configuration of characteristics and behavior that comprises an individual’s unique adjustment to life, including major traits, interests, drives, values, self-concept, abilities, and emotional patterns.” If we do not take the time to understand one another as individuals, then we fail to account for the humanistic element of interactions. Thus, “developing our understanding of how group personality composition affects both of these types of conflict [task and relationship] is necessary to better enable groups to manage conflict, and thereby lessen potentially harmful outcomes resulting from conflict” (Anderson, 2009).  

When exploring where individual differences occur with regard to personality, there are three levels (traits, actions, and life narratives) (Bono et al., 2002). The three levels of personality can help one better understand how one manages conflict and interprets conflict (Bono et al., 2002). Further, using the Five-Factor Model has provided a framework for better understanding personality. Thus, Bono and colleagues (2002) found that individuals scoring high in agreeableness often reported fewer number of conflicts in comparison to those high in neuroticism or openness.

Considerations to Manage Group Conflict

Edmondson & Smith (2006) provide some great suggestions to overcome relationship conflict that can easily be applied to situations where conflict is a result of personality differences. I have highlighted a few recommendations below:

• When hot triggers surface, before an emotional response occurs, leadership can work to encourage reframing and reflecting. They can do this by driving the conversation to a cooler zone via the facilitation of a discussion around different beliefs and helping the group to consider new points of view.
• Leadership maps out how personality differences create group conflict. Showcasing where it is hindering decision-making abilities and working with the group to develop ways to overcome such.
• Create a space where group emotional reactions and the reason for such emotions can and are discussed openly.
• The organization fosters and provides time for coworkers to get to know one another and build trust with one another.

References

American Psychological Association. (2023). Personality. https://dictionary.apa.org/personality?_ga=2.116778630.1240992655.1679423098-1682154112.1678055448

Anderson, M. H. (2009). The role of group personality composition in the emergence of task and relationship conflict within groups. Journal of Management & Organization, 15, 82-96.

Bendersky, C., & Hays, N. A. (2012). Status conflict in groups. Organization Science, 23(2), 323-340.

Bono, J. E., Boles, T. L., Judge, T. A., & Lauver, K. J. (2002). The role of personality in task and relationship conflict. Journal of Personality, 70(3), 311-344.

Burton-Hughes, L. (2017). Understanding the different types of group conflict: A guide for managers. https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/types-of-group-conflict-guide-for-managers/

Driskell, T., Salas, E., Driskell, J. E. (2018). Teams in extreme environments: Alterations in team development and teamwork. Human Resource Management Review, 28(4), 434-449.

Edmondson, A. C., & Smith, D. M. (2006). Too hot to handle? How to manage relationship conflict. California Management Review, 49(1), 6-31.

Harro, B. (2000). The cycle of socialization. Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, Routledge.  

Kozlowski, B. (2022). Task versus relationship conflict in the workplace. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/task-versus-relationship-conflict-workplace-beatrice?trk=pulse-article'

Lumen. (n.d.) Conflict within teams. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-principlesofmanagement/chapter/reading-conflict-within-teams/

Maltarich, M. A., Kukenberger, M., Reilly, G., & Mathieu, J. (2018). Conflict in Teams: Modeling Early and Late Conflict States and the Interactive Effects of Conflict Processes. Group & Organization Management, 43(1), 6–37.

Pai, J., & Bendersky, C. (2020). Team status conflict. Current Opinion in Psychology, 33, 38-41.

ScrumAlliance. (n.d.). The key values and principles of agile manifesto. https://resources.scrumalliance.org/Article/key-values-principles-agile-manifesto

Simmons, T., & Peterson, R. (2000). Task conflict and relationship conflict in top management teams: The pivotal role of intragroup trust. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85(1), 102-111.