EFFECTS OF INTRA-GROUP CONFLICTS ON GROUP WORK EFFECTIVENESS: THE MODERATING ROLE OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Hina AMIN¹
Ilknur OZTURK²*
Waqar AKBAR³
Kashif ARIF⁴

ABSTRACT

In the organizations, group work is essential for effective performance, and conflicts can occur at any place where more than one person works. Intra group conflict is the current phenomena for study that guides employees to do their tasks better even in conflicts. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of intra group conflicts (emotional and cognitive conflicts) on the employees’ work effectiveness, and the moderating role of cultural diversity at work place. The sample size of the study was 306 people, however only 180 questionnaires were filled completely that meant the rate of respondents was 68.2%. After application of the statistical tests including multiple regression spilt method and correlation, the findings of the study suggested that overall there was a significant impact of this model and all the variables were positively correlated, while the role of cultural diversity as a moderating variable was not found very strong when the cognitive conflicts occurred. Moreover, at the managerial level, there was a need to understand the relation of intra group conflicts with the work effectiveness. Therefore, as conflicts are inevitable at workplace, it is better to make them functional rather than dysfunctional, additionally, the area of intra group conflict may still have various hidden factors to be explored.

Keywords: Intra Group Conflicts, Group Work, Effectiveness, Cultural Diversity.

Download PDF

references

Afzal, H., Butt, B. Z., Rehman, K. U., & Safwan, N. (2009). An investigation of intragroup Conflict and its impact on employees’ performance in Pakistani banking sector. South Asian Journal of Management, 16(1), 92.

Amason, A. C. (1996). Distinguishing the effects of functional and dysfunctional conflict on strategic decision making: Resolving a paradox for top management teams. Academy of management journal, 39(1), 123-148.

Armstrong, V. (2011). Diversity integration.

Bond, R., & Smith, P. B. (1996). Culture and conformity: A meta-analysis of studies using Asch's (1952b, 1956) line judgment task. Psychological bulletin, 119(1), 111. Chicago

Bradley, B. H., Anderson, H. J., Baur, J. E., & Klotz, A. C. (2015). When conflict helps: Integrating evidence for beneficial conflict in groups and teams under three perspectives. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 19(4), 243.

Curşeu, P. L. (2011). Intra-group conflict and teamwork quality: The moderating role of leadership styles. Administrative Sciences, 1(1), 3-13.

De Dreu, C. K., & Weingart, L. R. (2003). Task versus relationship conflict, team performance, and team member satisfaction: a meta-analysis. Journal of applied Psychology, 88(4), 741.

Eisenhardt, K. M., Kahwajy, J. L., & Bourgeois, L. J. (1997). How management teams can have a good fight. Harvard business review, 75, 77-86.

Forsyth, D. R. (2018). Group dynamics. Cengage Learning.

HAINES, J. K. (2014). Leveraging Diversity in Intercultural Creative Teams.

Hjertø, K. B. (2006). The Relationship between intragroup conflict, group size and work effectiveness.

Jehn, K. A. (1994). Enhancing effectiveness: An investigation of advantages and disadvantages of value-based intragroup conflict. International journal of conflict management, 5(3), 223-238.

Jehn, K. A. (1995). A multimethod examination of the benefits and detriments of intragroup conflict. Administrative science quarterly, 256-282.

Jehn, K. A., & Bendersky, C. (2003). Intragroup conflict in organizations: A contingency perspective on the conflict-outcome relationship. Research in organizational behavior, 25, 187-242.

Jehn, K. A., Rispens, S., & Thatcher, S. M. (2010). The effects of conflict asymmetry on work group and individual outcomes. Academy of Management Journal, 53(3), 596-616.

Kozlowski, S. W., & Bell, B. S. (2003). Work groups and teams in organizations. Handbook of psychology.

Lawrence, B. S. (1997). Perspective—The black box of organizational demography. Organization Science, 8(1), 1-22.

Meer. (2013). Different types of Conflicts. (e-article) accessed on (September 2015) retrieved from http://studyob.com/different-types-conflict-task-relationship-process-conflicts/

Nakatsugawa, S., & Takai, J. (2013). Keeping Conflicts Latent:" Salient" versus" Non-Salient" Interpersonal Conflict Management Strategies of Japanese. Intercultural Communication Studies, 22(3).

Olu, O. J. O., & Dupe Adesubomi, A. B. O. L. A. D. E. (2014). Impact of Conflict Management On Employees'performance in A Public Sector Organisation in Nigeria. Management Strategies Journal, 7(1), 64-70.

Pelled, L. H., Eisenhardt, K. M., & Xin, K. R. (1999). Exploring the black box: An analysis of work group diversity, conflict and performance. Administrative science quarterly, 44(1), 1-28.

Podsiadlowski, A., Gröschke, D., Kogler, M., Springer, C., & Van Der Zee, K. (2013). Managing a culturally diverse workforce: Diversity perspectives in organizations. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 37(2), 159-175.

Rafique, T.Khan, N.A. Rahman, H. Abbas, A. Saeed, T. Effect of Innovation in Relationship between Interorganizational Learning and Performance of Construction Industry. Journal of Organizational Behavior Research. 3(1). 2018, Pages: 247-267.

Ramos, M. R., Cassidy, C., Reicher, S., & Haslam, S. A. (2015). Well being in cross cultural transitions: discrepancies between acculturation preferences and actual intergroup and intragroup contact. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 45(1), 23-34.

Ranjporazarian, M. Farajolahi, M. Sarmadi, M. & Noroozzade, R. The cultural planning framework in universities. Int. J. Pharm. Res. Allied Sci., 2017, 6(2):301-307.

Triandis, H. C. (1996). The psychological measurement of cultural syndromes. American psychologist, 51(4), 407.

Vodosek, M. (2007). Intragroup conflict as a mediator between cultural diversity and work group outcomes. International Journal of Conflict Management, 18(4), 345-375.

Weimer (2014). 10 Recommendations for improving group work, e-article accessed from http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/10-recommendations-improving-group-work/

Wiersema, M. F., & Bantel, K. A. (1992). Top management team demography and corporate strategic change. Academy of Management journal, 35(1), 91-121.

Zarankin, T. G. (2008). A new look at conflict styles: goal orientation and outcome preferences. International Journal of Conflict Management, 19(2), 167-184.