Conflict in context

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating effect of discretion and social capital on the relationship between individual perceptions of team conflict and employee-level outcomes. The authors propose that both employee discretion and unit-level social capital influence the negative effects of perceived conflict on employee stress and turnover intentions. They argue that an individual’s perceptions of these central organizational characteristics are likely to alter the consequences associated with conflict and the manner in which individuals respond to it. Design/methodology/approach – This study empirically tests the moderating effects of discretion and unit-level social capital on the relationship between individual’s perception of team conflict and employee-level outcomes. Analysis was conducted with survey data from a sample of health care care providers in 90 units across 20 nursing home organizations. We applied hierarchical linear modeling analyses to test our hypotheses. Findings – Results demonstrate that employee discretion moderates the relationship between perceived task conflict and job stress. Unit-level social capital was shown to moderate the relationship between perceived relationship conflict and employee turnover intentions. Our findings also document a varied moderation effect at low to moderate levels of conflict versus high levels of conflict. This finding suggests that the moderating role of contextual variables is more nuanced and complex than the existing conceptual frameworks acknowledge. Research limitations/implications – This study contributes to the research on conflict and conflict management by extending a multilevel approach to the effect of conflict and by providing new insights regarding the contextual manner in which conflict affects workplace outcomes. Practical implications – The effects of discretion and unit-level social capital on how conflict is metabolized by organizations and their members varied. Contextual factors matter differently for different individual level outcomes. In attempting to manage the consequences associated with workplace conflict, organizations and their managers must consider different contextual factors. Originality/value – This study contributes to the research on conflict and its management in organization by providing new insights regarding the contextual manner in which conflict affects organizational and individual outcomes. This study provides support for the claim that the relational and task-related context under which employees experience conflict affects employee stress levels and the extent to which they report their intentions to leave the organization.

Antecedents and consequences of knowledge sabotage in the Turkish telecommunication and retail sectors

“…While a relationship between knowledge sabotage and turnover intention hitherto remained empirically untested, several studies confirm the line of reasoning above. For example, Avgar et al (2014) and Hill et al (2015) prove that inter-employee relationship conflict triggers employee turnover intention. Similarly, Shaukat et al (2017) verify that interpersonal strain at work causes turnover intention.…”

How social interaction can prevent interpersonal conflict from inducing turnover intentions and diminishing championing behaviour

“…Organizations should understand the risk associated with emotion-laden quarrels; they may direct employees toward energy-consuming ruminations about the possibility of quitting and away from productive idea championing activities, which otherwise could help resolve the roots of the relational adversity (Perry-Smith and Mannucci, 2017). Employees who see themselves as victims of persistent interpersonal fights may interpret their emotional hardships as signals that organizational leaders do not have an interest in their individual well-being, to which they react with active searches for alternative employment (Avgar et al , 2014). A notable complication is that some employees might not complain about these irritations, because they already think the employing organization does not care and condones emotion-laden conflicts; they also might not want to risk making the conflicts worse (Ilies et al , 2011).…”

“…These conceptual considerations set the stage for several contributions. First, we leverage the COR theory to outline how resource-depleting interpersonal conflict translates into diminished idea championing, as an unexplored behavioural response, through employees’ desire to quit (Avgar et al , 2014; Hill et al , 2015). In detailing this theoretically novel, explanatory mechanism, we establish a distinct, important conduit through which emotion-laden tensions may escalate into work-related complacency and create a downward dynamic.…”

Mitigating the risk that peer-initiated task conflict escalates into diminished helping: roles of passion for work and collectivistic orientation

“…In a related way, employees who feel attacked by opposing viewpoints expressed by their colleagues may interpret the unfavorable treatment as a sign of limited recognition for their contributions or daily work efforts (Avgar et al 2014;Liao and Sun 2020). In the presence of such signals, accusations that colleagues are the cause of dysfunctional relationships may seem justified (Bowling et al 2010).…”