Project Factors Influencing Conflict Intensity and Handling Styles in Collaborative NPD

Abstract

Conflict and conflict management are critical research issues in client-supplier collaborative new product development (NPD). A recent study found that conflict intensity and conflicthandling styles affect collaborative NPD performance. In this paper, we explore the relationships of four NPD project factors, namely product technical complexity, product certainty, task interdependence and the relative power of supplier, to conflict intensity and suppliers' adoption of integrating and dominating conflict-handling styles. Research findings based on survey data collected from 193 suppliers provide a clear insight into the conflict intensity and suppliers' adoption of conflict-handling styles for NPD projects of various characteristics, which enables better planning for conflict management and helps improve NPD performance.supplier collaboration. Lam and Chin (forthcoming) extended the conflict research in NPD from an intra-organizational to interorganizational level (between organizations). They studied conflict and its management in client-supplier collaborative NPD, and found that conflict intensity and conflict handling styles affect NPD performance. This paper tries to enrich the conflict research in clientsupplier collaborative NPD by empirically exploring the relationships of four NPD project factors, namely product technical complexity, product certainty, task interdependence and the relative power of supplier, to conflict intensity and suppliers' adoption of integrating and dominating conflict handling styles. Identification of these relationships could provide a clear insight into the conflict intensity and suppliers' adoption of conflict handling styles for NPD projects of various characteristics, which enables better planning for conflict management and helps improve NPD performance.

Examining the Outcomes of Having a Calling: Does Context Matter?

“…Most modern work roles demand some form of reciprocal interaction with others to accomplish work goals. Research findings on the effects of task interdependence have been mixed, some suggesting positive outcomes (e.g., Lam and Chin 2004;Gundlach et al 2006), whereas others suggesting that it leads to negatives outcomes, such as conflict (e.g., Xie et al 1998). It will be interesting to see whether the negative effects of task interdependence will be more evident in the case of individuals with low calling, who might feel burdened by the higher consensual requirements within strong interdependent contexts.…”

Team conflict management and team effectiveness: the effects of task interdependence and team identification

“…Research (e.g., Schopler, 1986) has shown that when organizational teams share resources (high task interdependence), competitive strategies may be used to acquire maximum resources and power. Others, however, have stated that although high task interdependence increases the amount of interaction among members, it provides an incentive for collaboration (Lam & Chin, 2004). When task interdependence is high, team members typically communicate more often, are closer physically, and support and influence each other regularly.…”

Corporate Communication and Worker Perceptions of Conflict Management and Justice

“…Perceived task interdependence within the organization was assessed with a scale by Bishop and Scott (; five items; α = .86; the scale was translated and back‐translated from English to German by individuals fluent in both languages). Perceived task interdependence (i.e., “the extent to which employees perceive that their tasks depend on interactions with others and on others’ tasks being completed”; Bishop & Scott, , p. 440) was included because task interdependence creates opportunities for conflict especially when incompatibilities arise (e.g., Jehn, ; Saavedra, Earley, & Van Dyne, ; Somech et al., ) but also can create an incentive for collaboration and cooperation (Lam & Chin, ). The type of an organization (e.g., profit vs. nonprofit) was included, as research has shown that it relates to perceptions of conflict.…”