Reducing Relationship Conflict in Virtual Teams With Diversity Faultlines: The Effect of an Online Affect Management Intervention on the Rate of Growth of Team Resilience

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of an online affect management intervention on relationship conflict through the rate of growth of team resilience in virtual teams with diversity faultlines. Fifty-two 4-person teams participated in a randomized controlled trial design with repeated measures (i.e., three measurement occasions). Teams were randomly assigned to either an intervention designed to help them manage emotions in virtual teams or a control condition. Our findings showed that affect management can reduce the level of relationship conflict in virtual teams with diversity faultlines and that this effect can be explained by the pattern of change in team resilience in response to the intervention. This study contributes to past research on identifying ways to prevent or mitigate team conflicts arising from diversity faultlines.

Research on Innovation Management of Science and Technology Innovation Team Members Based on Constructive Conflict Evolution Game

“…In the specific field of teams, interventions can be addressed also to the "other side of the coin". 37 For example, relationship conflicts in team, a type of negative but important conflict, can hinder a creative team environment. 38 However, this study does not cover the impact of relationship conflict.…”

“…Finally, the focus on just positive conflicts without addressing how to mitigate negative ones is also a flaw that should be noted, as a team experience both conflicts in a non-isomorphic configuration. In the specific field of teams, interventions can be addressed also to the “other side of the coin” 37. For example, relationship conflicts in team, a type of negative but important conflict, can hinder a creative team environment 38.…”

Performance in Virtual Teams: Towards an Integrative Model

“…Globalization, business competition, and rapid advancement in information and communication technology have propelled the growing prevalence of VTs in the past decade [1,2]. The use of VTs allows organizations to remotely engage specialists regardless of their physical location and enables them to respond faster to market change [1,3].…”

“…However, the lack of non-verbal cues and social interaction when communicating through technological tools hinders team consensus and makes conflict resolution more difficult [7,8]. In VTs, individuals can also experience stress and isolation due to the characteristics of virtual collaboration such as technical problems, geographic and temporal distribution, and cultural differences [2]. Leaders also face many challenges in monitoring and managing VTs, and difficulties in building trust among and between team members [6].…”

Modeling the factors determining a virtual team’s decision-making

“…These conflicts are emotionally charged and are very hard to resolve. Competition over resources or fear of invading identities can be the causes of conflict (Peñarroja, González-Anta, Orengo, Zornoza, & Gamero, 2022).…”