ScholarWorks@숙명여자대학교

초록

To date, a great deal of intra-team conflict research has focused on the effect of each types of conflict (task conflict and relationship conflict) on team effectiveness. However, these studies on intra-team conflict have been examined under the assumption that all team members perceive the similar amount of conflict as a shared team property. This assumption has ignored the possibility that team members can differ in their perceptions of the degree of conflict. To better understand intra-team conflict, it is necessary to examine the effect of task and relationship conflict asymmetry on team performance, because the perceived conflict differences among team members influence their attitudes and behaviors. Even if different perceptions in task and relationship conflict may provide implications for team performance, there is dearth of research regarding how two types of conflict asymmetry influence team performance. In particular, it is needed to explore the mechanism why and how team conflict asymmetry influences team performance. This research suggested collective team identification as a mechanism through which task conflict asymmetry and relationship conflict asymmetry may affect team performance. Based on shared mental model theory, the relationship between two types of conflict asymmetry and collective team identification can be explained. More specifically, task-related mental model includes knowledge of task components, processes, team relevant goals and requirements for task-related performance. On the other hand, team-related mental model involves information with respect to the knowledge, skills, abilities and interpersonal interaction requirements of team members. Shared mental model allows team members to interpret information on task and team work in the same fashion, share accurate prediction regarding future events. Therefore, it is important for team members to hold similar mental models such as task-related and team-related mental models to perform well. If there is within-team consensus on knowledge of task, processes, and requirements for effective task performance (i.e., task-related mental models) as well as knowledge, abilities, skills, and preferences of team members and requirements for interpersonal interaction (i.e., team-related mental models), this leads to better team processes such as coordination, communication, and cooperation. However, if team members holding different perceptions of conflict work together as a whole, they may have a hard time communicating with one another and accomplishing the task collectively. Such miscommunications and misunderstandings among members may interfere with not only team process and team functioning but also team identification with the team. Drawing on this perspective, when team members perceive discrepancy in task and relationship conflict, it is difficult to for members engage in beneficial interactions, work together, and identify with their team. Data collected from 75 teams of South Korean companies have shown that two types of conflict asymmetry are negatively related to collective team identification as well as collective team identification is positively associated with team performance. Furthermore, collective team identification mediates the associations between two types of conflict asymmetry and team performance. Present study contributes to the existing literature on intra-team conflict research. This research provides insights into how dispersion of task conflict and relationship conflict affects team performance, examining the unexplored mechanism. Different perceptions in task conflict and relationship conflict among team members may provide implications for team performance. Especially, to account for better understanding of conflict asymmetry in a team, shedding light on the mechanism through which two types of conflict asymmetry influence team performance is meaningful. Finally, limitations, implications, and future directions for conflict research are discussed.

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