Conflict management and performance outcomes

JURNAL : Richard A. Posthuma

Abstract

Purpose – This introduction aims to summarize five studies included in this themed issue that focus
on conflict management and performance outcomes. These studies highlight how conflict
management research can help organizations perform more effectively.
Design/methodology/approach – The five selected studies were combined into this single issue so
that readers can compare and contrast scholarships from many countries and cultures, including
Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, The Netherlands, Norway, and Taiwan to see how conflict management
research relates to actual performance outcomes around the world.
Findings – These studies show that negotiations conducted by two-person dyads resulted in higher
outcomes when compared to negotiations conducted by multi-person groups. In addition, when
negotiators consider more than one issue at a time and use a constructive problem solving approach,
they can reach better outcomes. In addition, higher self-efficacy of the negotiator can increase objective
negotiation outcomes, but only to a point beyond which more self-efficacy can have a negative effect.
One dimension of employee work performance, innovation, is shown to have several interesting
relationships with other variables. Two studies found that innovative work behaviors had a positive
relationship to workplace conflict. One study showed that task conflict seemed to relate to increased
innovative work behaviors. Another study found a positive relationship between a broader measure of
innovative work behaviors and conflicted with workers. The positive relationship between task
conflict and innovative behaviors seemed to increase when there was more support for innovation. In
addition, the positive relationship between innovative behavior and conflict with coworkers seem to
decrease when there was more distributive justice in workplace rewards. These studies also showed
significant relationships between conflict management and subjective outcomes, such as subjective
perceptions of negotiations, job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and relationships between coworkers.
Research limitations/implications – These studies outline ways for organizations to design
conflict management principles both to increase the objective outcomes of negotiations and to induce
their employees to be more innovative at work.
Originality/value – All five studies used original data not reported elsewhere and gathered in
various countries that have not been reported in prior studies.
Keywords Conflict management, Innovation, Performance management, Negotiating
Paper type Research paper