Intragroup conflict

In sociology, intragroup conflict (or infighting) refers to conflict between two or more members of the same group or team.^[1] In the years leading up to 2008, intragroup conflict has received a large amount of attention in conflict and group dynamics literature.^[2] This increase in interest in studying intragroup conflict may be a natural corollary of the ubiquitous use of work groups and work teams across all levels of organizations, including decision-making task forces, project groups, or production teams.^[3] Jehn^[4] identified two main types of intragroup conflict: task conflict and relationship (or emotional) conflict (e.g., differences in personal values).

Antecedents

There are a number of antecedents of intragroup conflict. While not an exhaustive list, researchers have identified a number of antecedents of intragroup conflict, including low task or goal uncertainty,^[5] increased group size,^[6] increased diversity (i.e., gender, age, race),^[7][8] lack of information sharing,^[9] and high task interdependence.^[10]

Measuring

Jehn^[4] developed the Intragroup Conflict Scale (ICS) to measure the two types of intragroup conflicts (i.e., task and relationship conflict). The ICS consists of eight 7-point Likert scale items which assess intragroup conflict. This scale has been applied in a number of contexts including decision making groups^[11] and groups in the moving industry.^[12] Furthermore, this scale has high construct and predictive validity.^[13]

Group outcomes

Effects of intragroup conflict on group performance or outcome is moderated by a number of factors including the context under which it is examined and the type of outcome.^[14] According to one study, task conflict has a less negative relationship (and at times even positive) with group performance and outcomes than believed previously.^[14] The results of the study also showed that intragroup conflict is not always negative or detrimental to group performance; for example, task conflict has been related positively to group performance and outcomes when such conflict occurs in management groups.^[14]

See also

• Group conflict
• Narcissism of small differences
• Vote-splitting

References

1. Forsyth, D. R. (2009). Group dynamics (5th ed.). New York: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-0-495-59952-4. OCLC 318104476.
2. Korsgaard, M. A.; Jeong, S. S.; Mahony, D. M. & Pitariu, A. H. (2008). "A multilevel view of intragroup conflict". Journal of Management. 34 (6). SAGE Publications: 1222–1252. doi:10.1177/0149206308325124. ISSN 0149-2063. S2CID 143569606.
3. De Dreu, C. K. W. & Weingart, L. R. (2003). "Task versus relationship conflict, team performance, and team member satisfaction: A meta-analysis". Journal of Applied Psychology. 88 (4). American Psychological Association (APA): 741–749. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.88.4.741. ISSN 1939-1854. PMID 12940412.
4. Jehn, K. A. (1995). "A multimethod examination of the benefits and detriments of intragroup conflict". Administrative Science Quarterly. 40 (2). JSTOR: 256–282. doi:10.2307/2393638. ISSN 0001-8392. JSTOR 2393638.
5. Mooney, A. C.; Holahan, P. J. & Amason, A. C. (2007). "Don't take it personally: Exploring cognitive conflict as a mediator of affective conflict". Journal of Management Studies. 44 (5). Wiley: 733–758. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6486.2006.00674.x. ISSN 0022-2380. S2CID 144854455.
6. Amason, A. C. & Sapienza, H. J. (1997). "The effects of top management team size and interaction norms on cognitive and affective conflict". Journal of Management. 23 (4). SAGE Publications: 495–516. doi:10.1177/014920639702300401. ISSN 0149-2063. S2CID 143833786.
7. Mohammed, S. & Angell, L. C. (2004). "Surface- and deep-level diversity in workgroups: Examining the moderating effects of team orientation and team process on relationship conflict". Journal of Organizational Behavior. 25 (8). Wiley: 1015–1039. doi:10.1002/job.293. ISSN 0894-3796.
8. Pelled, L. H.; Eisenhardt, K. M. & Xin, K. R. (1999). "Exploring the black box: An analysis of work group diversity, conflict and performance". Administrative Science Quarterly. 44 (1). JSTOR: 1–28. doi:10.2307/2667029. ISSN 0001-8392. JSTOR 2667029. S2CID 145267150.
9. Moye, N. A. & Langfred, C. W. (1 April 2004). "Information sharing and group conflict: Going beyond decision making to understand the effects of information sharing on group performance". International Journal of Conflict Management. 15 (4). Emerald: 381–410. doi:10.1108/eb022919. ISSN 1044-4068.
10. Deutsch, M. (1949). "A theory of co-operation and competition". Human Relations. 2 (2). SAGE Publications: 129–152. doi:10.1177/001872674900200204. ISSN 0018-7267.
11. Amason, A. C. & Mooney, A. C. (1 April 1999). "The effects of past performance on top management team conflict in strategic decision making". International Journal of Conflict Management. 10 (4). Emerald: 340–359. doi:10.1108/eb022829. ISSN 1044-4068.
12. Jehn, K. A.; Northcraft, G. B. & Neale, M. A. (1999). "Why differences make a difference: A field study of diversity, conflict and performance in workgroups". Administrative Science Quarterly. 44 (4). JSTOR: 741–763. doi:10.2307/2667054. ISSN 0001-8392. JSTOR 2667054. S2CID 16313675.
13. Pearson, A. W.; Ensley, M. D. & Amason, A. C. (1 February 2002). "An assessment and refinement of Jehn's intragroup conflict scale". International Journal of Conflict Management. 13 (2). Emerald: 110–126. doi:10.1108/eb022870. ISSN 1044-4068.
14. de Wit, F. R. C.; Greer, L. L. & Jehn, K. A. (2012). "The paradox of intragroup conflict: A meta-analysis". Journal of Applied Psychology. 97 (2). APA: 360–390. doi:10.1037/a0024844. ISSN 1939-1854. PMID 21842974.