The Theoretic Model Of Group Conflict And Its Empirical Research

As an important organizational working pattern, group has increasingly become an important organizational learning unit and performance unit. However, the existence of group factors, such as differences in team members, cognitive differences in group members on tasks and group goals, team communication mechanism, easily lead to the emergence of group conflicts. Group conflict research has been an important research topic in research areas such as psychology, sociology, political science and management. Through the review of related research, this study presents a new group conflict model based on Team Performance Model, and combines qualitative research method and quantitative research method. Based on literature review and theoretic deduction, the study summarizes worthwhile research hypotheses to be quantified and forms a Group Conflict Model. Meanwhile, it selects the related scales with high reliability and validity to measure variables and uses Structural Equation Model to test presented research hypotheses. It also uses hierarchical regression analyses to test moderated variables in the relationship between group conflict and group performance. The innovation of this study includes the following four points:Firstly, it refers to related mature scales and adopts scientific scale development procedures to make three-dimensional scale for group conflict. It also utilizes domestic sample to test the reliability and validity of three-dimensional scale and the domestic applicability of the three-dimensional structure of group conflict. It points out that three different concepts of group conflict are relatively independent measurement constructs and the subjects can distinguish relationship conflict and task conflict and also discern clearly process conflict which appeared in the process of conflict.Secondly, to make up the deficiency of previous studies on the research of process conflict variable, this study combines the related theories and research results to present theoretical interpretation on relationship conflict, task conflict, process conflict and the transformation reasons between them. Then it applies Structural Equation Model to test these relationship hypotheses and concludes that to some extent, task conflict and process conflict will transform into relationship and task conflict and process conflict has a positive relationship.Thirdly, based on previous research findings, this study makes the induction and deduction on the impacts of different group conflict dimensions on group performance. In particular, it makes up the deficiency of process conflict research exists in previous studies and carries out a detailed presentation on the impact of process conflict on group performance. Then it uses Structural Equation Modeling to test research hypotheses and indicates that process conflict has a negative impact on the job satisfaction of group members, but no significant negative impact on the job performance of group members.Fourthly, this study combines relevant psychological and sociological theories to clarify the moderated effects of conflict management and task attributes in the relationship between group conflict and group performance and uses hierarchical regression analyses to test the hypotheses of moderated variables. It indicates that job interdependence will strengthen the effect of relationship conflict on the job performance of group members, and agreeable conflict management approach will strengthen the effect of task conflict on the job performance of group members.