| The role of a technology-rich environment on team conflict and team conflict management strategies was examined in this study. Understanding the use of technology by teams as well as the nature and role of conflict in the dynamics of teamwork offers the potential to improve group processes and make teams more successful. The project followed a mixed-method research approach. Research questions were addressed using both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis, with a greater emphasis on the qualitative component. Twenty-eight graduate students taking a team-based course participated in this study, in the context of a graduate program at a large university in the midwestern United States. Data were collected through direct observations of team meetings, semi-structured interviews with individual members, and analysis of electronic documents exchanged among team members, course materials, and responses to a 54-item questionnaire.; Based on the findings, distinct sources of conflict were identified. While initial conflicts were mainly people- or relationship-related, they shifted to task-related as time progressed. Task-related conflict was mostly perceived as beneficial to the team's work. Self-reported data cited compromise as the main conflict management approach used. But direct observation and the analysis of email exchange suggested a wider variety of ways of handling conflict, ranging from highly assertive to highly cooperative strategies.; Results also indicated that teams did not use an extensive range of technologies to support their work. Email systems were the most used followed by discussion forums. Findings indicate that technology plays a dual role in the conflict management of teams. Technology seems to facilitate conflict management by providing a formal means of communication, making communication more effective, and creating opportunity for more thoughtful reactions. However, technology also aggravates conflict by generating misunderstandings from lack of non-verbal cues, creating frustration due to the amount of information exchanged, and fostering differing senses of urgency in replying to email.; Finally, this research also provides a set of practical implications for professionals working in or with teams in technology-rich environments. However, the applicability of these implications is linked to the particularities of the context of this study. |
