Kenneatria Richardson
Assignment 1
RGS6035/ Research Methods
Dr. Roberson
March 20, 2010

Introduction The following research paper will discuss the role of team conflict and its effect on individual performance. Team conflict is not always a negative aspect of job performance. In fact, conflict can be used as a catalyst for change that is more satisfying when differences among people cause feelings to run high, managers need to understand the nature of these differences in order to deal with them systematically and in such a way that both corporate harmony and individual initiative are preserved (McClure). Team conflict is important to leadership and development because it can expand employee’s viewpoints, increase management’s leadership to mediate and resolve conflict, and if managed correctly improve productivity.
Problem statement
At some point in our work careers, we must work with others to achieve a certain goal. Teams are collaborative unit of people joined together to accomplish a common goal, capitalizing on and respecting the skills and knowledge of all individuals. At times these teams are picked by management, others individuals are able to pick team mates on their own. The efforts of the team should exceed those of individual members. Each individual has their own way of doing things, have different work ethics and different personalities. Relationships in teams can become conflicted when team members disagree on how their goals can be reached. Conflict can arise from numerous sources within a team setting and generally falls into three categories: communication factors, structural factors, and personal factors (Varney, 1998). When conflict arises in teams, “Does team conflict have a negative or positive effect on individual job performance? “
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study will be to discuss several things. First, the how and why do team conflict occurs. The use of teams in an organization has been used to complete tasks that are too much for one person to complete alone. Learning to be an effective team takes time and practice; it is a learned skill that is mastered over time by team members committed to the end goal of achieving an effective and productive team (www.itll.colorado.edu). Second, how superiors should resolves the conflict. When conflict arises and it is not addressed it can hinder the team and the organization. However, if managed correctly, it can be effective for team members and job performance. Finally, I will be able to verify if team conflict can affect individual job performance in a negative or positive aspect.
Benefits of conducting this research Conducting this research will help team members resolve conflict amongst them. To resolve uncertainty, the team as a whole must address any members concerns about poor outcomes, thus improving communication among team members. Barriers to communication are among the most important factors and can be a major source of misunderstanding (Townsley, C). Another benefit of this research will be to identify reasons as to why conflict arises in teams. If management is aware of the reasons, it could avoid conflict before it arises. The research will show how individuals feel about working in teams, ways they think teams should be formed, and how the feel about the outcomes of certain team projects they have worked on. Another benefit of the research will be to discover managements approach to research and how they feel conflict should resolved.
Hypothesis
I hypothesis that if individuals are placed with people they like or have similar work qualities, they will work better and have less conflict, and that conflict will arise most with lack of communication amongst individuals with different personalities.
Limitations
There are several other teams that could be researched, such as sports teams, school and sales teams. However, my will focus on those teams formed in adult education and in corporations. Thus the research will focus on those individuals who are eighteen and older. There will be no limitation on race or gender, as teams are diverse in that aspect.
Literature Review – past & present A recent article written reviewed from the Business Source Complete database showed data collected from 53 teams, and the results indicate that conflict management has a direct, positive effect on team cohesion, and moderates the relationship between relationship conflict and team cohesion. The research also found team cohesion to be positively related to perceived performance, satisfaction with team, and team viability (Tekleab, Quigley, & Tesluk, 2009). In the article “A Dysfunctional and Yet Winning Team” written in 1992 studied a youth football team ranging from ages 9-12. The research showed that how conflict amongst coaches trickled down to the players and how the lack of mutual understanding by all players about certain terms contributed to the team’s conflict. The research failed to achieve its stated goals of proving youth sports can help adolescents to learn skills, discipline and sportsman ship. This resulted because the main focus of the team and the coaches was on winning and nothing else (Strong, 1992) “Keeping your Team out of Trouble” written in 1999 gives eight preventive steps to effectively avoid team conflict before it starts (Bens, 1999). The steps are implemented so that management can act quickly so that team problems are addressed immediately and in a way that helps the team move forward. Based on the literature and with past research, open communication and preventive steps can manage conflict among teams. I will incorporate these factors into my research by asking questions regarding communication on team assignments and asking if management has any preventive plans for team conflict.

Bibliography

Bens, I. (1999). Keeping Your Team Out of Trouble. Journal for Quality & Participation .
McClure, L. F. (n.d.). Anger & Conflict in the Workplace: Spot the signs avoid the trauma. EbSCOhost .
Strong, J. M. (1992). A dysfunctional and yet winning youth football team. Journal of Sport Behavior , 319.
Tekleab, A. G., Quigley, N. R., & Tesluk, P. E. (2009). A Longitudinal Study of Team Conflict, Conflict Management, Cohesion, and Team Effectiveness. Group & Organization management , 170-205.
Townsley, C. www.innovativeteambuilding.co.uk/pages/articles/conflicts.htm. Retrieved March 17, 2010. www.itll.colorodo.edu. Chapter 6: Teamwork and Working in Teams. Retrieved March 17, 2010.