Abstract Rethinking Interpersonal Conflict

ISSN0832-7203RethinkingInterpersonalConflictPar:HenriBarkiJonHartwickCahierduGReSIno03-10Octobre2003Copyright©2003.HECMontréal.Tousdroitsréservéspourtouspays.Toutetraductionettoutereproductionsousquelqueformequecesoitestinterdite.HECMontréal,3000,chemindelaCôte-Sainte-Catherine,Montréal,Québec,H3T2A7Canada.LestextespubliésdanslasériedesCahiersduGReSIn'engagentquelaresponsabilitédeleursauteurs.RethinkingInterpersonalConflict1HenriBarki,TitulaireChairederechercheduCanadaenimplantationetgestiondestechnologiesdel’informationHECMontréal3000,chemindelaCôte-Ste-CatherineMontréal,Québec,CanadaH3T2A7tél:[phone]fax:(514)[e-mail]://(1951-2002)UniversitéMcGillPrièredefaireparvenirtoutecorrespondanceà:[e-mail]________________CopyrightHECMontréal1TheauthorswouldliketothanktheCanadaResearchChairsProgram,theSocialSciencesandHumanitiesResearchCouncilofCanada(SSHRC),theFondspourlaformationetl’aideàlarecherche(FCAR)forprovidingfinancialsupport,andTheCenterforInteruniversityResearchandAnalysisonOrganizations(CIRANO).WearealsogratefultoDenyseDaoustwhoassistedwiththeliteraturesearch.RethinkingInterpersonalConflictHenriBarkiandJonHartwickAbstractDespitemorethansixtyyearsofresearch,theconstructofinterpersonalconflictremainsrelativelypoorlydefinedandmeasuredwhichsignificantlyhinderstheaccumulationofknowledgeintheconflictdomain.Thepresentpaperaddressesthisissuebyproposingageneraldefinitionfortheconstructofinterpersonalconflict,aswellasatwo-dimensionalconceptualframeworkthatincorporatespreviousconceptualizationsofthisconstruct.Areviewandsynthesisofpastresearchisusedbothtojustifyandtoillustratetheusefulnessoftheproposeddefinitionandframework.Indoingso,theutilityoftheframeworkinprovidingsimpleralternativeexplanationsforsomeofthesurprisingresultsofpastresearchisalsohighlighted.Thepaperthendevelopsthreeresearchpropositions,andconcludeswithresearchandpracticalimplicationsoftheproposeddefinitionandframeworkofinterpersonalconflict.RésuméMalgréplusdesoixanteansderecherche,leconceptdeconflitinterpersonneldemeurerelativementmaldéfinietmalmesurécequinuitsensiblementàl’avancementdesconnaissancesdanscedomaine.Afinderépondreàcetteproblématique,cetarticleproposeunedéfinitiongénéraledesconflitsinterpersonnelsdemêmequ'uncadrebidimensionnelquipermetd’engloberlesconceptualisationsantérieures.Unerevueainsiqu’unesynthèsedelarechercheantérieuresertàjustifierladéfinitionetlecadreproposésdemêmequ’àillustrerleurutilitédansl’explicationdecertainsrésultatssurprenantsquiontétéobservésdanslepassé.Parlasuite,l'articledéveloppetroispropositionsderechercheetconclutaveclesimplicationsdeladéfinitionduconflitinterpersonneletducadreproposéspourlarechercheainsiquepourlapratique.Mot-clésAA01BehaviorAA02HumanfactorsAA10ConflictresolutionAI02Researchframeworks________________CopyrightHECMontréal3RethinkingInterpersonalConflictHenriBarkiandJonHartwickConflictisafrequentoccurrenceinorganizations,affectingahostofindividualandorganizationalprocessesandoutcomes.Itsimportanceisevidencedbymorethan70yearsofresearch,workthathasbeensummarizedinnumerousbooks,handbookchapters,andjournalreviewarticles(e.g.,Deutsch,1990;Fink,1968;Greenhalgh,1987;Pondy,1967;Pruitt&Rubin,1986;Putnam&Poole,1987;Thomas,1976;1992a;Tjosvold,1991;Wall&Callister,1995).Inthisliterature,thetermconflicthasbeenusedindifferentways,referringtodifferentcontextsorformsofconflict(e.g.,racial,ethnic,religious,political,marital,personality,gender,role,value,etc.),todifferentunitsorlevelsofanalysisthatareinvolved(e.g.,withintheindividual,betweenindividuals,betweengroups,betweenorganizations,betweennations,etc.)andtodifferentsituationalcontextswhereitoccurs(e.g.,athome,inorganizations,inthearena,onthebattlefield,etc.).Consideringthevoluminousresearchonconflictandthelongevityofthistopic,itisrathersurprisingthat,aclear,generallyaccepteddefinitionoftheconstructisstilllacking(Wall&Callister,1995).Whilesomeresearchersavoidprovidingaprecisedefinitionofconflictsoastohaveabroaderperspective(Kozan,1997),mostempiricalstudiesdefineconflictinvariousways,typicallyintermsofwhen,whereorhowitoccurs,orintermsofwhatimpactithas(e.g.,Amason&Sapienza,1997;Jehn,1995;Mortensen&Hines,2001).Manydefineconflictwithstatementssuchas“conflictarisesfrom...”,“conflictoccurswhen...”or“conflictexistswhen...”therebyessentiallydescribingconflict’santecedentsorconsequences,notwhatconflictis.Evendefinitionsthatappeartostatewhatconflictisoftendifferinthecharacteristicsorattributestheyassociatewiththeconstruct.Forexample,someviewconflictaspurelyconsistingofdisagreementsoropiniondifferences(e.g.,Moore,1998);someseeitasantagonisticorhostilebehavior(Alper,Tjosvold&Law,2000);andothersviewitassomecombinationoftheaboveandamixtureofnegativeemotionslikeanxiety,jealousy,frustrationandanger(e.g.,Jehn,1994;Bodtker&Jameson,2001).Addingtoanalreadycomplexsituation,severalstudieshavedifferentiatedbetweentypesofinterpersonalconflictfoundinorganizationalsettingssuchastask,process,andrelation