An Analysis of Task Conflict on Team and Organizational Performance

This essay provides a comprehensive review of three articles focusing on task conflict and its impact on team and organizational performance. The review explores the concepts of exploratory and exploitative learning, highlighting their roles in enhancing team effectiveness and knowledge acquisiti...Read More

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Article Review
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Introduction
Task conflict is an interesting phenomenon to study in the organizations especially
due to its effectiveness in increasing team performances. In the opinions of Kostopoulos &
Bozionelos, (2011) it aims to provide a comprehensive analysis on team activities, the
complex relationship between psychology and task conflict and its consequent effect on team
performance. In this context the readers get an insightful view into the phenomenon of task
conflicts that provides an opportunity to bring multiple perspectives into the decision-making
process which in turn increases the team effectiveness. The paper, Kostopoulos &
Bozionelos, (2011) provides a concrete argument on the blooming of a number of
organizations and its relationship with team performance that would enhance the productivity
of the organization. The second paper (Sinha, et al., 2016) provides an interesting discussion
on how task conflicted is never consistent in improving team performance in every different
sector. It provides a kaleidoscopic view of task conflict in teams without giving biased or
influenced judgments. It further complicates the organizations’ perceived notion of task
conflicts as having a positive effect on teams. Although the paper agrees that task conflict
helps in improved team performance and relationship it details on heterogeneity of team
members and its relationship with decision-making process. In the realm of decision making
team members can benefit from considering a minority member’s views and alternative
solutions and can make best usage of task conflict. It makes clear that an open environment
that can make space for varied decisions can be extremely helpful for obtaining best task
results. The third paper (Giebels et al., 2016) highlights on the attainable benefits of task
conflicts and brings into the picture employee personality and work context for analyzing the
depth of innovation within the team. The paper opens with the argument that every
organization should consider the emerging global contexts and are bound to incorporate

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structural changes for gaining better team production. Organizations are responsible for
insinuating the best change within an employee that would generate better workflow and
productivity. Proactive personality that the paper argues about is an essential component that
can give rise to innovative behavior within an employee by striving to establish a link
between proactive personalities and inventive behavior and interpersonal conflict. The three
papers cited are interwoven to provide a conceptual idea of task conflict and its effect on
team performance, the variables and conditions that can influence task conflict, environment
under which it can nurture it. The third paper is equally resourceful in providing the
individual requirements and elements that would finally act as a catalyst for the organizations
to make the best out of task conflict and implement inventive decisions into managerial
sector. The essay would provide with the summary of each paper cited for review followed
by a critical analysis and recommendation for organizations as deduced from the three papers
Article summary-
The article (Kostopoulos & Bozionelos, 2011) highlights the inadequate research in
the domain of organizational learning theory and mentions the significance of exploratory
learning that is tremendously useful in enhancing knowledge and potential. The paper also
provides the subtle relationship between exploratory and exploitative learning which is
essential in understanding team-level performance. Any reader would be benefitted by the
wealth of information provided in the conceptual framework of exploratory and exploitative
learning and with the help of empirical evidence that both exploratory and exploitative

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learning activities can consequent in help in learning new skills and better accomplishment of
team tasks. The paper provides a deep analysis on the relationship between both the activities
and its relevance in team work. Role of psychological safety and effectiveness in exploitative
team learning is lucidly stated. Some of the theories like intragroup conflicts, its role in
psychological balance and team learning. With the help of charts and tables the study shows
that working condition or climate and organizational level supportiveness has a fundamental
role to play in both types of learning activities. From the stated tables and analysis it can be
easily predicted that task conflict has an impact on team effectiveness which it influences
through relationship conflict and agreement-seeking behavior. In the discussion sector the
concept that both these types of learning activities can facilitate better performance of the
team has been enumerated.
The second paper with the usage of data and charts demonstrated the particular way in
which each members, both from majority and minority, perceive conflicts within team. In a
positively skewed task the minority members are less likely to make their views and opinions
apparent infront of the dominating members who do not perceive their concerns in a serious
manner. It categorizes skewed tasks in different rates like highly negative, moderately
positive and the involvement of minority and majority members with their viewpoints. The
conflict rate of minority members are also provided in a clear order for complete
understanding. One can firmly arrive to the conclusion that task conflict can only be effective
when there is the scope of reflective communication within the team. The minority members
have the potential to increase the opportunity of reflective communication within the team
that can influence on the overall team performance. The paper provides a new insight on the
factors that influence task conflict and team effectiveness, one of the dominant factors being
skewed task. Furthermore, with the help of qualitative data it shows that proactive workers
make the best output of task conflict whereas the lesser proactive members are not

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encouraging of varying opinions or views on a situation. It is a lucid commentary on
understanding how proactive behavior can be used actively to deal with stressful and
challenging situations in work. If a reader wants to analyze how a proactive member can
influence the realm of task the paper provides a thorough analysis on proactive behavior and
innovation. In the process of innovative and out of the box decisions an individual’s proactive
behavior should in no way become suppressed and rather be allowed to make the best
advantage of task conflict. the third paper is a an extensive study on one of the essential
factor of task conflict which is individual participation and their proactive nature in
encouraging such an atmosphere within the environment. Research on the variants of task
conflict is rare and therefore this paper can be used as a powerful reference the dynamics
through which proactive behavior could be influenced in an individual. Apart from providing
an interesting paragraph on the connection of proactive personalities and innovative behavior
that elaborates on the positive effects of idea generation and useful implementation within the
team. The research study completes the understanding of task conflict analysis and its role in
enhancing team effectiveness which can be prospered in the team with the help of reflective
communication. Moreover, if a reader wants to know about the dynamics of interpersonal
conflict within a team, the paper provides a positive relationship in between proactive
personalities and interpersonal conflict. the amalgamation of different perspectives that is an
important element of team conflict can only be expected when an individual within an
organization is being permitted to nurture his/her proactive behavior. Next, the article
provides a paragraph on conflict and innovation which enriches readers’ understanding of the
entire concept of team involvement, task conflict and its power to bring in innovation within
the team. Team proactive and task conflict are intricately intertwined and it therefore
connects with the first paper in stating that psychological safety has increase in the activeness
of the team members to participate in demanding tasks and provide their best potential into it.

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Proactive environment therefore can be deduced to compliment the growth of variation,
experimentation, discovery, flexibility of opinions which will enhance team effectiveness and
output. The third paper also supports the argument present in the first paper that teams are at
its very core knowledge creation units and therefore should serve as the foundation for the
flow of ideas. The section of job autonomy also makes it clear that the degree of involvement
that an individual feels towards his job is a determinant of proactive behavior. Job autonomy
has the power to increase individual’s proactive nature and their potential to bring in the best
to the team
Analysis
The paper (Kostopoulos and Bozionelos, 2011) in a coherent manner gives rise to a
number of inferences like a team can incorporate both exploitative and exploratory learning
without sacrificing one of the other. Such a collaboration would result in more team
productivity which will make room for mutual trust and harmonious relation. The paper
drives home three crucial points like the environment has a role to play in influencing both
the kinds of activities, therefore the concept of increased creativity and psychological safety,
where a person in indulges in risky activity in a team is apparent. It can be safely inferred
from an in-depth reading of the paper that if a member within a team is not bothered of
imposing criticism and degradation of self-image, the person can engage more in exploitative
and exploratory learning. The comprehensibility of the entire paper along with its support of
the claims made are truly appreciable and can be consulted during further research in this

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arena. The second paper (Sinha, et al., 2016) analyses that task conflict skewness and
reflective communication have a positive connection with performance. If a reader wants to
gain an in-depth analysis of magnitude of team conflict within a team this paper provides a
very comprehensible analysis. Organizations can learn from the results that this paper
demonstrates regarding level of skewness and its impact on team engagement. The practical
implications stated in the third paper (Giebels et al., 2016) regarding the room for proactive
behavior for purpose of change and effectiveness can be extremely relevant in the field of
studying organization behavior and its major impact on individuals. The paper completes the
inadequate study that has been carried forth in the domain of organizational behavior and can
be extremely helpful to understand a very different aspect of task conflict and its impact. In
the views of Giebels et al., (2016) it is explicit stating that without proactive team behavior it
cannot progress neither can work with the incorporation of creative ideas.
Recommendations:
A number of recommendations can be made for business organizations for instance
the proliferation of environment that can prosper an effective exploratory and exploitative
learning environment. Intragroup trust results in a harmonious relationship amongst the group
members that allows for better sharing of ideas and perspectives from which an organization
can benefit. However if the organization wants to benefit from multiple perspectives task
conflict is the route which also paved the way for psychological safety where team members
will not be reluctant to participate in conflicting scenarios. Since task conflict is positively
related to relationship conflict, organizations can benefit from better decisions and alternative
policies. The team members would however need to accept the culture supporting reflective
communication amongst the various team members that would make fruitful the application
of task conflict within the team. Apart from the fact that business organizations should learn
to make the best usage of proactive behavior it should also assure for a work environment

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that can flourish such behavior within an organization. It should understand that before a task
conflict can take place and result in innovation, proactive behavior is the primary force that
can help an individual in taking up the challenge. In this respect, the proactive nature should
be made to sustain amidst other team members and team members should never be cornered
or made aloof by the virtue of their proactive quality.

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Conclusion:
The main findings from the above discussions are that task conflict has a positive
relationship with psychological safety and which can be further advanced with the help of
proactive individual behavior. It can be asserted that organizations should always ensure an
atmosphere that would allow for an easy exchange of alternative ideas and opinions. Essay
limitations: lack of time to verify the findings with the help of qualitative data and fund for
achieving the same are some of the limitations in writing the essay.

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Papers Cited:
Giebels, E., de Reuver, R. S., Rispens, S., & Ufkes, E. G. (2016). The critical roles of task
conflict and job autonomy in the relationship between proactive personalities and
innovative employee behavior. The Journal of applied behavioral science, 52(3), 320-
341.
Kostopoulos, K. C., & Bozionelos, N. (2011). Team exploratory and exploitative learning:
Psychological safety, task conflict, and team performance. Group & Organization
Management, 36(3), 385-415.
Sinha, R., Janardhanan, N. S., Greer, L. L., Conlon, D. E., & Edwards, J. R. (2016). Skewed
task conflicts in teams: What happens when a few members see more conflict than the
rest?. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101(7), 1045.