Sonja Rispens

The effects of conflict asymmetry on work group and individual outcomes

We examine the consequences of an often ignored aspect of work group conflict—asymmetric conflict perceptions—for the effectiveness of individuals and groups. Tests of our multilevel hypotheses using data on 51 work groups showed that group conflict asymmetry (the degree to which members differ in perceptions of the level of conflict in their group) decreased performance and creativity in groups. In addition, individual conflict asymmetry (a member perceiving more or less conflict than other group members) explained reported performance and satisfaction with a group. Social processes and a positive group atmosphere mediated this effect.

What is happening under the surface? Power, conflict and the performance of medical teams

Medical Education 2012: 46: 838–849

Conflict contagion: a temporal perspective on the development of conflict within teams

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to build theory and present a model of the development of conflicts in teams. Design/methodology/approach – The paper develops a conceptual model based on past theory and research. Findings – The model brings a multi-level perspective to the process of intragroup conflict by showing the mechanisms by which an interpersonal, dyadic conflict can spread to other team members over time through a process of conflict contagion. Originality/value – This study provides a new model for conflict escalation and it sheds light on factors which can either ameliorate or exacerbate the speed and extent of conflict contagion. The repercussions of different degrees of conflict involvement within a team are discussed.

The Critical Roles of Task Conflict and Job Autonomy in the Relationship Between Proactive Personalities and Innovative Employee Behavior

We examine why and when proactive personality is beneficial for innovative behavior at work. Based on a survey among 166 employees working in 35 departments of a large municipality in the Netherlands we show that an increase in task conflicts explains the positive relation between a proactive personality and innovative employee behavior. This process is moderated by job autonomy in such a way that the relationship between proactive personality and task conflict is particularly strong under low compared with high autonomy. The present research contributes to the discussion on the potential benefits of task conflict for change processes and highlights the importance of examining the interplay between personality and work context for understanding innovation practices.

When bystanders become bothersome: the negative consequences of bystander conflict and the moderating role of resilience

Bystander conflict is a situation in which employees are hindered in their work by parties not involved in the primary process. Public service employees and emergency care workers, such as ambulance employees and firefighters, often encounter this kind of conflict with potentially far-reaching detrimental effects for public or patient safety. Unfortunately, until now, bystander conflict has hardly received scientific attention. In this paper, we will present the results of an experiment (Study 1) and a simulation study (Study 2). Taken together, the results indicate that bystander conflict is negatively related to the affective, behavioural, and cognitive outcomes of individuals. Higher levels of bystander conflict were associated with more negative and less positive feelings (Studies 1, 2), unfavourable bystander appraisals (Studies 1, 2), and lower levels of performance (Study 2). Additionally, Study 2 revealed that bystander conflict was negatively and indirectly related to positive affect and performance through cognitive capacity. We investigated the moderating role of resilience, in order to provide insight into potential factors alleviating these negative associations. In both studies, resilience alleviated the negative associations of bystander conflict. Overall, the results of the two studies provide a first step towards a theory on bystander conflict.

Gender discrimination and job characteristics

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between gender discrimination and the perceived job demands and job resources of women and men. This is important because it may provide insight into what factors contribute to women’s disadvantaged position at work. Design/methodology/approach – Two cross-sectional studies were conducted, Study 1 in a male-dominated organization and Study 2 in a gender-balanced organization. Findings – The results showed that in both organizations, gender discrimination was positively associated with women’s job demands and negatively associated with their job resources. Additionally, in the male-dominated organization the perceived gender discrimination was also negatively associated with men’s job resources. Overall, the results were more consistent across the two organizations for women’s job resources. Originality/value – This paper links gender literature with the job demands-resources model to translate gender discrimination into quantifiable job ch...