Taking Advantage of Conflicts in Group Decision Making

Taking Advantage of Conflicts in Group Decision Making

In past research it was often argued that group decision making (GDM) improves if task-conflicts are present.
Task-conflicts are different opinions about the content and outcomes of the task being
performed.
Why this positive effect? Because task-conflicts prevent premature consensus and encourage critical thinking. It seems obvious. But other studies found no such relationship or even a negative one. The relationship between tasks conflicts and good GDM is thus ambiguous.

De Wit, Jehn and Scheepers have recently discovered that another factor is playing an important role when we're analyzing the extent to which task-conflicts are beneficial for GDM: the presence (or absence) of a relationship conflict.
According to the authors, task conflicts are more likely to have a positive effect on GDM if relationship conflicts are absent in the company.

They suggest 2 possibilities in which a relationship conflict negatively affects the relationship between task conflict and GDM:
1. A relationship conflict causes rigidity: Frictions, negative emotions, or antipathy towards others leads to certain reactions in a debate that are likely to spill over to other group members. The flexible, open-minded attitude in debates becomes more rigid and closed as a result and the willingness to accord to opinions of other group members is reduced. Rather people will rigidly hold their initial opinions.
2. A relationship conflict creates processing information biases: In healthy decision-making processes, group members use their own information as well as information they can obtain from other team members. However, if relationship conflicts are present group members often decide to only use their own information when making decisions.
Both of these possibilities are hard to measure. However, the study of de Wit argues that in assessing the relationship between task conflicts and GDM it is important to take other factors into account that indirectly affect this relationship.
Source: de Wit, F. R., Jehn, K. A., and Scheepers, D. (2013). Task conflict, information processing, and decision-making: The damaging effect of relationship conflict. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 122(2), 177-189.

		Comments Sort by date Sort by rating Rating
		4 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	How to Benefit from Conflicts in Group Decision Making? I believe Bono's 6 Thinking Hats (6TH) might be quite useful to benefit from task conflicts and avoi... Sign up

		5 Paramathmuni srinivas Kumar India
	Quality of Decision Making Depends on the Intent of the Individuals in the Group I believe the quality of the decision making depends on the intent of the people working in the grou... Sign up

		1 Ben Smith Manager, United Kingdom
	How to Measure Relationship Conflict? It must be difficult to measure the presence/absence of relationship conflict in studies of GDM as t... Sign up

		0 Ruwan Bandara Manager, Sri Lanka
	Conflict can be a Source of Inspiration Conflicts motivate us to think in an extraordinary way. For example in the 1970s and 1980s during th... Sign up

		3 Leena Bissoonauth Student (University), Mauritius
	How Relationship Conflict can Be Reduced for Better Decision Making Low levels of conflict in a group may improve the quality and creativity of decision making, but thi... Sign up

		1 DANNY SUSIKWANA Accountant, Zambia
	Group Bonding and Tenure is Important Relationship conflicts may help enhance GDM. However this does not apply to all kinds of groups. Gro... Sign up

		3 Purna Chandra Business Consultant, India
	The 3rd Alternative in Conflicts: 'Our Way' The topic reminds me of the concept in the book "The 3rd Alternative" by Stephen Covey. Obvious eno... Sign up

		1 Victor Manuel Monteiro Seco Entrepreneur, Portugal
	Our Way, Because we are not Alone @Purna Chandra: Indeed. we have no conflicts alone. So we must learn each other how to stop with our... Sign up

		0 Willie Odemwingie Lecturer, Nigeria
	Conflicts in GDM People that make up a group are usually from different backgrounds. They may be from different disci... Sign up

		0 Satya Narayan Strategy Consultant, India
	How to Benefit from Group Decision Making? 1. First the organisation needs to ensure conflicts do not arise from relationships. Implementation ... Sign up

		1 kvssiyer Consultant, India
	Selfless Group Decision Making Group Decision Making with cross functional team members always leads to a purposeful, actionable te... Sign up

		1 Gary Wong Consultant, Canada
	Applying the Six Thinking Hats Method to Group Conflict As this is the 6TH forum, has any contributor applied 6TH to deal with conflict? I handle potential ... Sign up

		2 Gary Wong Consultant, Canada
	Six Thinking Hats and the Covey's 3rd Alternative: 'Our Way' @Purna Chandra: Great observation! As a Franklin Covey certified trainer, here's how I incorporate S... Sign up

		1 Ken Sylvester, United States
	Most Important in GDM: Dealing with Self-Interest. What Conflict Models can Resolve that? I remain a constant learner as regards conflict. My professional background as negotiator in 23 coun... Sign up

		0 Paramathmuni srinivas Kumar India
	GDM Outcome Depends on 23 Aspects of Human System There is a relationship between the outcome (and execution) of the decision making and 23 aspects of... Sign up

		1 NVDS.RAJU Professor, India
	Group Conflict Management Group conflicts on matters of importance is a welcome and healthy sign. Perhaps it will facilitate t... Sign up

		1 Tan Poh Lip, Malaysia
	The Emotional Bank Account (EBA) versus Conflicts For me, conflict is happening everywhere in our personal and working life. Conflicts are a source of... Sign up

		1 Ruwan Bandara Manager, Sri Lanka
	How to Benefit from Conflicts in a Group I was delighted the different perspective post of all of us. This discussion forum is a great and cl... Sign up

		0 DANNY SUSIKWANA Accountant, Zambia
	23 Aspects of the Human System @srinivas: I find the reference to the 23 aspects (sleep, hunger, etc) a very insightful area. Howev... Sign up

		1 Paramathmuni srinivas Kumar India
	ASPECTS IN HUMAN SYSTEM Please find here the requested list of human aspects which we can look into. I think experiential b... Sign up

		3 Gary Wong Consultant, Canada
	The Emotional Bank Account and 6TH @Tan Poh Lip: The Emotional Bank Account (EBA) is a metaphor for measuring the level of Trust in a r... Sign up

		1 kvssiyer Consultant, India
	The Purpose of Group Decision Making The very purpose of group decision making is to make certain the decision arrived at is the result o... Sign up

		0 Paramathmuni srinivas Kumar India
	Role of Impressions in Subconscious Mind in Decision Making I agree @Emotion Bank Account deposits have a role in the group discussion in case of decision makin... Sign up

		4 melchiorre calabrese, Italy
	Avoiding Emotional Conflicts in Group Decision Making The problem of relationship conflicts must be solved upstream, in the sense that I will explain belo... Sign up

		2 Paramathmuni srinivas Kumar India
	Preconceived Notions in Group Decision Making @melchiorre calabrese: I completely agree with you with regard to A, B and C. However in order to a... Sign up

		3 melchiorre calabrese, Italy
	Preconceived Notions in Group Decision Making @Srinivas: Thanks for your consideration! Please, think deeply about what I am telling you: A perso... Sign up

		2 Gary Wong Consultant, Canada
	Revisiting the Purpose of the Six Thinking Hats @Melchiorre calabrese, srinivas: I appreciate your thought provoking comments. Permit me revisit wh... Sign up

		1 Ruwan Bandara Manager, Sri Lanka
	Black & White Hat Together @Gary Wong: This idea is not wrong. Using Six Hats in this situation is a great idea. Why most manag... Sign up

		2 Gary Wong Consultant, Canada
	Colours Can Have Different Meanings Hi, everyone. Ruwan and I have been messaging each other on our personal pages. A couple of points h... Sign up

		0 Paramathmuni srinivas Kumar India
	Conflict Resolution at the Level of Consciousness in Decision Making in Groups I'd like to enhance and clarify my earlier @reaction a bit:Thought conflict arises first internally ... Sign up