A Two-dimensional Theory of Team Conflict

The study explores current management perceptions regarding conflict within teams, specifically looking at those involved in the investment appraisal of capital projects. The research is in two stages. Stage 1 is based on a postal questionnaire survey relating to the appraisal of capital investments, addressed to large UK organisations. Stage 2 was conducted through semi-structured interviews, followed by a short-questionnaire. From the exploratory study, it was possible to identify and further investigate what the short-questionnaire respondents termed "personal" and "departmental" conflict, as well as what they perceived to be "good" (positive) conflict and "bad" (negative) conflict. It was perceived that controlled "departmental" conflict may lead to enhanced decision-making, while "personal" conflict may be destructive and lead to non-optimal decision-making. The research also identified the importance of the investment appraisal "procedure" and suggests that this may be one way of controlling conflict within teams. It theorises on a two-dimensional perception of team conflict: "departmental" and "personal" conflict and brings, up-to-date, current perceptions of team conflict.