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TITLE Communication openness,conflict events and reactions to

conflict in culturally diverse workgroups


AUTHORS Oluremi B. Ayoko. (2008)
PROBLEM STATEMENT The conflicts arise due to the circumstances under which
(RESEARCH PROBLEM) diversity might beneficial or detrimental for quality group
process.
NATURE OF RESEARCH PROBLEM Those variable relationship is tested quantitatively using
multiple regression.
UNIT OF ANALYSIS Company head, Manager, Workers as an individual or in
group.
JUSTIFICATIONS FOR INVESTIGATING It will be helpful for a group leader or company head to
THE PROBLEM manage the reactions to conflict, especially destructive
reactions to conflict by increasing communication openness
may be able to reduce the perception of bullying behaviors and
emotional reactions to bullying. These actions should, in turn,
lead to increased group task outcomes.
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE & Communication openness
CONCEPTUAL DEFINITIONS OF TERM
COMPONENTS/DIMENSIONS OF Open talk among diverse workgroups and the conflicts which
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE & facing by company.
CONCEPTUAL DEFINITIONS OF TERM
DEPENDENT VARIABLE & CONCEPTUAL Conflict events
DEFINITIONS OF TERM - Group task performance
- bullying behavior
Group member’s reactions to conflict
COMPONENTS/DIMENSIONS OF Not Elobrated
DEPENDENT VARIABLE & CONCEPTUAL
RELEVANT THEORETICAL 1) The managers in the workplace faces several challenges in giving productivity
EVIDENCE SUPPORTING due to the large individual differences among their subordinates, process loss are
THE RELATIONSHIP hampered due to the diverse workgroups, and the high and low levels of conflict
BETWEEN INDEPENDENT and cohesion and social integration.
VARIABLE AND
DEPENDENT VARIABLE

RELEVANT EMPIRICAL 1) The potential for conflicts CDW is greater than culturally
EVIDENCE SUPPORTING homogeneous workgroups because of the operation of culture
THE RELATIONSHIP Prejudices, biases and stereotypes.
BETWEEN INDEPENDENT
2) According to Zenger and Lawrence, group members will be tend to
VARIABLE AND
communicate with people who those similar to avoid negative
DEPENDENT VARIABLE
communication.
RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS H1a: Conflict events will be positively linked with group’s productive
(INTERPRET THE MEANING reactions to conflict in culturally diverse workgroups
OF CONCEPTUAL H1b: Communication openness will be associated with fewer conflict
FRAMEWORK) events
H2a. Productive reactions to conflict will be positively related to
group’s task and social outcomes in culturally diverse workgroups.
H2b. Destructive reactions to conflict will be negatively linked with
group’s task and social outcomes in culturally diverse workgroups
H3. Communication openness will be associated with fewer conflict
events.
H4. Communication openness will be associated with productive
reactions to conflict.
H5a. Communication openness will be positively associated with
group’s task performance.
H5b. Communication openness will moderate the relationship between
destructive reactions to conflict and group’s task performance.
H6a. Communication openness will be associated with decreased
bullying behaviors.
H6b. Communication openness will moderate the relationship between
destructive reactions to conflict and bullying behaviors.
H6c. Communication openness will be associated with decreased
emotional reactions to bullying.
H6d. Communication openness will moderate the relationship between
destructive reactions to conflict and emotional reactions to bullying.
OUTCOMES OF TESTING H 1a- there is a evidence to support the link
between conflict event variable and
productive reaction to conflict.

H1b- group members who reported high


level of conflict intensity and longer
conflict duration were associate with
destructive reaction to conflict.

H2(a&b)- productive reaction to conflict


was associated with bullying while
destructive reaction to conflict was link to
emotional reaction to bullying

H3- failed to provide any support


H4- evidence of the research did not
support
H5a – did not show evidence
H6a- did not show evidence
H6c- supported the hypothesis
H5b- supporting the hypothesis
H6b- supporting the hypothesis
H6d- communication openness is
particularly important where group
members are experiencing high levels
of destructive reactions to conflict.
DISCUSSION Direct effects of communication openness between low levels and high levels
(MAIN RESEARCH of group which linked with increased destructive reactions to conflict,
FINDINGS) bullying behaviors and emotional reactions to bullying; and destructive
reactions to conflict were associated with emotional reactions to bullying.
IMPLICATIONS Implication to Theoretical contribution
(CONTRIBUTION) 1. There is strong evidence that low levels of destructive reaction to conflict
and low levels of communication openness were directly related to
emotional reaction to bullying supporting H6c. This is an interesting and
significant finding especially given that previous studies in the area of
bullying are largely qualitative (see Rayner, 1999).

Implication to Methodological contribution


1. The survey questionnaires used in this study to test the internal consistency
of the constructs of social and task conflict, intensity of conflict, productive and
destructive reactions to conflict, as well as task, psychological and behavioural
outcomes..

Implication to Practical Contribution


1. Find a leader who is able to manage the reactions to conflict, especially
destructive reactions to conflict by increasing communication openness. Its
able to reduce the perception of bullying behaviors and emotional
reactions to bullying
CONCLUSION 1) Findings from the present research also suggest that
(INTERPRET THE those groups that reported low levels of communication
HYPOTHESIS openness combined with low levels of conflict duration
TESTING RESULTS were associated with destructive reactions to conflict.
& STATE THE
2) findings from the present research indicate the
ABILITY OF THIS
STUDY TO
importance of conflict and emotions management
ANSWER ITS especially for CDWs. Overall, leaders of CDWs need to be
OBJECTIVE) able to manage conflict, bullying and their related
emotions in order to fully harness the potential of
diversity in these groups.

LIMITATIONS 1) ethnicity of workgroup members


2) Gender
3) age
4) other forms of diversity
SUGGESTION Future research is required to qualitatively examine the
FOR A FUTURE behaviours and strategies for communication openness and
STUDY different reactions to conflict in order to fully explicate the
impact of communication openness and reactions to conflict
in CDWs

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