Speaker: Dr. Yixuan Li.

Time: 11:30-13:30, 3rd June, 2019

Venue: #1115, Wangkezhen Building，Peking University

Abstract: Conflict researchers have recently started to examine the multilevel nature of intrateam conflict. Yet, scant attention has been paid to the multilevel process through which such conflict is managed. To advance this research stream, our study investigates the individual-team interface in relationship conflict management. Specifically, we investigate how within-team variations of relationship conflict management approaches (i.e., relative collaborating, competing, and avoiding) interplay with team-level average relationship conflict management approaches (i.e., team average collaborating, competing, and avoiding) to jointly impact individual members’ experience with relationship conflict. Analyzing time-lagged data from 329 employees in 61 teams, we found that relative collaborating and relative avoiding could effectively reduce a focal member’s relationship conflict, while relative competing exacerbated a focal member’s relationship conflict. Relationship conflict, in turn, led to lower supervisor-rated task performance and member-rated job satisfaction. In addition, the effects of relative collaborating, competing, and avoiding on relationship conflict were moderated by team average relationship conflict management approaches. Specifically, relative collaborating became less effective in reducing relationship conflict when enacted in teams with high average avoiding. Relative competing became more detrimental when enacted in teams with high average competing, but less detrimental when enacted in teams with high average collaborating or avoiding. Relative avoiding became less effective when enacted in teams with high average collaborating, but more effective when enacted in teams with high average competing. This set of findings highlights the importance of considering compatibility between individual idiosyncratic conflict management approaches and team-level conflict management approaches.

Bio: Dr. Yixuan Li is an Assistant Professor in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources at Krannert School of Management, Purdue University. She received Bachelors in Laws and Economics from Peking University in 2012. She received her Ph.D. degree in Management from University of Florida in 2018. Yixuan’s research has its origin in understanding the importance of human resources for organizations to learn, develop, and grow. Her research program spans individual, team, and organizational levels, and focuses on learning and innovation, workforce diversity and inclusion, and work groups and teams. Yixuan has published her research in leading journals, including Academy of Management Journal and Journal of Management.

Host: Associate Professor Xiang YAO