Don't take it personally: Exploring cognitive conflict as a mediator of affective conflict

Ann C. Mooney; Patricia J. Holahan; Allen C. Amason

doi:10.1111/j.1467-6486.2006.00674.x

Don't take it personally: Exploring cognitive conflict as a mediator of affective conflict

Ann C. Mooney, Patricia J. Holahan, Allen C. Amason

Management

Stevens Institute of Technology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

190 Scopus citations

Abstract

Research has sought to explain the multi-dimensionality of conflict and its paradoxical effects on decision making (Amason, 1996; DeDreu and Weingart, 2003; Jehn, 1995). The primary prescription to emerge from this work has been for teams to seek the benefits of cognitive (task) conflict while simultaneously avoiding the costs of affective (emotional) conflict. The problem is that these two types of conflict often occur together and researchers have offered few explanations as to why this happens or guidance as to how it can be avoided. In this paper, we provide empirical evidence that cognitive conflict can contribute to affective conflict. As a result, by encouraging cognitive conflict, teams may inadvertently provoke affective conflict. We provide evidence that behavioural integration can mitigate this tendency.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	733-758
Number of pages	26
Journal	Journal of Management Studies
Volume	44
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2006.00674.x
State	Published - Jul 2007

Scopus Subject Areas

Business and International Management
Strategy and Management
Management of Technology and Innovation

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Don't take it personally: Exploring cognitive conflict as a mediator of affective conflict

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