(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2024-03-12)
Drose, Cooper
Conflict management behaviors have long been studied as critical components in successful teams because they may help to enhance positive and mitigate negative outcomes associated with conflict. Recent research has called for a more dynamic understanding of conflict; this study serves to answer this call by evaluating conflict as an emergent phenomenon using the IMOI model using an episodic methodological approach. Using a lab sample of 83 teams and 292 participants, this study looked at personality as a predictor of conflict behaviors and the subsequent impact these behaviors have on team performance and cohesion. Results from this study found that the Dark Triad was not a significant predictor of conflict behaviors in the first conflict episode. I then called upon the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory to predict conflict behaviors over time, finding that the use of individualistic and collectivistic conflict behaviors in the first episode significantly negatively predicted the continued use of these behaviors in subsequent episodes. Additionally, it was found that the use of individualistic and collectivistic conflict behaviors from the focal individual significantly negatively predicted the use of these behaviors in others within the team in subsequent episodes. While it was ultimately found that increased use of individualistic conflict behaviors negatively impacted the team-level group cohesion, collectivistic and individualistic conflict behaviors were not found to be a significant mediator between the Dark Triad and team level outcomes of performance and group cohesion. This study contributes to our understanding of conflict as a dynamic construct within teams, as well as providing further evidence in support of COR theory.
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2024-02-12)
Garcia, Spencer Christian
Leaders typically have expectations for their followers’ performance. These expectations can serve to improve follower performance. However, when leader performance expectations become sufficiently high, they may become demanding for followers. To meet these demands, individuals may use compensatory behaviors, including stimulant use (i.e., caffeine). However, these variables may relate to further negative well-being consequences (i.e., mental fatigue). Drawing from Conservation of Resources (COR), this study sought to elucidate the potential relationships between these variables by testing their interplay in a loss spiral. This study used an archival dataset that included 127 employees who completed 3 daily surveys across 10 working days. Results do not suggest that a loss spiral is occurring. Caffeine was not a significant predictor of performance or other next-day mental fatigue. Leader performance expectations positively predicted same-day caffeine use, same-day perceived job performance, and next-day mental fatigue. This highlights both positive and aversive consequences of leader performance expectations. This study contributes to the understanding of leadership theories and the effects of high leader performance expectations on employees. Notably, this study makes these contributions at the within-person level.