Open AccessThe Effect of Task Conflict on Relationship Quality: The Mediating Role of Relational Behavior
Author(s) -
Lu Wenxue,
Guo Wenqian
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
negotiation and conflict management research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.474
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 1750-4716
pISSN - 1750-4708
DOI - 10.1111/ncmr.12150
Subject(s) - task (project management) , flexibility (engineering) , psychology , quality (philosophy) , social psychology , solidarity , information exchange , conflict management , computer science , political science , management , economics , telecommunications , philosophy , epistemology , politics , law
Previous studies have paid insufficient attention to how interorganizational task conflict affects relationship quality between parties. On the basis of survey data from the construction industry, this study explores the impact of interorganizational task conflict on relationship quality and the mediating role of relational behavior. The empirical results reveal that task conflict affects relationship quality (including satisfaction, trust, and commitment) negatively. Relational behavior has three dimensions: flexibility, information exchange, and solidarity. Information exchange partially mediates the effect of task conflict on satisfaction, trust, and commitment; solidarity plays a partial mediating role in the impact of task conflict on trust and commitment; and flexibility only mediates the impact of task conflict on satisfaction partially. Relational behavior in accordance with relational norms can partially account for the impact of interorganizational task conflict on relationship quality. This paper also provides practical guidance for construction practitioners.