Constructive Controversy and Reflexivity Training Promotes Effective Conflict Profiles and Team Functioning in Student Learning Teams

• Published in: Academy of Management learning & education 2017-06, Vol.16 (2), p.257-276
• Main Authors: O’Neill, Thomas A., Hoffart, Genevieve C., McLarnon, Matthew M. J. W., Woodley, Hayden J., Eggermont, Marjan, Rosehart, William, Brennan, Robert
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Conflict management; Conflicts; Constructive conflict; Information sharing; Studies; Teams; Training
• ISSN: 1537-260X; 1944-9585
• DOI: 10.5465/amle.2015.0183

In the current research, we examine the effects of a new team-training system that can be readily integrated into postsecondary teaching and learning activities. Our training focuses on generating productive and constructive conflict by invoking an evidence-supported information sharing and decision-making concept known as constructive controversy. We used 517 student teams (1,659 students) organized into a no-training comparison condition, a classroom-only training condition (partial training), and a classroom-plus-booster training condition involving conflict reflections (full training). We found that teams in the full training outperformed those in both the partial-training and no-training conditions in generating the most productive pattern of conflict (referred to as conflict profiles), and that patterns of conflict had implications for effective conflict management and team efficacy for innovation.