A Multilevel View of Intragroup Conflict

Abstract

In the years since the last major review of conflict, the primary thrust in the research on conflict in organizations has shifted the emphasis away from dyadic conflict and toward the study of intragroup conflict. Influenced by Jehn's work, this body of research has largely focused on distinguishing between conflict types; most notably task versus relationship conflict. However, this research has focused on within-level relationships, thus neglecting the multilevel nature of intragroup conflict and its emergence processes. After reviewing the antecedents of conflict across levels, the authors examine the constructs and processes common to the intraindividual, dyadic, and group levels as well as those that are unique to each level and the cross-level influences of those constructs. The authors conclude by proposing a multilevel model of group conflict that integrates the individual, dyadic, and intragroup levels of analysis.