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- Publisher Website: 10.1108/IJCMA-02-2018-0029
- Scopus: eid_2-s2.0-85061493025
- WOS: WOS:000469809200001
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Article: The curvilinear effect of task conflict on idea generation: The mediating role of reflexivity and the moderating role of task complexity
Title | The curvilinear effect of task conflict on idea generation: The mediating role of reflexivity and the moderating role of task complexity |
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Authors | |
Keywords | Creative idea generation Curvilinear relationship Task complexity Task conflict Task reflexivity |
Issue Date | 2019 |
Publisher | Emerald Publishing Limited. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/loi/ijcma |
Citation | International Journal of Conflict Management, 2019, v. 30 n. 2, p. 158-179 How to Cite? |
Abstract | Purpose:
Previous research has yielded inconsistent findings of the effects that task conflict has on creative outcomes, with some research finding a negative relationship but others holding a positive or even no significant relationship. Drawing on the too-much-of-a-good-thing effect approach, this paper aims to investigate the curvilinear relations between task conflict and creative idea generation as well as the mediating role of task reflexivity and the moderating role of task complexity.
Design/methodology/approach:
Two studies were carried out to test the proposed relationship. In Study 1, multisource and lagged data collected from 533 employees and 140 corresponding supervisors were used to test the curvilinear relationship between task conflict and creative idea generation as well as the moderating effect of task complexity. In Study 2, the authors extended the findings by exploring the mediating effect of task reflexivity using a matched sample of 350 employees and 99 corresponding supervisors.
Findings:
Task conflict had an inverted U-shaped relationship with creative idea generation, and task reflexivity partially mediated this relationship. Besides, this association was moderated by task complexity such that the curvilinear relationship was more pronounced for tasks with lower complexity.
Research limitations/implications:
This study was more or less contaminated by common method variance because some variables were derived from the same sources. Also, task conflict might be necessitated to differentiate and more situational variables should be considered to draw a complete picture.
Practical implications:
Managers should undertake conflict management according to the levels of task conflict and task complexity. At a lower degree of task conflict, managers might motivate employees to think more about task-related issues; at higher levels of task conflict, managers should act as conflict mediators to reduce the underlying negative effects, especially for simple tasks.
Originality/value:
These findings could help us understand the boundary conditions under, and the underlying mechanisms by, which task conflict has an impact on creative idea generation. |
Persistent Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/278975 |
ISSN | 2023 Impact Factor: 2.7 2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.789 |
ISI Accession Number ID |
DC Field | Value | Language |
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dc.contributor.author | CHEN, X | - |
dc.contributor.author | Liu, J | - |
dc.contributor.author | Yuan, Y | - |
dc.contributor.author | Cui, X | - |
dc.date.accessioned | 2019-10-21T02:17:21Z | - |
dc.date.available | 2019-10-21T02:17:21Z | - |
dc.date.issued | 2019 | - |
dc.identifier.citation | International Journal of Conflict Management, 2019, v. 30 n. 2, p. 158-179 | - |
dc.identifier.issn | 1044-4068 | - |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/278975 | - |
dc.description.abstract | Purpose: Previous research has yielded inconsistent findings of the effects that task conflict has on creative outcomes, with some research finding a negative relationship but others holding a positive or even no significant relationship. Drawing on the too-much-of-a-good-thing effect approach, this paper aims to investigate the curvilinear relations between task conflict and creative idea generation as well as the mediating role of task reflexivity and the moderating role of task complexity. Design/methodology/approach: Two studies were carried out to test the proposed relationship. In Study 1, multisource and lagged data collected from 533 employees and 140 corresponding supervisors were used to test the curvilinear relationship between task conflict and creative idea generation as well as the moderating effect of task complexity. In Study 2, the authors extended the findings by exploring the mediating effect of task reflexivity using a matched sample of 350 employees and 99 corresponding supervisors. Findings: Task conflict had an inverted U-shaped relationship with creative idea generation, and task reflexivity partially mediated this relationship. Besides, this association was moderated by task complexity such that the curvilinear relationship was more pronounced for tasks with lower complexity. Research limitations/implications: This study was more or less contaminated by common method variance because some variables were derived from the same sources. Also, task conflict might be necessitated to differentiate and more situational variables should be considered to draw a complete picture. Practical implications: Managers should undertake conflict management according to the levels of task conflict and task complexity. At a lower degree of task conflict, managers might motivate employees to think more about task-related issues; at higher levels of task conflict, managers should act as conflict mediators to reduce the underlying negative effects, especially for simple tasks. Originality/value: These findings could help us understand the boundary conditions under, and the underlying mechanisms by, which task conflict has an impact on creative idea generation. | - |
dc.language | eng | - |
dc.publisher | Emerald Publishing Limited. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/loi/ijcma | - |
dc.relation.ispartof | International Journal of Conflict Management | - |
dc.subject | Creative idea generation | - |
dc.subject | Curvilinear relationship | - |
dc.subject | Task complexity | - |
dc.subject | Task conflict | - |
dc.subject | Task reflexivity | - |
dc.title | The curvilinear effect of task conflict on idea generation: The mediating role of reflexivity and the moderating role of task complexity | - |
dc.type | Article | - |
dc.identifier.email | CHEN, X: u3005664@hku.hk | - |
dc.description.nature | link_to_subscribed_fulltext | - |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1108/IJCMA-02-2018-0029 | - |
dc.identifier.scopus | eid_2-s2.0-85061493025 | - |
dc.identifier.hkuros | 307602 | - |
dc.identifier.volume | 30 | - |
dc.identifier.issue | 2 | - |
dc.identifier.spage | 158 | - |
dc.identifier.epage | 179 | - |
dc.identifier.isi | WOS:000469809200001 | - |
dc.publisher.place | United Kingdom | - |
dc.identifier.issnl | 1044-4068 | - |