Intergroup conflict and intergroup effectiveness in organizations: Theory and scale development

Abstract

Many see the absence of conflict between groups as indicative of effective intergroup relations. Others consider its management a suitable effectiveness criterion. In this article we demarcate a different approach and propose that these views are deficient in describing effective intergroup relations. The article theorizes alternative criteria of intergroup effectiveness rooted in team representatives' subjective value judgements and assesses the psychometric characteristics of a short measure based on these criteria. Results on empirical validity suggest the measure to be a potential alternative outcome of organizational conflict. Implications for both the study of intergroup relations and conflict theory are discussed.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research was enabled through a grant to the first author by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). We are grateful to Jeremy Dawson for advice on statistical issues.