Managing task and relationship conflicts in international online team learning

ABSTRACT

This paper contributes to understanding the role of task conflicts in team-based online learning. The X-Culture network has created an online learning community that involves students all over the world. Correlation and regression analysis revealed that a higher diversity of teams by nationality positively affected team performance. The indirect effect of team diversity on team performance mediated by task conflicts accounted for 59.6% of the total effect. Moderate task conflicts improved team performance. However, instructors and coaches have to prepare students at the early stage of their project cooperation to distinguish between task conflicts and relationship conflicts influenced by motivation, free riding, and online communication habits of team members living in different time zones. Suggestions for preparing students to manage conflicts in online international team projects are presented. These suggestions are relevant for innovative learning projects in higher education involving students from many countries to knowledge co-creation.

KEYWORDS:

• Online teams
• task conflicts
• relationship conflicts
• team performance
• international education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tiit Elenurm

Tiit Elenurm is the entrepreneurship professor at the Estonian Business School, business angel and mentor for start-up entrepreneurs. Ph. D. in 1980 for the dissertation ‘Management of the Process of Implementation of New Organizational Structures’. Author of more than 130 research publications. Research interests include knowledge management, innovative entrepreneurship, cross-border networking and online teamwork. He has for several years conducted courses, where students have participated in X-Culture global online teams.

Johan Fabritius

Johan Fabritius has studied at the Estonian Business School and is at present working as a Service Delivery Manager at Teleperformance, the global leader in customer experience management. His main responsibilities involve improving the efficiency of remotely working diverse customer service teams. He has over 10 years of experience as a entrepreneur with focus on design thinking and managing the creative processes of companies. Research interests include lean thinking, operation management and emerging technologies.