The paradox of intragroup conflict: a meta-analysis

Since the meta-analysis by De Dreu and Weingart (2003a) on the effects of intragroup conflict on group outcomes, more than 70 new empirical studies of conflict have been conducted, often investigating more complex, moderated relationships between conflict and group outcomes, as well as new types of intragroup conflict, such as process conflict. To explore the trends in this new body of literature, we conducted a meta-analysis of 116 empirical studies of intragroup conflict (n = 8870 groups) and its relationship with group outcomes. To address the heterogeneity across the studies included in the meta-analysis, we also investigated a number of moderating variables. Stable negative relationships were found between relationship and process conflict and group outcomes. The relationships between task conflict and group outcomes were less straight forward. Analyses of main effects as well as moderator analyses show that the effects of task conflict on group outcomes depend on the cultural context, the way outcomes are measured, and the association between task and relationship conflict.