Journal Articles

“It’s Not Conflict, It’s Differences of Opinion” : An In-Depth Examination of Conflict in Nonprofit Boards

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To properly manage conflict, the mechanisms of the complex conflict process must be understood. Building on existing research, the purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of the conflict process by examining nonprofit board member experiences with task, process, and relationship conflict, identifying latent conditions that influence the likelihood of these conflict types, and exploring the impact of conflict within nonprofit boards. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 provincial sport organization (PSO) board members. The findings revealed that board members downplayed conflict because of its negative connotation. Furthermore, task, process, and relationship conflict were each described according to continuums of intensity ranging from respectful and professional discussion to heated and rigorous debate. The intensity of each type of conflict was perceived to be influenced by specific latent conditions and to influence both group and individual outcomes. These findings highlight the complex nature of intragroup conflict in this setting and demonstrate the need to identify intensity when examining task, process, and relationship conflict. Implications for research and practice are presented.

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Detail Information

Series Title

Small Group Research

Call Number

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Publisher

Thousand Oak : sage publisher., 2011

Collation

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Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

10464964

Classification

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Content Type

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Media Type

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Carrier Type

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Edition

Vol. 42 no. 5, October 2011.pp. 562-594

Subject(s)

Intragroup conflict
An In-Depth Examination of Conflict
Nonprofit boards
Intensity

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