Cohesive Conflict: Task Cohesion as a Moderator of Conflict and Group Outcomes

Abstract

This study examines the moderating impact of group cohesion on workgroup conflict and product outcomes. The presence of conflict is hypothesized to serve an important purpose for effective group functioning, but the presence of group cohesion is expected to facilitate the role of conflict as a means to productive ends. The development and influence of task-related group cohesion in short-term contexts is of particular interest, as temporary workgroups, such as student project groups, necessarily operate within limited timeframes and uncertain social relationships. Results indicate that task cohesion provides a strong and persistent positive predictor of the outcome variables (grade, reported satisfaction, and group productivity), and often demonstrates an ameliorating effect on the negative predictive ability of workgroup conflict.