Conflict, Culture, and Performance in Virtual Teams - Results from a Study in an MMOG

36 Pages Posted: 11 Jan 2011

See all articles by Julia Valerie Gallenkamp

Julia Valerie Gallenkamp

Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich - Faculty of Business Administration (Munich School of Management)

Arnold Oskar Picot

Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich - Faculty of Business Administration (Munich School of Management)

Isabell M. Welpe

Technische Universität München (TUM) - School of Management

Marcus Drescher

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Date Written: January 2, 2010

Abstract

The relationship between different types of conflict and performance in virtual teams is still unclear. Therefore, this paper tries to shed light on the relationship between conflict and team performance as well as the moderating role of culture. Using survey and archival data of 1,683 virtual teams from 23 countries from a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG), this study’s findings show that task conflict is positively related to team performance while process conflict is negatively related to team performance. Furthermore, while collectivistic culture is positively related to performance, it also moderates the conflict-performance relationship. Whereas the team performance of collectivistic teams is highly affected by both types of conflict, team performance of individualistic teams is hardly affected by task conflict and almost not affected by process conflict. We provide a detailed discussion of our findings in the conclusion of the paper and highlight the implications for both research and practice.

Keywords: Virtual teams, conflict, culture, online games, massively multiplayer

Suggested Citation

Gallenkamp, Julia Valerie and Picot, Arnold Oskar and Welpe, Isabell M. and Drescher, Marcus, Conflict, Culture, and Performance in Virtual Teams - Results from a Study in an MMOG (January 2, 2010). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1735410 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1735410

Julia Valerie Gallenkamp (Contact Author)

Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich - Faculty of Business Administration (Munich School of Management) ( email )

Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1
Munich, DE Bavaria 80539
Germany

Arnold Oskar Picot

Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich - Faculty of Business Administration (Munich School of Management) ( email )

Ludwigstraße 28
München, 80995
Germany
+49 89 2180-2252 (Phone)
0049-89-2180-3685 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.iom.bwl.uni-muenchen.de

Isabell M. Welpe

Technische Universität München (TUM) - School of Management ( email )

Leopoldstrasse 139
Munich, 80804
Germany
++49/89/289-24800 (Phone)
++49/89/289-24805 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.strategie.wi.tum.de

Marcus Drescher

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

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