Can Lonely Riders Become Three Musketeers? Conflict and Cooperation in Joint Operations

Abstract

Individuals that usually work independently may find it challenging to form projects where team members are highly interdependent. The purpose of this paper is to explore conflict and cooperation processes when these individuals engage in joint operations. We made extensive interviews and gathered data in twelve joint operations in the dairy farming industry. The data indicate various conflict patterns, and these patters can be systematically tied to the teams’ power structure and team planning and to team satisfaction and performance. In general, frequent interactions among members and/or regular well-managed meetings seem important to foster cooperation in the joint farming operations.