Rice Business Partners Faculty Roundtable Series: Constructive Conflict is an Urban Legend

Join Rice Business Partners for our first Faculty Roundtable event of the 2023-24 season in a conversation with Professor of Management, Daan Van Knippenberg, on Tuesday,October 3rd, at 11:30 am - 1:00 pm CT. 

There is a longstanding belief in science and practice alike that conflict is, or at least can be, productive. The idea is that conflict can force teams to look more critically at issues, dig deeper, share more information, and be more creative in findings solutions to problems and making decisions. In sharp contrast, the actual evidence from 30 years of research suggests that this is not true; while science and practice keeps claiming that there is such a thing as constructive conflict, the actual evidence shows it conflict is bad for team performance. What teams should desire instead is diversity of perspectives. Diversity of perspectives can have all the benefits that conflict is supposed to have -- as long as conflict does not get in the way of the knowledge integration process that is required to realize the benefits of diversity of perspectives.

This event is open to all Rice Business students, alumni, Rice Business Partners members, guests, and the general public. Registrants can submit questions related to the topic for the panel's consideration through this form; question submission and registration will close at 5 p.m. CT on Friday, September 29, 2023.

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