Purpose

This study aims to build on the existing research regarding workplace conflict by arguing that task conflict (TC) leads to resource gains for individuals with non-routine technical jobs, which increases individuals’ work engagement (WE) and leads to positive individual-level outcomes. Specifically, this study uses a resource investment/acquisition approach with the aim of offering insight into the consequences of group-level TC on individual-level outcomes, including task performance (TP), contextual performance and turnover intention.

Design/methodology/approach

Multi-rater data was collected from 508 telecom engineers and 35 supervisors working in Pakistan’s telecom sector. The engineers were divided into 31 teams and the data were analysed using confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modelling to test the interrelationships among study constructs.

Findings

As expected, TC was positively correlated with both TP and contextual performance, while it was negatively correlated with turnover intention; these relationships were mediated by WE. The results reveal that TC in technical jobs leads to resource gains and, through WE, facilitates task and contextual performances at the individual level. Similarly, TC mitigates individual-level turnover intention through the mediation of WE.

Originality/value

The current study contributes to the literature on the conflict by delineating a resource investment/acquisition process within the conservation of resources theory, whereby TC (an exchange and acquisition of cognitive resources) leads to resource investment (in the form of WE), which, in turn, leads to positive individual-level outcomes.

中文翻译：

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非常规技术工作中小组级别任务冲突与个人级别结果之间的联系

目的

这项研究旨在基于现有的有关工作场所冲突的研究，认为任务冲突（TC）会为从事非常规技术工作的个人带来资源收益，从而增加个人的工作投入（WE）并带来积极的个人层面成果。具体而言，本研究使用资源投资/收购方法，旨在深入了解小组级TC对个人级结果的影响，包括任务绩效（TP），情境绩效和离职意向。

设计/方法/方法

多评级者数据是从508位巴基斯坦电信行业的电信工程师和35位主管收集的。工程师分为31个小组，并使用验证性因子分析和结构方程模型对数据进行了分析，以检验研究结构之间的相互关系。

发现

正如预期的那样，TC与TP和语境表现均呈正相关，而与离职意向呈负相关。这些关系是由WE调解的。结果表明，技术工作中的TC可以带来资源收益，并通过WE促进个人层面的任务和情境绩效。同样，TC通过WE的中介来减轻个人级别的离职意图。

创意/价值

本研究通过描述资源保护理论中的资源投资/获取过程，为冲突做出了贡献，其中TC（认知资源的交换和获取）导致了资源投资（以WE的形式），反过来，会带来积极的个人水平结果。