Human Side of Project Leadership

CHAPTER 19

Discussion and Analysis

The main contribution of this study is that it provides empirical support that cognitive conflict can spiral into affective conflict during decision-making. Specifically, cognitive conflict served as a significant mediator between affective conflict and team, task, and organizational determinants.

Our findings are important because they shed light on why cognitive and affective conflict are so closely related. Past researchers have explained that cognitive and affective conflict are likely to co-occur because the factors that promote cognitive conflict also promote affective conflict (and vice-versa) (Amason and Sapienza 1997; Jehn, 1994). Indeed, researchers have included cognitive and affective conflict ...