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Team Conflict Mediates the Effects of Organizational Politics on Employee Performance: A Cross-Level Analysis in China

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  • Yuntao Bai

    (Xiamen University)

  • Guohong Helen Han

    (Youngstown State University)

  • P. D. Harms

    (University of Nebraska, Lincoln)

Abstract

The present study expands on the growing literature concerning organizational politics (OP) by assessing the impact of team-level OP on employee performance outcomes as well as investigating the degree to which these effects are mediated by team conflict. The results, based on multilevel structural equation modeling with a sample of 349 employees from 78 firms in China, lent support for a cross-level mediating role for team conflict between political climate and employee performance. Further, moderator analyses demonstrated that political climate acted as a condition for task conflict to trigger relationship conflict. Thus, the results of this study contribute to both the political climate literature and the conflict literature by clarifying the processes by which climate can influence employee performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuntao Bai & Guohong Helen Han & P. D. Harms, 2016. "Team Conflict Mediates the Effects of Organizational Politics on Employee Performance: A Cross-Level Analysis in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 139(1), pages 95-109, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:139:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-015-2604-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-015-2604-6
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    Cited by:

    1. Yingxin Deng & Weipeng Lin & Guiquan Li, 2022. "When and How Does Team Task Conflict Spark Team Innovation? A Contingency Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(3), pages 745-761, December.
    2. Franke, Henrik & Foerstl, Kai, 2018. "Fostering integrated research on organizational politics and conflict in teams: A cross-phenomenal review," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 593-607.
    3. Depeng Liu & Mo Chen & Isabelle Yi Ren & Xuhong Pang & Yapu Zhao, 2024. "How and When Leaders’ Perceptions of Team Politics Influence Justice Rule Adherence: A Moral Self-Regulation Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 192(2), pages 385-405, June.
    4. Bai, Yuntao & Lin, Li & Li, Peter Ping, 2016. "How to enable employee creativity in a team context: A cross-level mediating process of transformational leadership," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(9), pages 3240-3250.
    5. Kuriakose, Vijay & S, Sreejesh & Jose, Heerah, 2020. "Examining the Mechanisms Linking Work-Related Conflicts and Employee Well-Being: A Mediation Model," American Business Review, Pompea College of Business, University of New Haven, vol. 23(2), pages 260-282, November.

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