Shannon Hamm -The University of Western Ontario, Doctoral Stipend 2006
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Project Summary
Given the importance of board decisions on the development of sport programming in Canada, an investigation of the impact of conflict within these groups is essential for effective board functioning. Thus, the purpose of this project was to examine the nature, level, and impact of task, relationship, and process conflict in provincial sport organization (PSO) boards. In defining group conflict, three types of conflict were examined: Task conflict was viewed as disagreement among group members about the content of tasks; process conflict was defined as disagreement about how to accomplish tasks; and relationship conflict was described as disagreement that is personal in nature. For each conflict type, perceptions of conflict, the factors that influence perceptions of conflict and the outcomes of conflict were explored.
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Many sport organizations operate with nonpaid volunteer boards who develop programming, sanction events, and support athlete development. Therefore, understanding the inevitable board processes, such as conflict, which influence these activities is critical to sport in Canada. The purpose of this research was to explore the nature of conflict within non-profit sport boards and investigate the impact of perceived conflict on board outcomes.
In two separate studies, provincial sport organization board members across Ontario were examined via survey and interview methods. Results indicated that board members perceived task, relationship, and process conflict dimensions as being present within their board. All three types of conflict were at relatively low levels, however each type was negatively associated with decision quality, board member satisfaction, and commitment. In particular, relationship conflict was found to have the greatest impact and mediated the associations between task and process conflict and each outcome variable. The interviews uncovered the potential positive influence of task conflict. Specifically, participants who discussed positive task conflict indicated that their board possessed three main qualities: positive conflict norms, proactive conflict management, and active leadership.
The survey and interview results suggest that non-profit sport boards adopt standard decision making practices that include positive conflict management strategies and promote active participation of all board members in the decision making process. In particular, education regarding the necessity of positive conflict norms is encouraged. Further, board leaders should foster open communication norms where differences of opinion are used to generate new ideas. According to this research, Ontario PSO boards do not consistently promote idea generation through positive conflict and effective conflict management. Thus, effective board discussion regarding athlete programming and development may also be reduced. Continued examination is needed in order to unpack the complex conflict process and its impact on decisions within these boards.
Provincial Sport Organizations (PSOs) are a major partner in the Canadian sport system. They
play a fundamental role in the delivery of sport by overseeing player and coach development,
being a resource for community sport organizations, and providing sanctioning for events across
the province. As nonprofit organizations they rely on the performance and cooperation of nonpaid
members and thus group processes are essential to their operation (Amis, Thibault, Slack,
& Kikulis, 1996; Hoye & Cuskelly, 2006; Inglis, 1997). As such, it is important to understand the
nature and quality of the work environment in which PSO boards operate. Gladstein (1984)
stated that conflict is an important factor within most work groups, but in many cases is
overlooked due to the negative connotation associated with the concept. Robbins (2003)
emphasized the ‘interactionist view’ of conflict which highlights both the positive and negative
outcomes of conflict. Consequently, understanding the impact of conflict on group dynamics is
important when attempting to enhance group effectiveness (Jehn, 1995). The purpose of this
project is to examine group processes of PSO boards with a specific focus on group conflict,
decision quality, and board performance.
To address this purpose a two phase study will be undertaken. Phase one involved a survey
study of PSO board members to investigate the relationship between conflict and decision
making. The survey also addressed the impact of these processes on board member
commitment and satisfaction. Phase two will involve personal interviews with PSO board
members investigating, in-depth, the antecedents, process, and impact of conflict in PSO
boards that, through the survey findings, are identified as having high and low conflict. A greater
understanding of board processes can provide the foundation for increasing the effectiveness of
PSO boards and potentially improve their role in the Canadian sport system.
SCRI 2007 Presentation Slides
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