The effect of team conflict and task type on team knowledge sharing through transactive memory system

摘要

Previous research indicated that task conflict benefits knowledge sharing (KS), whereas relationship conflict damages it. However, little is known about the underlying process by which the two types of conflicts affect KS. By integrating conflict theory and transactive memory system (TMS) theory, this paper presented a mediational model to test whether two types of conflict have different effects on team KS through TMS. Besides, this study also examined whether task type moderates the proposed mediational processes. Results of a study of 386 employees in 76 teams show that task conflict has positive effects on team KS through TMS. More interestingly, it is found that the task conflict-TMS-KS sequence only significant when task type is nonroutine rather than it is routine. Relationship conflict has a negative effect on team KS through TMS. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.