ABSTRACT
Groups are the building blocks of organizations (Ancona, 1987; Hackman, 1987; Kramer, 1991; Thompson, 2000). As a central structure of organizations, groups play an increasingly important role in the development, planning, and production of organizational services and products. For an organization to be effective and competitive, the groups that comprise it must be effective. However, organizational groups face a number of challenges that threaten effective functioning. Members of groups in organizations often have disparate interests and objectives, which can lead to conflict. Organizational productivity, personal satisfaction, and interpersonal harmony all hinge on the effective resolution of conflict among organizational actors.
