Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026
06:48
The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior
Published on: January 19, 2019
Successful negotiating among the tribes in your organization
1pegneu@earthlink.net
Michigan Health & Hospitals
|June 5, 2002
Summary
Healthcare organizations experience frequent conflicts due to their complex nature. Understanding these "tribal battles" is key to improving workplace dynamics and resource management in healthcare settings.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Behavior
- Healthcare Management
- Conflict Resolution
Background:
- Healthcare environments are characterized by high complexity, leading to increased interprofessional conflict.
- Despite perceptions, healthcare does not attract more difficult personalities; rather, the system's structure fuels tensions.
- The author's expertise, detailed in "Tribal Warfare in Organizations," informs this analysis of healthcare conflicts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the root causes of frequent "tribal battles" within healthcare organizations.
- To challenge the notion that personality types are the primary drivers of conflict in healthcare.
- To highlight the role of systemic complexity in fostering interprofessional tensions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of organizational dynamics within the healthcare sector.
- Drawing upon extensive experience in conflict resolution and organizational behavior.
- Qualitative assessment of factors contributing to interprofessional friction.
Main Results:
- Healthcare settings exhibit a higher prevalence of interprofessional conflicts compared to other industries.
- Systemic complexity, including numerous professions, intricate services, and resource scarcity, is identified as the primary driver of conflict.
- Personality traits are not the main cause of these "tribal battles."
Conclusions:
- The complexity inherent in healthcare systems is the fundamental cause of tribal tensions.
- Addressing conflict requires understanding and mitigating the systemic factors rather than focusing on individual personalities.
- Strategies for conflict resolution in healthcare must account for the unique environmental pressures.
Related Concept Videos
01:52Persuasion Strategies
Researchers have tested many persuasion strategies, including the foot-in-the door and the door-in-the-face techniques, in a variety of contexts. Ultimately, the principles are effective in selling products and changing people’s attitude, ideas, and behaviors (Cialdini & Goldstein, 2004).
04:49Robbers Cave
During the 1950s, the landmark Robbers Cave experiment demonstrated that when groups must compete with one another, intergroup conflict, hostility, and even violence may result. At the Oklahoman summer camp, two troops of boys—termed the Rattlers and the Eagles—took part in a week-long tournament. During this time, their negativity culminated in derogatory name-calling, fistfights, and even vandalism and destruction of property. However, this work also revealed that such tension could be...
01:27Levels of Communication II: Organizational, Public, and Group Dynamics
Effective communication is the foundation of a good organization. Communication is the lifeblood of an organization that connects the group with messages. In an organization, communication occurs in upward, downward, and horizontal lines. Downward communication travels from the administrative and senior levels to the staff through official channels such as manuals, rules and regulations, and organizational charts. Staff members initiate upward communication, which is addressed to executives and...
01:14Decision Making: Traditional Method
The process of hypothesis testing based on the traditional method includes calculating the critical value, testing the value of the test statistic using the sample data, and interpreting these values.
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is decided based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to this claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses, out of which a null hypothesis would be a...
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is decided based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to this claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses, out of which a null hypothesis would be a...
01:25Impact of Individuals on a Group
In social psychology, the interplay between individuals and groups is a central concern, particularly regarding how individual actions and characteristics influence group processes and outcomes. While much research emphasizes the group's power in shaping individual behavior, it is equally significant to understand how individuals contribute to the functioning, development, and success of groups.Individual Roles in Group Productivity and Decision-MakingIndividuals are not passive participants in...
01:19Impact of Groups on Groups
Social psychologists analyze how groups influence one another, shaping social structures and interactions through both cooperation and competition. These dynamics manifest in various ways, ranging from economic partnerships to intergroup conflicts that shape societal structures and perceptions.Cooperation and Competition in Intergroup RelationsIntergroup relationships vary across contexts, sometimes fostering cooperation and mutual benefit while at other times leading to conflict and...