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Can interpersonal competition be constructive within organizations?
Dean Tjosvold1, David W Johnson, Roger T Johnson
1Department of Management, Lingnan University, Hong Kong.
The Journal of Psychology
|March 29, 2003
Summary
Fair competition, where rules are perceived as equitable and competitors have positive relationships, fosters constructive workplace outcomes. Understanding these factors can enhance the positive impact of competition.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Behavior
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Workplace competition is prevalent but can have negative outcomes.
- Understanding conditions for constructive competition is crucial for organizational effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically analyze the conditions that make workplace competition constructive.
- To identify key factors influencing positive competitive outcomes in organizations.
Main Methods:
- Empirical analysis involving 64 managers and 28 employees in mainland China.
- Participants described competitive incidents and rated perceived influencing conditions on a 7-point Likert scale.
- Incidents involved physical, intellectual, or combined tasks.
Main Results:
- Fairness of rules significantly relates to constructive competition.
- Motivation to win, perceived advantage, strong positive relationships, and a history of mutual competence confirmation are key factors.
- These variables collectively enhance the constructiveness of competition.
Conclusions:
- Constructive competition is achievable by managing specific environmental and relational factors.
- Organizations can foster positive competitive dynamics by ensuring fairness and nurturing supportive relationships.
- Controlling identified variables can optimize competition for better organizational outcomes.