The Role of Conflicts in Top Management Teams

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to find out the role of conflicts and conflict management in Top Management Teams (TMTs).Design/Methodology/Approach: Based on the secondary research and literature review a conceptual model for conflict management in TMTs is proposed. 66 reasons for conflicts and 55 conflict resolution techniques are identified for TMTs from literature review. They are ranked based on reference count in the literature. TMT processes interaction is shown pictorially.Findings: Top 5 reasons for conflicts in TMTs identified are value differences, resources, attitudes, structures and trust. Top 6 conflict resolution techniques identified in TMTs are avoidance, compromise, withdrawal, collaboration, confrontation and integration. Research Limitations/Implications: Further empirical research can be done based on the identified top reasons for conflicts and conflict resolution techniques. Also impact of countries and culture can be further be researched. Practical and Social Implications: Based on the findings executive teams can manage the conflicts effectively in organizations. This research is useful for the society in proper management of organizations. Originality/Value: The main contributions of this work are the conceptual model of conflict management in TMTs, TMT processes interaction diagram, top 5 reasons for conflicts in TMTs, top 6 conflict resolution techniques in TMTs, managing conflicts in TMTs and the factors impacting TMT performance