Conflict in organizations: Beyond effectiveness and performance

Conflict theory and research has traditionally focused on conflict management strategies, in relation to individual and work-team effectiveness and productivity. Far less attention has been devoted to "soft" outcomes including job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intentions, and individual health and well-being. This state of affairs is unfortunate because it isolates conflict theory and research from broader issues in organizational psychology and organizational behaviour research. It also impedes applied work in that it remains uncertain how interventions influence not only conflict and effectiveness, but also satisfaction and well-being. This introductory article deals with these problems in detail. The articles in this Special Issue each in their own way deal with one of these issues in more depth, shedding light on how conflict theory and research can be connected to organizational psychology in general.