Identify the Four Leadership Styles in Management

Title and reference of article

Pelled, LH, Eisenhardt, KM & Xin, KR 1999, "Exploring the black box: an analysis of work group diversity, conflict, and performance", Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 1-13.

Aim/purpose of article

Looking in to the prospect that different operatinalizations of theory's leader behaviour constructs have contributed significantly to the inconsistent precedent.

Sample, location, method of data collection and analysis

Sample: members of 230 maintenance workers of The Ohio State University

Method of data collection: Surveys

Analysis: Seemingly measure task structure and role clarity

Findings/Interpretations reported in the article

Task conflict has more positive performance consequences than emotional conflict; however there was no evidence that emotional conflict impaired performance. The type of diversity together with contextual moderators affects the amount and type of conflict. Functional diversity increases task conflict. Diversity based on race and tenure increases emotional conflict. Emotional conflict is increased by similarity in age. There were no significant effects of gender diversity on conflict nor performance.

The moderator, task routineness, reduced positive associations between diversity and emotional conflict but increased positive associations between diversity and task conflict. The moderator, group longevity weakened positive associations between diversity variables and both types of conflict.

Overall, diversity of race, tenure, and age influenced emotional conflict but this did not affect performance.

Significance/contribution of the article in relation to your other articles and your topic The research findings differ from the commonly held view that diversity in groups affect group performance and that emotional conflict has a negative effect on performance.

(Note, if you found other articles with different findings you would mention that here and try and explain why the difference.)

Strengths of article

Well researched with strong background in the literature and exploration of prior research.

Weaknesses of article

North American sample which may contain racial and gender biases not found in other countries. Limited explanation of the instruments makes other researchers difficult to replicate the study.