Co-operation and Conflict in Higher Education
This long term project is investigating interpersonal co-operation and conflict amongst employees in the UK Higher Education sector.
First Stage
The initial stage of the study consisted of an in-depth investigation of new academic employees’ experience of their working relationships. Data was collected by means of e-mail and postal questionnaires, and responses were followed up by interviews with the participants. An innovative three level conceptual model of co-operation and conflict was used to provide a structure for the data collection and analysis. The investigation also elicited participants’ perceptions of their work-related aspirations, attainments, problems and threats, tracked changes in these perceptions, and explored how they shaped, and were shaped by, interpersonal relationships in the workplace.
The findings of this first stage illustrated the complexity of the phenomena of interpersonal co-operation and conflict (for example, the coexistence of conflict and cooperation within many relationships), and revealed some marked individual differences in participants' experiences of, and responses to, these phenomena. In particular, the follow up interviews showed that several of the participants were very reluctant to acknowledge, let alone engage with, the more serious and challenging forms of obstructive and antagonistic behaviour in their immediate workplace network, whereas other participants were only too ready to identify such behaviour, and to describe its impact and its consequences. Certain contextual factors (for example, differences in institutional subcultures) were also found to have a strong influence upon the evolution of interpersonal relationships in the workplace. These findings were used to inform the refinement and extension of our model of co-operation and conflict, and to establish an appropriate focus for the subsequent stage of the study.
The findings of the first stage have been presented in the following conference papers:
Whitmarsh, L.E. & Williams, R.V. Mapping the Terrain of Synergy and Antagonism: Experiences of Interpersonal Cooperation and Conflict in Higher Education. Presented at the British Psychological Society Social Psychology Section Conference, Canterbury, September 2007.
Whitmarsh, L.E. & Williams, R.V. Experiencing Interpersonal Co-operation and Conflict at work: Perceptions and Interpretations of Support, Obstruction, Benevolence and Malevolence in Academics' Interactions with their Colleagues. Presented at the British Psychological Society Social Psychology Section Conference, Dublin, April 2008.
Second Stage
The current stage of the study will focus upon the more ‘extreme’ forms of co-operation and conflict, and will use a refined and extended version of our conceptual model. At the same time, we will also expand the population of interest to include both established and new academic staff. An online survey questionnaire will be used as the principal means of data collection for this stage. Respondents will also be invited to participate in follow-up interviews.
