Research Based Effects of Unresolved Spats or Micro Conflicts on Teams

SpatzAI’s way to reducing uncertainty when micro-conflicts occur in teams is informed by research that investigates the dynamics of micro-conflicts and uncertainty in successful and unsuccessful design teams. A key study in this area found that successful design teams were able to harness interpersonal conflicts to mitigate uncertainty. This study analyzed the temporal relationships between expressed interpersonal disagreements and subsequent individual uncertainty in conversations of both successful and unsuccessful engineering product design teams. The findings revealed that in successful teams, micro-conflicts were followed by a relative reduction in uncertainty, whereas in unsuccessful teams, uncertainty increased after micro-conflicts. This suggests that the way teams handle micro-conflict (spats) and uncertainty can be a differentiating factor for their success​​.

In the context of SpatzAI, this research underscores the importance of resolving micro-conflicts effectively. By providing structured tools and processes for addressing and resolving these micro-conflicts, SpatzAI aims to help teams replicate the success of those teams that use their spats constructively to reduce uncertainty, thereby enhancing overall team performance and decision-making.

Reference: “The Dynamics of Micro-Conflicts and Uncertainty in Successful and Unsuccessful Design Teams.”