Managing and mitigating conflict in healthcare teams: an integrative review

Abstract

Aim: To review empirical studies examining antecedents (sources, causes, predictors) in the management and mitigation of interpersonal conflict.

Background: Providing quality care requires positive, collaborative working relationships among healthcare team members. In today's increasingly stress-laden work environments, such relationships can be threatened by interpersonal conflict. Identifying the underlying causes of conflict and choice of conflict management style will help practitioners, leaders and managers build an organizational culture that fosters collegiality and create the best possible environment to engage in effective conflict management.

Design: Integrative literature review.

Data sources: CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Proquest ABI/Inform, Cochrane Library and Joanne Briggs Institute Library were searched for empirical studies published between 2002-May 2014.

Review methods: The review was informed by the approach of Whittemore and Knafl. Findings were extracted, critically examined and grouped into themes.

Results: Forty-four papers met the inclusion criteria. Several antecedents influence conflict and choice of conflict management style including individual characteristics, contextual factors and interpersonal conditions. Sources most frequently identified include lack of emotional intelligence, certain personality traits, poor work environment, role ambiguity, lack of support and poor communication. Very few published interventions were found.

Conclusion: By synthesizing the knowledge and identifying antecedents, this review offers evidence to support recommendations on managing and mitigating conflict. As inevitable as conflict is, it is the responsibility of everyone to increase their own awareness, accountability and active participation in understanding conflict and minimizing it. Future research should investigate the testing of interventions to minimize these antecedents and, subsequently, reduce conflict.

Keywords: antecedents; conflict management; healthcare teams; integrative review; interpersonal conflict; nurses; nursing; predictors.