Interdisciplinary conflict and organizational complexity. 1986

M E Guy

Most people think that conflict among the professional staff is inevitable and results from each profession's unique set of values. Each profession then defends itself by claiming its own turf. This article demonstrates that organizational complexity, not professional territorialism, influences the amount of intraorganizational conflict. In a comparison of two psychiatric hospitals, this study shows that there is not necessarily greater conflict across professions than within professions. However, there is a significantly greater amount of conflict among staff at a structurally more complex hospital than at a less-complex hospital, regardless of profession. Implications for management are discussed.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007400 Interprofessional Relations The reciprocal interaction of two or more professional individuals. Etiquette, Medical,Medical Etiquette,Relations, Interprofessional
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D003220 Conflict, Psychological The internal individual struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, or external and internal demands. In group interactions, competitive or opposing action of incompatibles: antagonistic state or action (as of divergent ideas, interests, or persons). (from Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed) Conflict, Psychology,Psychological Conflict,Psychological Conflicts
D003469 Culture A collective expression for all behavior patterns acquired and socially transmitted through symbols. Culture includes customs, traditions, and language. Cultural Relativism,Customs,Beliefs,Cultural Background,Background, Cultural,Backgrounds, Cultural,Belief,Cultural Backgrounds,Cultural Relativisms,Cultures,Relativism, Cultural,Relativisms, Cultural
D006742 Hospital Bed Capacity The number of beds which a hospital has been designed and constructed to contain. It may also refer to the number of beds set up and staffed for use. Bed Capacity, Hospital,Bed Size, Hospital,Bed Capacities, Hospital,Bed Size,Bed Sizes,Bed Sizes, Hospital,Capacities, Hospital Bed,Capacity, Hospital Bed,Hospital Bed Size,Hospital Bed Sizes,Size, Bed,Size, Hospital Bed,Sizes, Bed,Sizes, Hospital Bed,Hospital Bed Capacities
D006778 Hospitals, Psychiatric Special hospitals which provide care to the mentally ill patient. Mental Hospitals,Hospitals, Mental,Mental Institutions,Psychiatric Hospitals,Hospital, Mental,Hospital, Psychiatric,Institution, Mental,Institutions, Mental,Mental Hospital,Mental Institution,Psychiatric Hospital
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000407 Alabama A state in the southeastern region of the United States. The capital is Montgomery.
D000704 Analysis of Variance A statistical technique that isolates and assesses the contributions of categorical independent variables to variation in the mean of a continuous dependent variable. ANOVA,Analysis, Variance,Variance Analysis,Analyses, Variance,Variance Analyses
D013022 South Carolina State bounded on the north by North Carolina, on the east and south by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west by Georgia.

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