Relationship between team communication, team conflict and team performance in the construction projects

Abstract

The paper measures the relationship between team communication, conflict, and team performance in construction projects. The research model consists of team communication (frequency of communication, effective communication, formal communication, and informal communication), team conflict (tasks, processes, and relationships), and project team performance with 13 hypotheses. The study surveyed 236 valid samples. The respondents had prior experience working on construction project teams. The model is tested by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings indicated that 12 of the 13 hypotheses were supported. Communication factors have both positive and negative effects on team conflicts. Team conflicts influence team performance in which task conflicts boost team performance while relationship and process conflicts degrade it. The results will be a valuable reference for construction project managers to limit unwanted team conflicts and improve performance.