Can interpersonal competition be constructive within organizations?

Dean William TJOSVOLD, David W. JOHNSON, Roger T. JOHNSON, Haifa SUN

Research output: Journal PublicationsJournal Article (refereed)peer-review

70 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

An empirical analysis was conducted on the conditions under which competition can be constructive. The participants were 64 managers and 28 employees from organizations in mainland China. They were asked to describe specific incidents of competition between them and their fellow employees and rate on a 7-point Likert-type scale the conditions that they perceived affected the outcomes. The incidents could involve either a physical activity or an intellectual task or both. Results showed that the variables related to constructive competition included the fairness of the rules, the motivation to win, having an advantage that enhanced one's chances of winning, a strong positive relationship among competitors, and a history of confirming each other's competence. By controlling these factors, the constructiveness of competition may be enhanced.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)63-84
Number of pages22
JournalThe Journal of Psychology : Interdisciplinary and Applied
Volume137
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2003

Bibliographical note

The authors thank their research assistants, Song Wenyi, Chao Jianyuan, Huo Kaimin, and He Li from South China Normal University, for their able assistance in conducting this study.

Funding

The authors also appreciate the financial support of the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, RGC grant project no: LC890/96H, to Dean Tjosvold.

Keywords

  • Competition
  • Constructive competition
  • Cooperation
  • Social interdependence

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Can interpersonal competition be constructive within organizations?'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this