Rethinking the "Conflictive Member" in Organizations: A Proposal for a Model of How Conflict Initiates

Authors : Sebastián Legue Godoy

Pages : 138-156

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Publication Date : 2025-07-22

Article Type : Review Paper

Abstract :This theoretical article aims to review the concept of the \\\"conflictive member\\\" and its relationship with the initiation of conflict in organizations. A narrative review of the \\\"conflictive member\\\" was conducted, selecting articles that address definitions and descriptions of the phenomenon. Contributions from various sub-disciplines beyond Organizational Psychology were incorporated. The study revealed that authors approach the phenomenon using similar definitions but with different terms, the most common being \\\"Difficult People\\\" and \\\"Bad Apple\\\". Many articles do not reference previous work, making it difficult to construct a cohesive theoretical framework. A new definition is proposed, and its scope is discussed. Although few studies address the problem of how conflict begins, a valuable model describing the initiation of conflict in children was identified, serving as a starting point. Based on this, the Conflict Rigidity Model is proposed to describe how a conflict begins in organizational contexts. Additionally, the concept of Organizational Disruptive Behavior is introduced to better understand the phenomenon. These contributions aim to lay the groundwork for future research in the organizational field.
Keywords : Çatışmacı Üye, Zor İnsanlar, Kötü Elma, Toksik Üye, İşlevsiz Üye, Grup İçi Çatışma, İş Çatışması

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