Entrepreneurial Team Conflict and Cohesion: Meta-structural Equation Modeling

Abstract

We explore the mediating effects that entrepreneurial team conflict and cohesion have on the relationship between team diversity and performance based on an inputs-mediators-outcomes framework. Using 56 samples from 54 empirical studies, we conducted a meta-analysis of the hypothesized relationships and used meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM) to test the mediating models. Our findings reveal that team diversity was related to cognitive and affective conflict, and only affective conflict was associated with objective and subjective venture performance. Furthermore, entrepreneurial team cohesion had positive effects on venture performance. Our unique contributions to the entrepreneurial team literature and future research suggestions are also discussed.