There is much potential for conflict in GVT as members work
across cultural, geographical, and time boundaries. Large volume of electronic communication and lack of immediacy of feedback in asynchronous media can contribute to task conflict.
Additionally, the relationship between task conflict and team performance is likely to be
contingent upon task complexity and conflict resolution approach. The influence of relationship
conflict on performance may depend on task interdependence and conflict resolution approach.
The conflict resolution approach may in turn be determined by the nature of conflict attribution. Members of GVT typically come from different continents or countries, interact via various forms of communication technology, and rarely or never see each other in person. team diversity and space-time dispersion in GVT may pose both opportunities for [57] as well as challenges to effective teamwork [33][55]. While team diversity is celebrated for stimulating creativity and allowing a variety of skills to be brought to bear on problems at hand [34], it may also reduce team cohesion and increase conflict [50]. Conflict in GVT may be exacerbated by communication delays, time zone differences, and lack of face-to-face contact due to space-time dispersion [39]. These factors may hinder development of understanding and relationships among members of GVT [17]. If poorly managed, conflict can lead to ineffective teamwork [40] and other negative outcomes [3] [60]. The importance of conflict management in achieving effective virtual team outcomes has been emphasized [63]. Thus, GVT can benefit from a better understanding of factors that trigger conflict as well as the possible impact of conflict on team
performance. Knowledge of antecedents and impacts of GVT conflict can help design interventions to
manage the causes and alleviate the negative outcomes of conflict.