The Effects of Task Conflict on Relationship Conflict in Naval Aviation Pilots' Flight : The Moderating Effects of Power Distance and Collectivism
This study investigated how task conflict and relationship conflict, which may occur during crewed operations among naval aviation pilots, affect their job performance, and sought to determine how individual pilots' cultural values influence the relationships between these conflicts. The results showed that task conflict has a statistically significant positive effect on relationship conflict. Regarding the moderating effect of individual cultural values on the relationship between task conflict and relationship conflict, power distance did not show a statistically significant moderating effect, while collectivism showed a statistically significant moderating effect on the relationship between task conflict and relationship conflict. The practical implications and additional tasks of this study are as follows: First, this study examined the relationship between task conflict-cognitive conflict among members—and relational conflict—emotional conflict at the individual level of military pilots-by applying this concept to the field of military aviation. Second, it implies the need for further follow-up research regarding the fact that an increase in cognitive conflict experienced by military pilots during flight duties leads to an increase in emotional conflict, suggesting that personal cultural values may have an influence. Third, this study applied only some sub-variables of personal cultural values to the relationship between task conflict and relational conflict. However, subsequent research should examine the relationships involving various moderating variables as well.