When work ends and anger begins
Psychologist Heidi Mauersberger researches workplace conflict
Conflict at work is unavoidable and part of most people’s everyday professional life. When handled constructively, it does not need to have negative consequences. Quite the contrary: The clash of different perspectives can even lead to better performance and improved solutions. “Without conflict, everything would stay the way it always was,” says researcher Heidi Mauersberger. Because people tend nevertheless to associate the word conflict with something negative, she prefers to speak of disagreement in her studies, so as not to bias participants. However, when conflicts escalate and turn into destructive criticism, they undermine collaboration and can make people ill. This is precisely why psychologists like Mauersberger study them. At the Department of Psychology of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) in Adlershof, she conducts basic research on workplace conflict and related topics.
Research generally distinguishes between two types of workplace conflict: Task conflict refers to differences of opinion about work content, processes and goals. Relationship conflict, by contrast, tends to involve personal tensions and almost always has negative consequences. The picture is more nuanced when it comes to task conflict.
In her doctoral thesis, Mauersberger contributed to a better understanding of the effects of task conflict—and also became one of the three finalists for the Adlershof Dissertation Award in 2020. In real-life settings, conflicts between colleagues are rarely cleanly divided into categories. In the lab, however, it is easier to simulate pure task conflict.
In one study, around 70 participants were observed over several months as they responded to video-based conflict scenarios. In another, participants kept diaries of conflicts in their everyday work lives and evaluated them using standardised scales. Physiological responses were also recorded using “empathy bracelets”, allowing participants to log the physical impact of conflict at the push of a button. The key finding: even minor interpersonal tensions can lead to negative outcomes in task conflicts.
Mauersberger has been closely connected to the Technology Park Adlershof for almost 15 years. “There wasn’t much going on here in 2010,” she recalls. Since then, many formerly vacant spaces have been filled with new buildings. Personally, she preferred the earlier view of open green space. But she still has high praise for her research environment: “At my chair, I have a great deal of freedom, an excellent team, and an extremely knowledgeable supervisor.” Before entering academia, she worked as a consultant near Adlershof at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). It was there that she experienced a less engaging form of office work, which was something that only deepened her appreciation for her current role. “My work in the lab and with participants is very varied, and I also enjoy the conceptual side of research. Her current focus is on the imitation of emotions—so-called emotional mimicry.” She has also published work on the influence of dogs on pain management. The practical implications of her research are unambiguous: Training emotional competencies and fostering a constructive conflict climate are among the most effective ways of addressing harmful conflict in the workplace.
Simon Wolff for Adlershof Journal
Dr. Heidi Mauersberger — Department of Psychology (hu-berlin.de)