Conflict & Health in Agility, FHNW School of Applied Psychology

Agile teams operate with a high degree of self-organisation. This increases the demands on collaboration. A key aspect of this is dealing with conflicts. In order to be successful, agile teams need to deal with conflicts constructively. This means that they must be able to balance interests quickly, shape working relationships positively and integrate different points of view into their solutions. This research project investigated how this can be achieved and how it can be methodically supported.

The aims of the project were:

• To analyse conflicts and ways of coping with them as well as their connection to mental health
• Development of a scientifically sound and field-tested approach, including an inventory of methods for increasing conflict management skills and improving mental health
• Development of an organisational strategy for dealing with the topic

Knecht, M., Baumgartner, M., Krause, A., Mumenthaler, J., Vetter, A. & Vollmer, A. (May, 2019). The Association of Agile Methods, Team processes and Engagement. In C. Korunka & B. Kubicek (Chairs), The Merits and Paradoxes of Flexible Work (part I and II). Symposium conducted at the 19th Conference of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP), Turin, Italy.

Baumgartner, M., Bracher, M., Krause, A., Mumenthaler, J., & Ramseyer, M. (2020). Agiles Arbeiten gestalten. Grundlagen und gesundheitsförderliche Zusammenhänge. Faktenblatt 39. Bern: Gesundheitsförderung Schweiz.