Different suggestions, different conflicts and differential effects on construction project performance: evidence from China

Purpose The construction industry is historically plagued by inter-organizational conflict (IOC). While the literature has extensively documented the contractual and structural antecedents of such conflict, the micro-foundational behavioral antecedents embedded in inter-organizational interactions remain underexplored. Design/methodology/approach This study conceptualizes the act of “making suggestions,” a pervasive interaction behavior, as organizational voice and investigates the distinct impacts of promotive and prohibitive voice on three dimensions of IOC. Empirical data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 159 construction project managers in China to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings It is found that promotive voice demonstrates significant negative correlations with task, relationship and process conflicts. Conversely, prohibitive organizational voice positively correlates with all three conflict dimensions. The study further confirms that relationship and process conflicts are detrimental to project performance. Crucially, the analysis identifies that IOC differentially mediates the link between organizational voice and project performance. Originality/value These findings offer a nuanced understanding of how specific communication behaviors can either lubricate collaboration or ignite friction, providing actionable insights for project managers on how to frame suggestions to minimize destructive conflict.