Managing C-suite conflict: The unique impact of internal and external governance interfaces on top management team reflexivity

The ability of Top Management Teams (TMTs) to reflect critically on their own actions represents an important element effective TMT decision making and governance effectiveness. This paper therefore examines how the TMT-board interface internal organization, as well with external supervisory authority, shape reflexivity. Drawing from psychological theories, we posit that cognitive conflict at can escalate by increasing levels affective conflict, hereby, harm reflexivity if not managed well. proposition was tested in a multisource team-level data set collected field among TMTs (N = 111 members) boards 152 board 56 Dutch insurance companies. findings demonstrate link between is mitigated membership influx. Yet cases where escalation does occur, its subsequent impact hinges degree which authority monitored actions. results illustrate processes be effectively influenced TMT-governance interfaces, yet different stages, through