Out for the mission, or out for others: a values-based approach for B corporation decertification

Conflict within new venture teams (NVTs) is recognized as one of the main factors determining success or failure of new ventures. However, empirical evidence on which specific conflict behaviors are detrimental to team satisfaction and predict subsequent failure is still scarce. To address this research need, we draw on insights from marriage research and examine the impact of the “Four Horsemen” (criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling) as conflict behavior on team satisfaction and exit intentions. In our longitudinal quasi-experimental study involving 45 dyadic NVTs, we assess conflict behavior in a lab setting and measure team satisfaction and subsequent exit intentions through questionnaires. Our results indicate negative effects of criticism and contempt on team satisfaction, while contempt predicts exit intentions three months later. The present study introduces a novel perspective on NVT conflict and proposes an identification method for promising NVTs based on their conflict behavior early in the entrepreneurial life cycle.