Seeing the Good in Difference: The Role of Growth Mindset in Overcoming Political Conflict

Abstract: As political polarization intensifies, political dissimilarity has become a significant barrier to workplace friendship formation, often leading to distrust and interpersonal conflict. This study investigates how a growth mindset can mitigate these negative effects. The author hypothesizes that while political dissimilarity hinders friendship formation, a growth mindset and task interdependence serve as facilitators. Crucially, the research posits that a growth mindset moderates the friction caused by ideological differences, with the least negative impact occurring when both growth mindset and task interdependence are high. Using a longitudinal design with two cohorts of 85 MBA students (approximately 6,000 dyads), the study employs multilevel mixed-effects logistic analysis to track friendship formation over four months. By examining the intersection of psychological orientations and structural incentives, this paper provides insights into how organizations can foster collaboration and “bridgework” across deep-level political dissimilarity.

Keywords: Polarization, Political Conflict, Growth Mindset, Friendship Formation, Interdependence