Competition, although often beneficial, can also at times escalate into disastrous conflict. A prevalent theory concerning this escalation of competition into conflict is that the phenomenon is more likely to be observed between two structurally equivalent people — people in similar social groups and age groups, with the same relations with third parties.
The research team led by Professor Wonjae Lee of the Graduate School of Culture Technology has investigated the factors behind such escalations of competition using panel data from Formula One (F1) car races. The research presented empirical evidence for the proposed relationship between structural equivalence and conflict and uncovered under which conditions this relationship holds.
A total of 506 collision cases from 355 F1 participants between 1970 and 2014 was analyzed for the research. The research team modeled the probability of two F1 drivers colliding as a function of status similarity in a dynamic network of competitive relationships, providing evidence for the hypothesis that people are more likely to become involved in conflict given structural equivalence. It was further found that the association became more prevalent under certain conditions: age-similarity, strong performance, competitive network stability, and safe weather conditions.
Professor Lee explained, “When superiority in a competition is difficult to determine because the number of wins and losses of each participant is similar, individuals are imbued with a sense of ambiguity. Consequently, they come to think that they should win against the opponent similar to themselves to overcome their vague identity.”
Professor Lee emphasized that sport competitions are optimal for investigating the nature of modern organizational structures. It is difficult to obtain data on competition and superiority in firms and social organizations. In sports, on the other hand, the performance of the athlete, which serves as a dependent variable, is very objectively recorded. A basic model measures social relations and structural positions, and F1 data has a very objective numerical record in that respect.
The results of this research can also be applied to markets and organizations, where competition is ubiquitous. By elucidating the conditions under which violent conflict is more likely to emerge in organizations, the research could guide the design of regulations and systems for conflict prevention.
Because violent conflicts are personal, spontaneous actions, there have been very few attempts at finding a relationship between violent acts and society. The significance of this research lies in that it revealed that the reason behind violent acts lies not in personal grudges or desires, but instead in social structure and relationships.
The research was published in the March issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America under the title, “Escalation of competition into conflict in competitive networks of Formula One drivers”. This research was done in conjunction with the US Treasury, European Institute of Business Administration, and the European School of Management and Technology.