In today’s interconnected world, employees often juggle affiliations beyond their primary workplace. These outside roles are typically harmless, even beneficial—until they pit coworkers against each other as rivals.
Research from Bocconi University explores this tension through an unusual lens: professional soccer players who, as national rivals, compete directly against their club teammates. The study highlights what happens when collaboration at work intersects with competition elsewhere, using data from the 2018 FIFA World Cup and Europe’s top soccer leagues.
Poor teammates
The findings are striking. Players who competed against club teammates during the World Cup passed the ball to each other 11% less frequently in the following season’s games. This drop in collaboration suggests that external competition can leave lingering tensions, even after players return to shared goals at their clubs.
The researchers identified two factors that intensify this effect. First, a strong identification with national teams amplifies rivalries. Second, high-stakes competitions like the World Cup heighten adversarial feelings, creating an “us versus them” mentality among teammates.
To analyze this phenomenon, the researchers used a difference-in-differences approach, comparing teammates who faced each other on national teams (“treated dyads”) with those who did not (“control dyads”). Detailed game data revealed clear patterns in passing behavior, demonstrating how external rivalries spill over into club-level teamwork.
A natural experiment
The World Cup provided an ideal natural experiment. Its random matchups reduced the risk of self-selection bias, offering a cleaner view of how external conflicts affect internal dynamics.
While the study focused on soccer, its implications extend far beyond the pitch. In any workplace, employees might hold competing roles—corporate executives sitting on rival boards or colleagues supporting opposing political causes, for example. These affiliations can create subtle but significant fractures in internal collaboration.
Managers, the researchers argue, should take note. Monitoring outside affiliations and addressing potential tensions could help preserve workplace cohesion. “Hidden rivalries outside the workplace can quietly reshape professional relationships within it,” the authors warn.
The lesson for leaders is clear: seemingly unrelated rivalries can ripple into the workplace, undermining teamwork. Recognizing and mitigating these tensions is key to keeping collaboration on track.
