Exploring student’s team behavior through entrepreneurship education: a time-lagged study

Abstract

PurposeBased on group development theories, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate student’s team behavior during different stages of team development.Design/methodology/approachA time-lagged survey method was used to collect data over a period of 18 weeks from 40 undergraduate students enrolled in an entrepreneurship course. Hierarchical linear regression and structural equation modeling were used for analysis.FindingsFindings reveal that during the early stages of team development, a leader with an entrepreneurial approach directed student’s team behavior proactively. Analysis showed that lower level of task conflict strengthened the impact of leadership on team cohesion. It was also found that during the pre-final stages, students demonstrated knowledge-sharing behavior once they were characterized by team cohesion.Research limitations/implicationsData were collected from student teams, which may not generalize to organizational teams.Social implicationsThis research presents first of the few empirical studies investigating the above-mentioned interrelationships and provides insights on the order of events that contribute to perceived team performance. An attempt was also made to extend the group theories by exploring the effects of leadership on task conflict.Originality/valueShowcasing the dynamics of student’s team behavior during the different stages of team development, this study highlights the importance of teamwork to students and provides useful insights to course facilitators and teachers. In light of the results, educators should take account of team dynamics when designing effective teaching methods and incentives.