Abstract
Group affective tone is an emergent state that can be shared by group members during interdependent tasks. Groups can experience positive group affective tone (PGAT), a shared feeling of e.g., excitement, enthusiasm, or activation as well as negative group affective tone (NGAT), a shared feeling of e.g., distress, anxiety, and hostility. So far, previous cross-sectional research suggests that PGAT and NGAT are related to team performance outcomes. However, little is known about how the dynamic and fluctuating group affective states are related to team performance over an extended period of time. Therefore, the current study investigated the relation between PGAT, NGAT, and performance over the course of 34 software engineering projects. We hypothesized that PGAT is positively related to team performance, whereas NGAT is negatively related to team performance. Based on the punctuated equilibrium model and the feeling-as-information-theory we expected that these associations become stronger in the second half of the project. Using week level design with 165 participants in 34 software engineering teams, we repeatedly assessed PGAT, NGAT, and team performance over 14 weeks. Data were analyzed using multilevel structural equation modeling. As expected, PGAT was positively related to team performance, whereas NGAT was negatively related to team performance – between teams over the course of the projects as well as within teams over time. More importantly, the weekly relationships were stronger in the second half of the project. Our study indicates that weekly variations in group affective tone are more relevant after projects reach a temporal midpoint. We discuss theoretical and practical implications for project teams.
Highlights
Affective experiences have received increasing attention to understand social dynamics in groups and organizations (Barsade, 2002; Lehmann-Willenbrock et al, 2011b; Ceschi et al, 2014; Homan et al, 2015)
positive group affective tone (PGAT) is positively related to team performance at the between level (r = 0.54, p < 0.01) and at the week level (r = 0.44, p < 0.01), whereas negative group affective tone (NGAT) is negatively related to team performance at the between level (r = −0.67, p < 0.01) and at the week level (r = −0.56, p < 0.01)
In order to consider the multilevel structure of our data and test whether the two project phases moderate the association between group affective tone and team performance, we used multilevel structural equation modeling (SEM) to test our hypotheses
Summary
Affective experiences have received increasing attention to understand social dynamics in groups and organizations (Barsade, 2002; Lehmann-Willenbrock et al, 2011b; Ceschi et al, 2014; Homan et al, 2015). To give the reader an illustrative idea of how affective experiences can impact team work, we invite you to imagine the three coworkers Andrew, Ann, and Arthur who develop software for an external customer. Time pressure and customer requests make Ann nervous about whether they will meet the project deadline In team discussions, she reacts irritable and her distress impacts Andrew’s and Arthur’s mood. She reacts irritable and her distress impacts Andrew’s and Arthur’s mood In this meeting, the team shares a negative affective state – a state that can result in conflicts and negatively impact the team’s overall performance (cf., Cole et al, 2008; Gamero et al, 2008; Choi and Cho, 2011)
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