Group Goal Setting in Age-Diverse Teams: Investigating the Role of Goal Clarity and Reflexivity

Abstract

In a sample of 43 teams, the present study examines goal clarity as a mediator of the relationship between age diversity and team performance. As hypothesized, more age-diverse groups did not obtain high levels of goal clarity, and consequently performed worse than less age-diverse groups. Results further show that team reflexivity moderates the relationship between age diversity and goal clarity, such that the inverse relationship between age diversity and goal clarity will be weaker for teams high on reflexivity, than for teams low on reflexivity. Contrary to expectations, we did not find support for the hypothesized moderated mediation model, as the moderating effect of team reflexivity was not carried all the way through the mediating relationship to affect team performance. Overall, this study highlights the importance of examining the impact of diversity on the group goal setting process and the boundary conditions that impact this relationship.