SYNERGISTIC KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT IN CROSS-MAJOR STUDENT GROUPS: AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION.

Abstract

This paper examines the factors that influence the development of integrated knowledge in cross-major student groups and the extent to which such knowledge enhances students' perceptions of their group's performance. The sample consisted of 218 students enrolled in Business Policy and Strategy classes. Each group, consisting of 3-6 students from multiple majors, worked on two group projects: analyze a complex business case and present the analysis, and critique the analysis of a similar case performed by other groups. The results generally support our hypotheses, suggesting that cognitive conflict among group members negatively influences the development of synergistic knowledge, whereas team psychological safety and social interaction processes positively contribute to such knowledge development. An interesting interaction occurs between cognitive conflict and psychological safety suggesting that even if the level of cognitive conflict is high, synergistic knowledge development is achieved when the team members feel comfortable to openly bring diverse perspectives. Finally, the greater the development of synergistic knowledge, the higher the students' perceptions of the quality of their work. These findings have important implications for teaching courses that require students to work on cross-major groups. Instructors need to pay explicit attention to helping groups to develop mechanisms that allow the team members to openly discuss their views and to create overall group environment that makes it possible to value and integrate the diverse views into a collective understanding.