The Dysfunctional and Functional Impact of I-Deals Differentiation on Team Performance

Abstract

The current research examines i-deals differentiation, defined as a team-level construct describing the variability in i-deals among members of a team, and investigates how it impacts team functioning and performance. Applying insights from social comparison theory and role theory, we argue that career- and flexibility i-deals differentiation yields a positive relationship with team conflict, resulting in lower team performance. In contrast, we propose that task i-deals differentiation is associated with lower team conflict and higher team performance. We further argue that team size strengthens these relationships. Our theoretical model was tested with a sample of 143 team members comprising 59 teams and their managers. Supporting our hypotheses, results indicated that career- and flexibility i-deals differentiation were positively associated with team conflict and lower team performance, whereas task i-deals differentiation was negatively related to team conflict and associated with higher team performance. Of particular note, the impact of career- and task i-deals differentiation was only supported in larger teams. Our research suggests that the impact of i-deals differentiation can be positive or negative for teams, depending on the nature of the i-deals.