The Use of Influence Tactics and Valence On Commitment for Student Team Projects

Abstract

Instructors often express dissatisfaction regarding inconsistent results for student projects. In this paper, we examine the effects of influence tactics available to instructors (collaboration and rational persuasion), supplemented with outcome valence, on project goal commitment expressed by students in project teams. Data was collected from upper-division students majoring in business administration at a large public university to examine the role that instructors can play in stimulating student commitment to student team projects. Results support the relationship between rational persuasion by the instructor about the importance of group projects and how valuable students view such projects and, subsequently, how committed the students are to these projects. We suggest these results provide insights on the roles that instructors and students can play together in increasing overall levels of goal commitment for classroom projects.