Positive Team Outcomes Research Articles

Effects of automated communication on team members’ activity and social presence awareness, commitment, and motivation in human-autonomy teams

Activity and social presence awareness of team members are crucial to promote positive team outcomes such as team commitment and motivation. Communication between the team members is known to develop this awareness. Software agents are increasingly involved in critical team processes and functions, for example, in automated communication. Mostly this automation is associated with performance boosts. However, how team members' social presence and activity awareness and consequently their commitment and motivation changes when task-related communication is automated or not, has been less studied so far. Therefore, in this laboratory study, we manipulated within teams whether task-related communication among team members was automated by a software agent or not to study its effects on team members' commitment and motivation mediated by their social presence and activity awareness. On three measurement points, we assessed team members' activity and social presence awareness, commitment, and motivation in a sample of 360 team members within 120 teams. Results of a fourfold multi-level mediation model supported three mediation processes. When the agent was activated at measurement point two, motivation and commitment decreased due to lower social presence awareness. When the software agent was deactivated at measurement point three, motivation and commitment increased due to higher social presence and activity awareness. This research has implications for the implementation of software agents in organizations and teams, and contributes to a deeper, more elaborate understanding of how software agents affect team members' activity and social presence awareness and its’ outcomes in human-autonomy teams.

Reprint of: The psychological experience of intragroup conflict

Despite the centrality of differences as a driver of conflict, most of the empirical research on group conflict has focused on the group as a whole, paying little attention to the differing experiences of individuals during conflict—that is, the ways individuals perceive, make sense of, and emotionally experience a conflict episode. Although people process information about a conflict using the same general cognitive and emotional mechanisms, their personal characteristics (e.g., personality, cultural background), beliefs and motives (e.g., orientation toward conflict), and past experiences will influence how they make sense of what is occurring and their subsequent conflict behavior. Building on recent work that has taken a multi-level approach to understanding team conflict and drawing from related literature in social, cognitive, and personality psychology, we explicate an individual’s psychological experience of a conflict episode as a process by which individuals make sense of and emotionally experience what is happening, develop attitudes towards others in the group, and exchange and integrate knowledge about the conflict and others involved. We argue that a more nuanced understanding of the intraindividual experience of conflict generates important insight into understanding individual conflict behavior, helping us predict how people will behave in conflict situations and how conflict episodes will unfold. We conclude with implications for how to intervene to promote cooperative behavior and positive team outcomes, along with an agenda for future research.

The psychological experience of intragroup conflict

Despite the centrality of differences as a driver of conflict, most of the empirical research on group conflict has focused on the group as a whole, paying little attention to the differing experiences of individuals during conflict—that is, the ways individuals perceive, make sense of, and emotionally experience a conflict episode. Although people process information about a conflict using the same general cognitive and emotional mechanisms, their personal characteristics (e.g., personality, cultural background), beliefs and motives (e.g., orientation toward conflict), and past experiences will influence how they make sense of what is occurring and their subsequent conflict behavior. Building on recent work that has taken a multi-level approach to understanding team conflict and drawing from related literature in social, cognitive, and personality psychology, we explicate an individual’s psychological experience of a conflict episode as a process by which individuals make sense of and emotionally experience what is happening, develop attitudes towards others in the group, and exchange and integrate knowledge about the conflict and others involved. We argue that a more nuanced understanding of the intraindividual experience of conflict generates important insight into understanding individual conflict behavior, helping us predict how people will behave in conflict situations and how conflict episodes will unfold. We conclude with implications for how to intervene to promote cooperative behavior and positive team outcomes, along with an agenda for future research.

Enhancing the impact of transformational leadership and team-building on project success: the moderating role of empowerment climate

PurposeThis study examines the mechanisms and conditions that influence how transformational leadership affects project success through the lens of social information processing theory.Design/methodology/approachA dual-stage moderated mediation model was proposed wherein the effect of transformational leadership on project success is mediated by team building, and empowering climate moderates the direct and indirect effects at both the first and second stages. The model was tested based on 370 survey responses of project management practitioners from Pakistan's IT industry. The measurement model was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Moderated mediation analyses were conducted using Hayes' PROCESS macro.FindingsThe findings suggest that team-building partially mediates the effect of transformational leadership on project success. Furthermore, the conditional indirect effect of transformational leadership on project success via team-building is strengthened at both the first and second stages at higher levels of empowerment climate.Practical implicationsIt is recommended that project managers and project-intensive organizations should strive to cultivate an empowerment climate to fully realize the beneficial effects of transformational leadership behaviors in enhancing positive team outcomes and, consequently, overall project performance.Originality/valueThis study broadly contributes to the literature on the influence of project managers' leadership styles on project outcomes. Specifically, we elucidate the role of empowerment climate as an important boundary condition that enhances the beneficial effects of transformational leadership. Furthermore, we extend the application of social information processing theory to the context of projects.

The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Emotional Contagion: Implications for Teams

This study focuses on exploring the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Emotional Contagion (EC) in teams, and on understanding the effect of regulated emotions (EI) on spontaneous emotions (EC). Analysis quantitatively determined the extent EI impacts EC, and which factors of EI are most important to positive change in EC. Results of this study have practical implications for strengthening team effectiveness, and ultimately increasing the potential for positive team outcomes.

The Role of Shared Leadership in Managing Conflicts in Multigenerational Teams: A Research Framework

With multigenerational teams becoming ubiquitous in contemporary organisations, this article aims to address the need to understand the dynamics within such teams. The study proposes a conceptual framework to examine the role of shared leadership in multigenerational teams in promoting positive team outcomes for such teams. Potential differences in work values, attitudes and behaviours among different generations are likely to predispose multigenerational teams to a higher probability of conflicts, which may negatively impact team outcomes. The study posits that if shared leadership emerges in multigenerational teams, it is likely to promote the adoption of cooperative conflict management styles and inhibit the adoption of competitive and avoidant styles, thereby leading to positive outcomes like team performance and team member satisfaction. By proposing conflict management styles as an important mechanism through which shared leadership promotes positive team outcomes, the study intends to contribute to the emerging literature on shared leadership and conflict management in multigenerational teams.

Transactive Memory Systems: A Dynamic, Compilational Perspective

Transactive memory systems (TMSs) are associated with positive team outcomes due to their ability to allow members to expeditiously draw on expert knowledge while reducing the cognitive burden across members of the team. Despite links to positive outcomes, the TMS literature continues to make assumptions incongruent with its original patterned and dynamic conceptualization. Accordingly, we develop a network-based theory of TMS that incorporates both compilational and system dynamic perspectives, and focuses upon multi-dimensional patterns of members’ interactions over time. We suggest that the accuracy of members’ perceptions about their teammates’ knowledge expertise informs the structural pattern of coordination at the team level. We then suggest that a lack of credibility or misaligned coordination ties may motivate members to seek alternative TMS pathways over time. By relying on the collective knowledge of the team, we suggest members can develop a differentiated structure where each member knows where to find expert knowledge and coordinate accordingly. Moreover, we introduce the concept of workarounds to the TMS literature. In doing so, we propose the TMS can maintain its benefits in light of disruptions to knowledge flows on the part of an expert.

Concrescent conversation environment, psychological safety, and team effectiveness

Purpose This study aims to examine the relationship between concrescent conversation environment (CCE), psychological safety and team effectiveness. Although CCE has been known to influence team outcomes, little is known about how it influences them. Integrating the social constructionist and social psychology perspectives, this study argues that CCE ignites a climate of psychological safety resulting in “joint-action” necessary for positive team outcomes. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 301 team members from US firms operating in different industries. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS. Findings The study establishes CCE as an antecedent to psychological safety and demonstrates that psychological safety mediates the relationship between CCE and team effectiveness. Research limitations/implications This is one of the initial studies to show how verbal behaviors socially construct team dynamics in the shape of psychological safety to influence team outcomes. In doing so, the authors advance the theory pertaining to the role of social exchanges in team processes and outcomes. Practical implications The results provide insights on how managers can improve team outcomes by influencing the conversational environment of the team to elicit feelings of psychological safety. The results also suggest that managers must focus on relational outcomes as well, along with performance outcomes. Originality/value From a social constructionist perspective, team development is built upon the verbal behaviors of the members as they pursue tasks. However, the extant group dynamics literature undervalues conversations’ role in team processes and outcomes. This is the first study that examines the link between a team's conversational environment, psychological safety and team outcomes.

An investigation of verbal episodes that relate to individual and team performance in engineering student teams

BackgroundBeing an effective team member is one of the key twenty-first century skills and a fundamental proficiency required for jobs and work settings in an increasingly global economy. Collaborative problem-solving in team settings is a critical practice in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields as an effective teaching method that is found to promote outcomes associated with individual student learning and the quality of team solutions. However, the social and discursive dynamics of a team can impact these outcomes. The primary goal of this study was to examine the different types of verbal episodes (questions, conflict, and reasoning episodes) in engineering student teams and how these verbal interactions related to the individual and team performances.ResultsOur results showed that different verbal episodes played a significant role on students’ individual success and team performance. Students spent most of their time on question episodes, followed by reasoning episodes, and less frequently so on conflict episodes. The linear combination of question, conflict, and reasoning episodes was significantly related to students’ individual achievement scores. Specifically, the number of question episodes was the best predictor of individual performance. And among six subcategories of question episodes, three (open question, verification answer, and elaborated answer) were significantly correlated with the individual achievement scores. Furthermore, according to the regression model, elaborated answer category was significantly related to individual achievement compared to all other categories. In terms of team performance, results showed that reasoning episodes were significantly related to team performance, and the calculation subcategory of reasoning episodes was the best predictor of team performance. Finally, we found that the teams with more balanced participation among team members performed significantly better than the teams with unequal participation among team members.ConclusionsThese results suggest different verbal episodes are related to individual and team outcomes. Discourse in teams is critical not only for the improvement of academic achievement for individuals but also for the development of better team solutions. Moreover, balanced participation from all team members is important, suggesting teams should be formed, monitored, and supported to ensure balanced participation. Our results recommend that educators should monitor team interactions and promote verbal exchanges that promote student learning and positive team outcomes.

Bouncing Back from Setbacks: On the Mediating Role of Team Resilience in the Relationship Between Transformational Leadership and Team Effectiveness

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to clarify the role of team resilience on different facets of effectiveness (team viability and quality of the group experience). Moreover, given the importance of team resilience for the organizational context, it was also our aim to contribute to the study of the conditions that promote team resilience, analyzing the role of transformational leadership. Finally, we examined whether the relationship between transformational leadership and team resilience stimulates positive team outcomes. Ninety teams (445 employees from 40 companies) were surveyed and path analysis was used in the test of the hypotheses. The results showed a positive direct effect of team resilience on both team viability and the quality of the group experience. Moreover, a positive relationship was also identified between transformational leadership and team resilience. Finally, support was found for the mediated effect of team resilience on the relationship between transformational leadership and the dimensions of team effectiveness considered. The findings of this study highlight the role of team resilience as an intervening process between transformational leadership and team effectiveness. Supervisors should promote team resilience, adopting transformational leadership behaviors, in order to contribute to increase team viability and the quality of the group experience.

Construct Development and Validation in Game-Based Research

Problem. Teams or groups of individuals working together to achieve a shared goal, make up today’s world of work. Although the literature is rife with issues concerning teams, there is no coherent structure to guide researchers wishing to gain a deeper understanding into those factors leading to positive team outcomes. Question. This is due in part to two factors; one being the methods (e.g., observation; self report) typically employed to study teams often do not apply rigorous standards for reliability and validity. The second is it is difficult to construct data gathering situations that realistically approach the context in which teams operate. Approach. Addressing the first issue, we present a framework for the type of data that should be gathered to reliably and validly evaluate team performance. We believe the second issue is best addressed through the application of serious games, where realistic scenarios are delivered representing problems similar to those faced by teams in the real world. Finally, we describe a study whereby we demonstrate the approach utilizing a serious game to gather the data, which is then analyzed to assess the reliability and validity of the measures. Conclusion. With reliability and validity being established, a latent change score model is presented to illustrate how rich models of team interaction can be stated, investigated, and statistically assessed; since the serious game ensures the quality of the team interaction and the superior quality of the data.

Job-related antecedents of team resilience and improved team performance

Purpose– It is increasingly important for organizations to respond effectively and promote positive outcomes under adverse and unstable conditions. Resilience is salient because reflects the dynamic process that enables successful results under stressful conditions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential role of team resilience as the psychological mechanism that explains how job demands and job social resources are related to and enhance team performance.Design/methodology/approach– Self-reported questionnaires were distributed to 1,633 employees, nested in 275 teams from 52 Spanish small and medium enterprises. Aggregated scores were employed for a team-level structural equation modeling analysis.Findings– Results support a partial mediation model in which job social resources affect team resilience, and in turn impact team performance. No significant effects were found for job demands affecting team resilience. However, the demands×resources interaction influences team resilience, and thus the impact of resources on team resilience was attenuated by demands. In the same way, the demands×resources interaction influences team performance.Research limitations/implications– Job social resources are related to team performance, but team resilience is a significant mediator. Further research should investigate the effects of different job demands on team resilience.Practical implications– The results suggest that managers should focus on developing job social resources to augment team resilience and team performance.Originality/value– Managers could benefit from understanding how team resilience could be developed, given that team resilience aids to achieve positive team outcomes.

Collectivistic leadership and George C. Marshall: A historiometric analysis of career events

Many of the prevailing approaches to understanding leadership assume that leadership operates as an individual-level phenomenon, in which one person takes on the role of a leader. However, a number of recently developed leadership models now describe leadership as a shared process. These collectivistic theories present leadership as a dynamic process in which a leader may selectively utilize the skills of followers and distribute elements of the leadership role among these followers as the situation demands. In this study, we conduct an investigation into the viability of core elements of the collectivistic theories through a historiometric analysis of events from the career of a notable leader, George C. Marshall. One hundred and two events from Marshall's career were identified from historical biographies and were then content coded and analyzed with regard to the components of a collectivistic leadership model. The results of this historiometric analysis indicated that there are key antecedents to collectivistic leadership and that the use of this form of leadership can result in positive team outcomes.

The possession game? A comparative analysis of ball retention and team success in European and international football, 2007–2010

Possession is thought of as central to success in modern football, but questions remain about its impact on positive team outcomes (Bate, 1988; Hughes & Franks, 2005; Pollard & Reep, 1997; Stanhope, 2001). Recent studies (e.g. Bloomfield, Polman, & O'Donoghue, 2005; Carling, Williams, & Reilly, 2005; James, Mellallieu, & Holley, 2002; Jones, James, & Mellalieu, 2004; Lago, 2009; Lago & Martin, 2007; Lago-Peñas & Dellal, 2010; Lago-Peñas, Lago-Ballesteros, Dellal, & Gómez, 2010; Taylor, Mellalieu, & James, 2005; Tucker, Mellalieu, James, & Taylor, 2005) that have examined these questions have often been constrained by an exclusive focus on English or Spanish domestic play. Using data from five European leagues, UEFA and FIFA tournaments, the study found that while possession time and passing predicted aggregated team success in domestic league play, both variables were poor predictors at the individual match level once team quality and home advantage were accounted for. In league play, the effect of greater possession was consistently negative; in the Champions League, it had virtually no impact. In national team tournaments, possession failed to reach significance when offensive factors were accounted for. Much of the success behind the ‘possession game’ was thus a function of elite teams confined in geographic and competitive space. That ball hegemony was not consistently tied to success suggests that a nuanced approach to possession is needed to account for variant strategic environments (e.g. James et al., 2002) and compels match analysts to re-examine the metric's overall value.

The paradox of power sharing: Participative charismatic leaders have subordinates with more instead of less need for leadership

Although charismatic and participative leaders have been noted for their positive effects on criteria such as performance, job satisfaction, and commitment, few studies have looked at the relations with subordinates' leadership needs. In this study, the relations between charismatic and participative leadership, team outcomes, and a team's need for leadership were investigated. The sample consisted of South Pacific CEOs and their top-level management teams from Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands. Results showed that charismatic leadership was related to both group-level need for leadership and positive team outcomes. However, team outcomes did not mediate the relations between leadership and a team's need for leadership. Additionally, a moderator effect was found between participative leadership and charismatic leadership in explaining a team's need for leadership, implying that teams of subordinates with participative charismatic leaders need more instead of less leadership from their CEOs.

Investigating the relationship between leader behaviours and group cohesion within women's walking groups

Early research has shown that leadership behaviour is viewed as a crucial factor in successfully developing team cohesion, effectively resulting in greater team satisfaction and more positive team outcomes. However, little is understood if these same factors have an impact on physical activity groups. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between leader behaviours and group cohesiveness within women's physical activity groups. Design: Participants ( N = 95) included a sub-sample of adult women who were previously involved in a women's physical activity/walking program. Methods: Participants assessed their groups’ leader behaviour using items pertaining to enthusiasm, motivation, instruction and availability, and their groups’ cohesiveness using the Physical Activity Group Environment Questionnaire (PAGEQ). Canonical correlation analysis was used to determine the strength of association between the four concepts of group cohesion (ATG-T, ATG-S, GI-T and GI-S) and the four items pertaining to leadership behaviour. Results: A significant multivariate relationship was revealed between group cohesion and leadership behaviour, Wilks’ lambda = 0.43, F(16,170) = 5.16, p < 0.001. The canonical correlation for this function was R C = 0.74, indicating a strong relationship. Simply stated, group leaders who were perceived as being highly enthusiastic, have the ability to motivate, are able to provide personal instruction and who are available outside of the group's regular activities were associated with higher levels of group cohesion. Conclusions: Although a cause–effect relationship cannot be determined, the current study can serve as a valuable template in guiding future research in examining potential mechanisms that may assist with physical activity sustainability.

Work Group Effort and Rewards: The Roles of Organizational and Social Power as Context

Self-managing teams have a history of mixed effects for the employees involved. Organizational contexts reflecting different constellations of power may be useful for understanding these different outcomes. We theorize two different organizational mandates (management-initiated versus craft) and three social contexts (union presence, abusive management, and minority concentration) that may be consequential for work group outcomes. Content analysis of the population of workplace ethnographies (N = 204) provides data with a combination of organizational variability and rich in-depth descriptions of work group outcomes useful for evaluating these expectations. Union environments are found to be essential for the most positive team outcomes. Minority concentrated work groups benefit especially from the craft organization of work. And management abuse dramatically undercuts any positive consequences of management-initiated teams for employees. We conclude with a discussion of the centrality of power for understanding work group outcomes, an insight useful for resolving ongoing debates in the field about the conditions that underwrite success or failure of team arrangements.