Small Group Research recent issues

Realities of Working in Virtual Teams: Affective and Attitudinal Outcomes of Using Computer-Mediated Communication

Johnson, S. K., Bettenhausen, K., Gibbons, E. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:42:10 PST

Many organizations are using computer-mediated communication to facilitate group work among virtual teams. However, little is known about the effects of using computer-mediated communication on team member outcomes. Examining use of computer-mediated communication as a continuum, the authors found that team members who used computer-mediated communication more often experienced lower levels of positive affect while working with their teams and had lower levels of affective commitment to their teams. Positive affect mediated the relationship between use of computer-mediated communication and affective commitment. Moreover, this study identified a tipping point (using computer-mediated communication more than 90% of the time) at which the use of computer-mediated communication was particularly detrimental to team outcomes.

Deep-Level Similarity and Group Social Capital: Associations With Team Functioning

van Emmerik, I. H., Brenninkmeijer, V. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:42:10 PST

This study examines the associations of deep-level and surface-level similarity with team functioning (i.e., team effectiveness, team in-role performance, and team satisfaction). Hypotheses were tested using data from 420 teachers in 57 teams in secondary education. These teams were tightly integrated units in which teachers from different functional areas had to work together. From the results of multilevel analyses, it appeared that especially deep-level similarity was important for team functioning. Cross-level interactions showed a moderating effect of group social capital on the association of deep-level similarity with team functioning, but there was no such relationship found for surface-level similarity. Especially in teams with high group social capital, deep-level similarity was associated with improved team functioning.

Personal Values and Performance in Teams: An Individual and Team-Level Analysis

Glew, D. J. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:42:10 PST

Two studies involving 107 undergraduate and 54 MBA teams were conducted to examine the effects of personal values on the performance of individual team members and on the performance of the team as a whole. Values with clear relevance to teams and to work were selected for the studies. To capture the relative importance of these values, they were measured within the context of a broader set of personal values. At the individual level, the importance students ascribed a sense of accomplishment had a significant, but unexpected negative, relationship with individual peer-evaluated performance. Students’ prior performance outside their teams had a stronger positive relationship with in-team performance than did their personal values. At the team level, the average importance team members assigned the value of equality had a positive relationship with team performance.The average level of students’ prior performance was also related to team performance, but the average importance given to the value equality was a stronger predictor of this fundamental team outcome. Implications of these results and directions for future research are discussed.

Children's Social Identification With a Friendship Group: A Moderating Effect on Intent to Conform to Norms

Kwon, K., Lease, A. M. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:42:10 PST

This study examined third- through fifth-grade children’s social identification (i.e., positive affects and emotions) with their friendship group as a process by which friendship group norms might affect children’s behaviors. A confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional model of social identification. Reciprocated friendship group nomination was positively associated with social identification; fifth graders reported a higher level of social identification than third graders. Sex and perceived popularity were not related to social identification. The authors hypothesized that the effect of friendship group norms on children’s intent to conform to those norms would be greater when they strongly identify with their group. This hypothesis was supported with regard to trend and misbehavior norms but not academic norms.

Athlete Satisfaction and Leadership: Assessing Group-Level Effects

Karreman, E., Dorsch, K., Riemer, H. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:42:11 PST

In a group context (e.g., athletic team), group-level effects may be present in constructs typically measured at the individual level (e.g., athlete satisfaction, leadership behavior). If a group-level effect is present, constructs should be analyzed using the group as the unit of analysis and failure to do so can lead to skewed relationships with other constructs. The purpose of this study is to examine the existence and magnitude of group-level effects when athletes rate athlete satisfaction and leadership behavior. The authors hypothesize: (a) group-level effects emerge when group members rate a shared property of the group, and (b) group-level effects may be present when group members rate an individual-level construct that exist within the context of the group. A total of 212 team athletes (members of 16 interactive athletic teams; mean age 20.1 ± 1.96 years) completed subscales of the Leadership Scale for Sports and the Athlete Satisfaction Questionnaire. Results show large group-level effects for all leadership behavior dimensions and satisfaction dimensions associated with group-level constructs, whereas smaller group-level effects were found for satisfaction dimensions associated with individual-level constructs. The results support the hypotheses that group-level effects can emerge for constructs previously viewed solely as individual-level constructs when measured in a group setting. Recognition of these effects should play a factor in determining the appropriate unit of analysis. Implications for handling groups without a group-level effect, while the majority of groups show an effect, are also discussed.

Call for Papers: INGRoup: Interdisciplinary Network for Group Research

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:42:11 PST

Examining the Influence of Team-Referent Causal Attributions and Team Performance on Collective Efficacy: A Multilevel Analysis

Dithurbide, L., Sullivan, P., Chow, G. — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:30:08 PDT

This study examined the relationship between team-referent attributions, team performance, and collective efficacy beliefs in recreational sport teams. A total of 248 recreational volleyball players from 45 different coed teams participated in the study. Participants completed a subjective performance measure and the Causal Dimension Scale for Teams directly following a match and then completed the Collective Efficacy Questionnaire for Sports prior to their subsequent game. Using hierarchical linear modeling, it was found that both objective and subjective measures of performance positively predicted collective efficacy at the team level. In addition, stability negatively predicted collective efficacy beliefs; however, this relationship was moderated by objective performance.

Transactive Memory in the Classroom

Jackson, M., Moreland, R. L. — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:30:08 PDT

This study investigated the role of transactive memory systems in classroom group performance. Sixty-three groups, containing a total of 209 students, were studied. Participants were required to complete a four-part group project for an undergraduate course on information systems in organizations. Students were surveyed after handing in the second and fourth segments of the project. These surveys provided information about the students’ demographic characteristics, prior coursework and motivation; the levels of familiarity among group members; and the transactive memory systems of the groups. Past research led us to predict that stronger transactive memory systems would be associated with better group performance. This prediction was confirmed: Transactive memory was a good predictor of group performance, even after other possible predictors were taken into account. Transactive memory itself was best predicted by communication among group members.

The Role of Openness to Cognitive Diversity and Group Processes in Knowledge Creation

Mitchell, R., Nicholas, S., Boyle, B. — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:30:08 PDT

This study examines how group member beliefs regarding cognitive differences influence ability to create knowledge. Specifically, this study explores whether the impact of openness to cognitive diversity on knowledge creation is a result of associated collaborative behaviors. To investigate this theory, it is assessed whether the behaviors of debate and decision comprehensiveness mediate the relationship between openness to cognitive diversity and knowledge creation. The results of a survey of 98 workplace teams support the hypotheses that the impact of openness is consequent to the emergence of behavioral patterns that facilitate open and rigorous discussion and contribute to the understanding of the psychosocial and behavioral variables underpinning knowledge creation.

Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Performance: A Meta-Analysis of Group-Level Research

Nielsen, T. M., Hrivnak, G. A., Shaw, M. — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:30:08 PDT

Most of the research on the relationship between organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and performance has been conducted at the individual level. During the past 10 years, however, group-level research on that relationship has begun to appear. This article meta-analytically reviews 38 independent samples (N = 3,097) in which the relationship between OCB and performance was studied at the group level. The analyses in this study suggest a positive overall relationship between OCB and performance ( = .29), as well as the presence of several moderating variables. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed, and some suggestions for future research are offered.

The Development and Empirical Validation of a Multidimensional Measurement Instrument for Team Learning Behaviors

Savelsbergh, C. M. J. H., van der Heijden, B. I. J. M., Poell, R. F. — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:30:08 PDT

The importance of teamwork to organizational success in today’s economy has been emphasized in literature for well over a decade. Effective teamwork can only be sustained, however, if it is supported by a process of team learning. Following Edmondson, the authors regard team learning as a group process comprising several concrete learning behaviors. The aim of this article is to report on the development of a conceptual framework and its operationalization into a measurement instrument for behaviors associated with team learning. A better understanding of these distinctive behaviors and their impact on team performance may help tailor interventions aimed at improving team performance. Based on a survey among 19 operational teams in the Dutch banking sector, the authors validated a multidimensional instrument for team learning behaviors. To prevent common-method bias, they used a multirater approach with two respondent groups, namely, team members and leaders (representing the insiders of the team), on one hand, as well as supervisors (representing the external stakeholders of the team), on the other hand. The data indicated a positive relationship between several team learning behaviors and team performance, and partly confirmed their theoretical model.

Book Review: What if People Talked During Discussion, and What if It Made a Difference?: A Review of John Gastil's The Group in Society

Bonito, J. A. — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:30:08 PDT

SGR Announces Best Article of the Year Award

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:30:08 PDT

Call for Papers

Tschan, F., Marks, M., Weingart, L. — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:30:08 PDT

How Conversations Change Over Time in Face-to-Face and Video-Mediated Communication

van der Kleij, R., Maarten Schraagen, J., Werkhoven, P., De Dreu, C. K. W. — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:16:18 PDT

An experiment was conducted to examine how communication patterns and task performance differ as a function of the group's communication environment and how these processes change over time. In a longitudinal design, three-person groups had to select and argue the correct answer out of a set of three alternatives for ten questions. Compared with face-to-face groups, video-teleconferencing groups took fewer turns, required more time for turns, and interrupted each other less. Listeners appeared to be more polite, waiting for a speaker to finish before making their conversational contribution. Although groups were able to maintain comparable performance scores across communication conditions, initial differences between conditions in communication patterns disappeared over time, indicating that the video-teleconferencing groups adapted to the newness and limitations of their communication environment. Moreover, because of increased experience with the task and the group, groups in both conditions needed less conversation to complete the task at later rounds. Implications are discussed for practice, training, and possibilities for future research.

Cohesion and Performance: A Meta-Analytic Review of Disparities Between Project Teams, Production Teams, and Service Teams

Chiocchio, F., Essiembre, H. — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:16:18 PDT

The management of project teams is evolving from managing technical processes to focusing on psychosocial determinants of performance. This trend puts a strain on project management theory and practice. Past meta-analyses on the cohesion—performance relationship show a positive correlation. However, they integrate effect sizes across different types of teams and settings. To clarify this issue for project teams, this meta-analysis differentiates 33 cohesion—performance correlations depending on whether teams are project, production, or service teams in organizational or academic settings. Results show that types of teams and settings are moderators. Project teams in organizational and academic settings show large effect sizes and differ from other teams. Theoretical considerations point to five interrelated modifiers: task uncertainty, task versus outcome performance, student samples' mental representation of the project outcome, and group heterogeneity.

Can High Group Cohesion Be Harmful?: A Case Study of a Junior Ice-Hockey Team

Rovio, E., Eskola, J., Kozub, S. A., Duda, J. L., Lintunen, T. — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:16:18 PDT

High group cohesion is considered to be beneficial and lead to better performance. This qualitative case study describes a case in which high social cohesion led to a deterioration in a team's performance. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationships between performance in a team sport and social psychological group phenomena such as cohesion, conformity, groupthink, and group polarization. The participants were members of a junior-league ice-hockey team, consisting of three adult coaches and 22 players aged 15 to 16 years. The data were derived from an interview with the main coach, continuous observation by the principal researcher, and a diary based on observations during one ice-hockey season. The Group Environment Questionnaire was used to assess group cohesion quantitatively. The qualitative data were analyzed by identifying themes that illuminated the research problem. In this study, the team did not perform as expected, and their performance deteriorated during the autumn. Social cohesion was high. In addition, the need to evaluate performance declined because of increased pressure to conform. Pressure to conform, groupthink, and group polarization increased owing to the high level of social cohesion which in turn was associated with the deterioration in the group's performance. Based on the findings it appears that high group cohesion may not always be beneficial to the team and does not necessarily lead to better performance in all situations.

The Influence of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Profiles on Team Development Processes: An Empirical Study in the Manufacturing Industry

Kuipers, B. S., Higgs, M. J., Tolkacheva, N. V., de Witte, M. C. — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:16:18 PDT

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is one of the most common personality assessments and a frequently used instrument for team development. However, in relation to team development processes, there is little research and literature on the role of personality in general and the usefulness of MBTI in particular. This article starts with a review of the MBTI and explores the relationship between MBTI profiles and team processes using a sample of 1,630 people working in 156 teams in a Swedish industrial organization. The results show that only a small number of MBTI personality profiles have a significant relationship with team processes. Overall, the composition of teams in terms of MBTI profiles does not seem to predict team development very well. Findings suggest that the MBTI may be used as an instrument for personal development and as a vehicle for group members to gain a better understanding of each other.

The Team Climate Inventory (TCI): A Psychometric Test on a Taiwanese Sample of Work Groups

Tseng, H.-M., Liu, F.-C., West, M. A. — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:16:18 PDT

Understanding the feasibility of applying the Team Climate Inventory (TCI) in non-Western cultures is essential for researchers attempting to understand the influence of culture on workers' perceived climate. This study describes the application of the TCI in such a setting using data from 203 administrators employed in a Taiwanese medical center. Reliability and factor analyses were performed to establish the feasibility and psychometric properties of the TCI Taiwan version. Reliabilities of both the four- and five-factor solutions exceeded .80. Factor analyses indicated a satisfactory four-factor structure, despite some variations in comparison with the U.K. version. The TCI Taiwan version is feasible and has acceptable psychometric properties. Further research is warranted regarding the degree to which disparities result from cultural differences and the specific nature of organizational systems in Chinese communities.

INGRoup: Interdisciplinary Network for Group Research

Tschan, F., Marks, M., Weingart, L. — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:16:18 PDT

Special Issue: Research Presented at the 2008 Conference of the Interdisciplinary Network for Group Research

Coeditor, J. K. — Mon, 04 May 2009 10:41:07 PDT

Explicit Reasoning, Confirmation Bias, and Illusory Transactive Memory: A Simulation Study of Group Medical Decision Making

Mon, 04 May 2009 10:41:07 PDT

Teamwork is important in medicine, and this includes team-based diagnoses. The influence of communication on diagnostic accuracy in an ambiguous situation was investigated in an emergency medical simulation. The situation was ambiguous in that some of the patient's symptoms suggested a wrong diagnosis. Of 20 groups of physicians, 6 diagnosed the patient, 8 diagnosed with help, and 6 missed the diagnosis. Based on models of decision making, we hypothesized that accurate diagnosis is more likely if groups (a) consider more information, (b) display more explicit reasoning, and (c) talk to the room. The latter two hypotheses were supported. Additional analyses revealed that physicians often failed to report pivotal information after reading in the patient chart. This behavior suggested to the group that the chart contained no critical information. Corresponding to a transactive memory process, this process results in what we call illusory transactive memory. The plausible but incorrect diagnosis implied that the two lungs should sound differently. Despite objectively identical sounds, some physicians did hear a difference, indicating confirmation bias. Training physicians in explicit reasoning could enhance diagnostic accuracy.

Unlocking the Influence of Leadership Network Structures on Team Conflict and Viability

Balkundi, P., Barsness, Z., Michael, J. H. — Mon, 04 May 2009 10:41:07 PDT

This article seeks to test whether a leader's position in the team's informal network strengthens or weakens the leader's team. Based on data collected from 231 employees working in 19 teams in a manufacturing organization, the study tested whether two different leader network centralities in teams' advice networks predicted team conflict and viability. Teams with more prestigious formal leaders (i.e., leaders whom a high proportion of subordinates sought out for advice) experienced lower levels of team conflict and had higher levels of team viability. In contrast, teams with leaders who brokered across subordinates within a team's advice network (i.e., leaders who had advice ties with subordinates who did not have advice ties with each other) reported elevated levels of team conflict and lower levels of team viability, even when controlling for the team leader's prestige. Team conflict mediated the effects of the two leader network positions on team viability.

A Conceptual Framework of the Effects of Positive Affect and Affective Relationships on Group Knowledge Networks

Meikuan Huang, — Mon, 04 May 2009 10:41:07 PDT

A theoretical model integrating research in social psychology and group knowledge networks regarding the pervasive influence of affect on group transactive memory systems (TMSs) is presented. The proposed affective transactive memory (ATM) model extending TMS beyond its cognitive tradition provides a promising interdisciplinary theoretical base for future research. The role of positive affect (PA) in the three dimensions of TMS effectiveness—accuracy in expertise recognition, sharedness of knowledge, and member participation—are discussed. Propositions are presented regarding the effects of members' PA and affective relationships on member information retrieval and allocation, which is further explored as four attribute and relational effects in knowledge networks. Ways to further integrate affect into contemporary small group knowledge network theorizing and research are suggested.

INGRoup: Interdisciplinary Network for Group Research

Tschan, F., Marks, M., Weingart, L. — Mon, 04 May 2009 10:41:07 PDT