EXPRESS: Individual- and Group-Level Consequences of Divergence in Perceived Group Affect

2021 ◽  
pp. 001872672110385
Author(s):  
Sophia Soyoung Jeong ◽  
M. Audrey Korsgaard
Keyword(s):  
Positive Affect ◽  
Social Integration ◽  
Field Study ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Group Performance ◽  
Work Groups ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Work Group ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Shared Affect

The shared mood or affect of a work group can exert a powerful influence on the group’s social dynamics and effectiveness. However, the mood of others can be difficult to read, leading to divergent perceptions of group affect among members. What happens when individuals perceive the group’s affect differently? We answer this question by investigating how divergence in perceptions of group affect influences individuals’ social integration and the group’s performance. In doing so, we examine the implications of divergence in perceived group affect for individuals and the group as a whole. In a field study of 1,419 individuals in 107 work groups, we found that divergence in perceptions of the group’s positive affect was negatively associated with individuals’ commitment to the team and undermined the positive impact of group affect on group performance. We discuss the implications of our findings for refining theory on group affect, the value of strongly shared affect, and how leaders can foster a stronger sense of shared affect within groups.

How to make a knowledge-sharing group: a group social capital perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 523-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-Li Wu ◽  
Yi-Chih Lee
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Work Groups ◽  
Work Group ◽  
Task Interdependence ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Group Trust ◽  
Group Social Capital

Purpose – Although the work group is the main context for knowledge exchange and combination in today’s organizations, few knowledge-sharing studies have been conducted at the group level. The purpose of this paper is to apply the concept of group social capital to determine how to promote knowledge sharing at the group level. The authors divided group social capital into two segments, conduits and resources, and argue that different group social capital conduits (i.e. work design in this study) lead to varied resources, which subsequently influence group knowledge sharing. Design/methodology/approach – In this study, group social capital conduits included social interaction and task interdependence, and group social capital resources included group trust and a supportive climate for knowledge sharing. The authors conducted a survey on work groups in the high-tech industry using a sample of 86 work groups. Findings – The results indicated that social interaction in a work group was positively related to group trust and that task interdependence was positively related to group trust and a supportive climate for knowledge sharing. Furthermore, group trust and a supportive climate for knowledge sharing were both found to have an influence on knowledge sharing. Originality/value – Applying the concept of group social capital, this paper is the first research to discuss how group social capital conduits and resources influence knowledge sharing. The results of this study lead us to a better understand the relationship between group social capital and knowledge sharing.

scholarly journals Estimating the potential reduction in future sickness absence from optimizing group-level psychosocial work characteristics: a prospective, multicenter cohort study in German industrial settings

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joachim E Fischer ◽  
Bernd Genser ◽  
Peter Nauroth ◽  
David Litaker ◽  
Daniel Mauss
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Work Groups ◽  
Work Group ◽  
Work Characteristics ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Psychosocial Work ◽  
Psychosocial Characteristics

Abstract Background: Absence from work due to sickness impairs organizational productivity and performance. Even in organizations with perfect work conditions, some inevitable baseline sickness absence exists amongst working populations. The excess sickness absence observed above this baseline rate has become the focus of traditional health promotion efforts, addressing preventable physical illness, health behavior and mental health at the personal level. However, a health and safety approach following the TOP-rule would consider work-group psychosocial work characteristics as a potential risk factor amenable to organizational measures. To date, there is a scarcity of studies relating psychosocial work characteristics to possible reduction of excess sickness-absence rates.Methods: We aimed to estimate the potentially avoidable excess fraction of absence attributable to work-group psychosocial characteristics. We considered work-group averaged perception of psychosocial work characteristics as a proxy to the methodologically elusive objective assessment of organizational characteristics. Participants were recruited from multiple sites of a German automotive manufacturer with individuals nested within work groups. We predicted 12-month follow-up work-group sickness absence rates using data from a baseline comprehensive health examination assessing work characteristics, health behavior, and biomedical risk factors. We considered the quartile of work-groups yielding favorable psychosocial work characteristics as a realistic existing benchmark. Using the population attributable fraction method we estimated the potentially amenable sickness absence from improving work-group psychosocial characteristics. Results: Data from 3992 eligible participants from 29 work groups were analyzed (39 percent participation rate, average age 41.4 years (SD = 10.3 years), 89.9% males and 49% manual workers.). Work-group absence rates at follow up varied from 2.1% to 8.9% (mean 5.1%, 11.7 missed days). A prediction model of seven psychosocial work characteristics at the work group level explained 70 percent of the variance of future absence rates. The estimated reduction from improving psychosocial work characteristics to the benchmark level amounted to 32% of all sickness absence, compared to a 31% reduction from eliminating health behavioral and medical risk factors to the benchmark target. Conclusions: Psychosocial characteristics at the work-group level account for a relevant proportion of all sickness absence. Health promotion interventions should therefore address psychosocial characteristics at the work group level.

The moderating effects of status and trust on the performance of age-diverse work groups

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cara-Lynn Scheuer ◽  
Catherine Loughlin
Keyword(s):  
Group Performance ◽  
Work Groups ◽  
Work Group ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Age Diversity ◽  
The One ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Status Differences ◽  
Work Group Performance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to help organizations capitalize on the potential advantages of age diversity by offering insight into two new moderators in the age diversity, work group performance relationship – status congruity and cognition-based trust.Design/methodology/approachThe authors surveyed 197 employees and 56 supervisors across 59 work groups to test for the moderating effects of status congruity and cognition-based trust on the age diversity, work group performance relationship.FindingsThe results demonstrated, on the one hand, that under conditions of status congruity (i.e. when there were high levels of perceived status legitimacy and veridicality) and/or when perceptions of cognition-based trust were high within the group, the relationship between age diversity and work group performance was positive. On the other hand, under conditions of status incongruity and/or low levels of cognition-based trust, this relationship was negative.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings contribute to the literature by being the first to provide empirical evidence for the theorized effects of status on the performance of age-diverse work groups and also by demonstrating the effects of cognition-based trust in a new context – age-diverse work groups.Practical implicationsArising from the study’s findings are several strategies, which are expected to help organizations enhance perceptions of status congruity and/or trust and ultimately the performance of their age-diverse work groups.Originality/valueThe paper is the first to empirically demonstrate the moderating effects of status congruity and cognition-based trust on the age diversity, work group performance relationship. The study also establishes important distinctions between the effects of objective status differences vs status perceptions.

scholarly journals Estimating the potential reduction in future sickness absence from optimizing group-level psychosocial work characteristics: a prospective, multicenter cohort study in German industrial settings

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joachim E Fischer ◽  
Bernd Genser ◽  
Peter Nauroth ◽  
David Litaker ◽  
Daniel Mauss
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Work Groups ◽  
Work Group ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Work Characteristics ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Psychosocial Work ◽  
Psychosocial Characteristics

Abstract Background Absence from work due to sickness impairs organizational productivity and performance. Even in organizations with perfect work conditions, some inevitable baseline sickness absence exists amongst working populations. The excess sickness absence observed above this baseline rate has become the focus of traditional health promotion efforts, addressing preventable physical illness, health behavior and mental health at the personal level. However, a health and safety approach following the TOP-rule would consider work-group psychosocial work characteristics as a potential risk factor amenable to organizational measures. To date, there is a scarcity of studies relating psychosocial work characteristics to possible reduction of excess sickness-absence rates. MethodsWe aimed to estimate the potentially avoidable excess fraction of absence attributable to work-group psychosocial characteristics. We considered work-group averaged perception of psychosocial work conditions as the best proxy to an “objective” assessment of organizational characteristics. Participants were recruited from multiple sites of a German automotive manufacturer with individuals nested within work groups. We predicted 12-month follow-up work-group sickness absence rates using data from a baseline comprehensive health examination assessing work characteristics, health behavior, and biomedical risk factors. We considered the quartile of work-groups yielding favorable psychosocial work characteristics as a realistic existing benchmark. Using the population attributable fraction method we estimated the potentially amenable sickness absence from improving work-group psychosocial characteristics. Results Data from 3992 eligible participants from 29 work groups were analyzed (39 percent participation rate, average age 41.4 years (SD = 10.3 years), 89.9% males and 49% manual workers.). Work-group absence rates at follow up varied from 2.1% to 8.9% (mean 5.1%, 11.7 missed days). A prediction model of seven psychosocial work characteristics at the work group level explained 70 percent of the variance of future absence rates. The estimated reduction from improving psychosocial work characteristics to the benchmark level amounted to 32% of all sickness absence, compared to a 31% reduction from eliminating health behavioral and medical risk factors to the benchmark target. Conclusions Psychosocial characteristics at the work-group level account for a relevant proportion of all sickness absence. Health promotion interventions should therefore address psychosocial characteristics at the work group level.

Employment arrangements diversity and work group performance

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 310-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sagi Akron ◽  
Ofek Feinblit ◽  
Shlomo Hareli ◽  
Shay S. Tzafrir
Keyword(s):  
Group Performance ◽  
Work Groups ◽  
Work Group ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Actual Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Unique Data ◽  
Work Group Performance

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the relation between diversity in work group members’ employment arrangements and the actual performance of the work groups. Design/methodology/approach A field study was conducted on 31 work groups in a public plant belonging to the industrial sector that constitute a unique data set. The 441 employees are contracted under four significantly different employment arrangements and are mixed together in heterogeneous work groups, but perform similar tasks. Findings The results indicated that the influence of employment arrangement diversity on work group performance is best represented as variation, and work arrangements diversity is positively correlated with improved work group performance. Research limitations The study design prevented assessment of employees’ opinions. Rather, the authors used objective type of employment arrangements as the basis for calculating diversity as separation. Using mean Euclidean distance as suggested by Harrison and Klein (2007), the authors arbitrarily set the distance between two different employment arrangements as one. Practical implications The research results help in the stages of recruiting, structuring and development and application of necessary work team. Formal emphasis of diversity in work arrangements improves performance. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies using unique data set analyzing real-life team diversity and performance in the public sector. The research highly contributes to organizational decision-making processes regarding the importance of incorporating non-standard work arrangements in organizations. Management’s implementation of formal diversity seems to alleviate the negative sides of diversity and increases its positive performance effects.

scholarly journals The Cross-Level Moderation Effect of Resource-Providing Leadership on the Demands—Work Ability Relationship

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 9084
Author(s):  
Anne Richter ◽  
Marta Roczniewska ◽  
Carina Loeb ◽  
Christiane R. Stempel ◽  
Thomas Rigotti
Keyword(s):  
Multilevel Modeling ◽  
Work Ability ◽  
Role Ambiguity ◽  
Work Groups ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Job Demands ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Moderation Effect ◽  
Individual Work ◽  
Emotional Demands

Employees in female-dominated sectors are exposed to high workloads, emotional job demands, and role ambiguity, and often have insufficient resources to deal with these demands. This imbalance causes strain, threatening employees’ work ability. The aim of this study was to examine whether resource-providing leadership at the workplace level buffers against the negative repercussions of these job demands on work ability. Employees (N = 2383) from 290 work groups across three countries (Germany, Finland, and Sweden) in female-dominated sectors were asked to complete questionnaires in this study. Employees rated their immediate supervisor’s resource-providing leadership and also self-reported their work ability, role ambiguity, workload, and emotional demands. Multilevel modeling was performed to predict individual work ability with job demands as employee-level predictors, and leadership as a group-level predictor. Work ability was poor when employees reported high workloads, high role ambiguity, and high emotional demands. Resource-providing leadership at the group level had a positive impact on employees’ work ability. We observed a cross-level interaction between emotional demands and resource-providing leadership. We conclude that resource-providing leadership buffers against the repercussions of emotional demands for the work ability of employees in female-dominated sectors; however, it is not influential in dealing with workload or role ambiguity.

Social Integration, Social Rank, and Processes of Interaction

1959 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 152-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Blau
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Social Integration ◽  
Field Study ◽  
Work Groups ◽  
Social Rank ◽  
Complex Organization

The relationships between patterns of social interaction and informal status observed in a recent field study of whitecollar work groups in a complex organization seem to contradict some conclusions reached in an earlier study. This paper presents an attempt to reconcile these apparently conflicting findings by refining the theoretical conceptions underlying the earlier interpretation.

Authentic Leadership, Collective Efficacy, and Group Performance: An Empirical Study in China

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 921-932 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Bing Xiong ◽  
Ping Fang
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Group Performance ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

Because most researchers have conducted the increasing number of studies on the relationship between authentic leadership and work-related outcomes at an individual level, little is known of the mechanisms by which authentic leadership influences work-related outcomes at the group level. We conducted this empirical study at the group level using data from 301 employees of Chinese companies. Results indicated that each dimension of authentic leadership and authentic leadership as a whole had a significant impact on collective efficacy and group performance. Collective efficacy also had a significant positive impact on group performance, and partially mediated the relationship between authentic leadership and group performance.

Seizing the benefits of age diversity: could empowering leadership be the answer?

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-515
Author(s):  
Cara-Lynn Scheuer ◽  
Catherine Loughlin
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Group Performance ◽  
Work Groups ◽  
Work Group ◽  
Empowering Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Age Diversity ◽  
Indirect Relationship ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeAcknowledging that only examining the main effects of diversity may be limiting, the authors explore integrating van Knippenberg et al.'s (2004) categorization–elaboration model (CEM) of workgroup diversity as a linchpin in the relationship between empowering leadership and performance in age-diverse work groups. While prior research has focused almost exclusively on the impact of transformational leadership in diverse contexts, few studies have found the positive effects of transformational leadership to be diminished in certain age-diverse contexts. Consequently, the authors investigate whether empowering leadership may be a better approach in this context due to its emphasis on accommodating and participative behaviors.Design/methodology/approachUsing survey data gathered from work group members across a wide array of industries (N = 214), the authors test for the moderating effects of empowering leadership on the relationship between age diversity and work group performance and its indirect relationship via information elaboration (while controlling for transformational leadership).FindingsEmpowering leadership positively moderated the direct relationship between age diversity and work group performance and the indirect relationship via information elaboration, whereas transformational leadership had the opposite effect. “Coaching” and “showing concern/interacting with the team” drove the positive effects of empowering leadership, and “personal recognition” and “intellectual stimulation” predicted the negative effects of transformational leadership.Practical implicationsThis research offers insights into how managers can lead age-diverse work groups more effectively (i.e. by utilizing an empowering as opposed to a transformational leadership approach, with a particular emphasis on “coaching” and “showing concern/interacting with the team” behaviors).Originality/valueThe study identifies an “alternative” moderating contingency to the age diversity–performance relationship (empowering leadership).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document