scholarly journals Team Composition Revisited: A Team Member Attribute Alignment Approach

2021 ◽  
pp. 109442812110423
Author(s):  
Kyle J. Emich ◽  
Li Lu ◽  
Amanda Ferguson ◽  
Randall S. Peterson ◽  
Michael McCourt
Keyword(s):  
Research Methods ◽  
Team Member ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Team Composition ◽  
Composition Theory ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Team Research ◽  
Vector Angle ◽  
Multiple Attributes ◽  
Person Centered Approach

Research methods for studying team composition tend to employ either a variable-centered or person-centered approach. The variable-centered approach allows scholars to consider how patterns of attributes between team members influence teams, while the person-centered approach allows scholars to consider how variation in multiple attributes within team members influences subgroup formation and its effects. Team composition theory, however, is becoming increasingly sophisticated, assuming variation on multiple attributes both within and between team members—for example, in predicting how a team functions differently when its most assertive members are also optimistic rather than pessimistic. To support this new theory, we propose an attribute alignment approach, which complements the variable-centered and person-centered approaches by modeling teams as matrices of their members and their members’ attributes. We first demonstrate how to calculate attribute alignment by determining the vector norm and vector angle between team members’ attributes. Then, we demonstrate how the alignment of team member personality attributes (neuroticism and agreeableness) affects team relationship conflict. Finally, we discuss the potential of using the attribute alignment approach to enrich broader team research.

scholarly journals Team Design Characteristics

Management ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg L. Stewart ◽  
Kameron M. Carter ◽  
Thomas H. Ptashnik
Keyword(s):  
Team Member ◽  
Methodological Issue ◽  
Design Feature ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Team Composition ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Team Task ◽  
Design Characteristics ◽  
Team Design ◽  
The Impact

Teams are a basic building block of organizations. Over the past twenty-five years, a great deal of research has focused on what can be done to improve team effectiveness. Team design characteristics represent inputs that can be manipulated by organizational leaders and can be grouped into three broad classifications: Team Composition, Team Task Design Characteristics, and Team Leadership. The first team design characteristic—composition—focuses on the attributes of individuals who are team members and is generally captured either as the average standing on a particular trait such as mental ability or as a pattern of a characteristic such as the variability in team member conscientiousness. Teams composed of members with desirable traits generally outperform teams composed of members who do not possess desirable individual characteristics. Members with negative individual characteristics harm cooperation and are often rejected by teammates. The impact of some team members—frequently labeled the strategic core—is, however, greater than the impact of others. Team Member Diversity of individual characteristics also corresponds with team processes and outcomes, although the effect is positive in some instances and negative in others. A particularly difficult methodological issue associated with team composition research concerns missing data that occurs when some team members fail to complete survey measures. The second team design feature—team task characteristics—arises from the work itself and how the team accomplishes its prescribed tasks. Some teams have a high level of collective autonomy whereas others work under strict hierarchical control. Teams vary in interdependence with some operating such that members work together very closely and others allowing members to work primarily as individuals. Differences in reward structure also vary from teams that are rewarded collectively to teams with individual-based rewards that result in some members being rewarded more than others. Moreover, an increasingly important task feature of teams is the degree of virtuality, with some teams interacting primarily face-to-face and others interacting mostly through electronic means. The third team design feature is leadership. Teams are facilitated by Empowering Leadership that encourages the team to collectively lead itself, by Shared Leadership that exists when leadership functions are dispersed throughout the team, and by Transformational Leadership that provides teams with a vision that transcends individual interests.

Creativity in Asynchronous Virtual Teams

2008 ◽  
pp. 1111-1133
Author(s):  
Rosalie J. Ocker
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Electronic Communication ◽  
Team Member ◽  
Synchronous Communication ◽  
Team Composition ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Team Interaction ◽  
Face To Face

Three related experiments, involving nearly 100 teams and 400 graduate students, found that virtual teams communicating strictly asynchronously produced significantly more creative results than did teams that engaged in some amount of synchronous communication (i.e., face-to-face or synchronous electronic communication). Using these experiments, four studies are conducted to explore creativity in the asynchronous virtual teams—each from a different aspect. Study one investigates individual team member personality, study two investigates team composition, while studies three and four investigate facets of team interaction. This chapter presents key findings from each study and synthesizes results across them. The analysis highlights the importance of team members, in terms of personality, as well as the composition of teams, in influencing interaction and the resultant creativity on a team level.

Team Member Subjective Communication in Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Teams

2018 ◽  
Vol 93 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus C. Arnold ◽  
R. Lynn Hannan ◽  
Ivo D. Tafkov
Keyword(s):  
Team Performance ◽  
Team Member ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Team Composition ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Behavioral Theories ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Heterogeneous Teams

ABSTRACT This study investigates whether subjective communication from team members to a manager responsible for allocating performance-based bonuses increases team performance and whether the efficacy of such communication is reduced in heterogeneous teams. We draw on both economic and behavioral theories to predict that communication content, even though subjective, provides information that enables the manager to allocate bonuses so as to enhance the relation between individuals' contributions and rewards, thereby increasing individuals' effort and team performance. However, we also predict that the positive effect of team member subjective communication is more muted when team members' abilities are heterogeneous compared to homogeneous. We test these predictions via an experiment. Consistent with our predictions, team member subjective communication has a positive effect on team performance, and the positive effect is more muted for heterogeneous teams. Results of our study contribute to both theory and practice by enhancing our understanding of the role of subjective communication from team members to team managers in motivating effort in teams and, particularly, how its efficacy is affected by team composition. Data Availability: Data are available from the authors upon request.

Creativity in Asynchronous Virtual Teams

2011 ◽  
pp. 26-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalie J. Ocker
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Electronic Communication ◽  
Team Member ◽  
Synchronous Communication ◽  
Team Composition ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Team Interaction ◽  
Face To Face

Three related experiments, involving nearly 100 teams and 400 graduate students, found that virtual teams communicating strictly asynchronously produced significantly more creative results than did teams that engaged in some amount of synchronous communication (i.e., face-to-face or synchronous electronic communication). Using these experiments, four studies are conducted to explore creativity in the asynchronous virtual teams—each from a different aspect. Study one investigates individual team member personality, study two investigates team composition, while studies three and four investigate facets of team interaction. This chapter presents key findings from each study and synthesizes results across them. The analysis highlights the importance of team members, in terms of personality, as well as the composition of teams, in influencing interaction and the resultant creativity on a team level.

scholarly journals The Effects of Extra-Team Goal Disclosure on Team Performance, Viability, and Satisfaction

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Sackett ◽  
Gráinne M. Fitzsimons
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiment ◽  
Team Performance ◽  
Team Member ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Team Outcomes ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Team Research ◽  
Team Satisfaction ◽  
Team Viability ◽  
Different Types

In addition to the team’s shared goals, team members also often hold goals unrelated to the team. Research about such goals, which we call “extra-team goals” (ETGs), has been limited. In the current research, we examine how awareness of a team member’s ETGs affects team outcomes. A laboratory experiment examines the effects of disclosure of different types of ETGs by one team member (target) on team performance, team viability, and team satisfaction while engaging in a brainstorming task. Our findings suggest that there are significant positive effects of ETG disclosure on team performance, team viability, and team satisfaction, and that these effects are mediated by perceptions of the target’s commitment to the team’s goal.

scholarly journals Team Composition

Management ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne T. Bell ◽  
Melissa M. Vazquez
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Team Performance ◽  
Team Effectiveness ◽  
Team Member ◽  
Deep Level ◽  
Team Composition ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Surface Level ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Behavior And Cognition

Team composition, or the configuration of team member attributes, is a key enabling condition for effective teamwork. A well-composed team has the required complement of knowledge and skills, while also considering how the individual differences of team members, such as personality traits, values, and demographics, combine to shape teamwork and, ultimately, team performance. Theories from social, personality, and organizational psychology are used to explain how team composition influences the attitudes, behaviors, and thinking of teams and their members. Team member attributes can range from malleable characteristics, such as knowledge and expertise, to relatively enduring differences between team members, such as demographic variables (e.g., race) or personality traits; attributes are often referred to as knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs). A distinction is often made between surface-level and deep-level composition variables. Surface-level variables are readily detectable characteristics (e.g., race) or easily accessible information (e.g., professional background) that can shape perceptions prior to interaction as well as affect, behavior, and cognition as team members interact. Deep-level variables are underlying, psychological differences between team members, such as personality traits, that shape affect, behavior, and cognition as team members interact. In general, deep-level composition variables have a stronger and longer lasting influence on teamwork and performance than surface-level variables. In team composition research, the unit-level configuration is of interest. Different models and operationalizations are used to capture how characteristics of team members combine to shape teamwork and performance. They range from simple operationalizations, such as the team mean on a specific trait (e.g., team mean conscientiousness), to complex diversity operationalizations that consider the alignment of multiple attributes (i.e., faultline strength). The goal of team composition research is to identify the KSAOs and configurations that shape teamwork and team performance, and then use this information in the management of teams. Teams can be composed ahead of time to maximize team effectiveness; members can be selected to have optimal fit with other team members and the team task. Team composition information can also be used to inform how to best manage a team over time; for example, how to reward the team. High-level information on team composition can be found in books on team effectiveness, with more comprehensive reviews in annual reviews and book chapters. Cutting-edge team composition theories and research are published in peer-reviewed academic journals, with secondary coverage in news outlets, trade journals, and magazines.

Attitudes of Interdisciplinary Team Members Toward Speech-Language Services in Public Schools

1986 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 230-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lou Tomes ◽  
Dixie D. Sanger
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
School Psychologists ◽  
Elementary School Principals ◽  
Team Member ◽  
Interdisciplinary Team ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Language Programs ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
State Area

A survey study examined the attitudes of interdisciplinary team members toward public school speech-language programs. Perceptions of clinicians' communication skills and of the clarity of team member roles were also explored. Relationships between educators' attitudes toward our services and various variables relating to professional interactions were investigated. A 64-item questionnaire was completed by 346 randomly selected respondents from a two-state area. Classroom teachers of grades kindergarten through 3, teachers of grades 4 through 6, elementary school principals, school psychologists, and learning disabilities teachers comprised five professional categories which were sampled randomly. Analysis of the results revealed that educators generally had positive attitudes toward our services; however, there was some confusion regarding team member roles and clinicians' ability to provide management suggestions. Implications for school clinicians were discussed.

Development of a German-Language Questionnaire to Measure Collective Orientation as an Individual Attitude

2017 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 91-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Hagemann
Keyword(s):  
Team Performance ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
German Language ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Collective Orientation ◽  
Team Research ◽  
German Speaking ◽  
Individual Variables ◽  
The Individual

Abstract. The individual attitudes of every single team member are important for team performance. Studies show that each team member’s collective orientation – that is, propensity to work in a collective manner in team settings – enhances the team’s interdependent teamwork. In the German-speaking countries, there was previously no instrument to measure collective orientation. So, I developed and validated a German-language instrument to measure collective orientation. In three studies (N = 1028), I tested the validity of the instrument in terms of its internal structure and relationships with other variables. The results confirm the reliability and validity of the instrument. The instrument also predicts team performance in terms of interdependent teamwork. I discuss differences in established individual variables in team research and the role of collective orientation in teams. In future research, the instrument can be applied to diagnose teamwork deficiencies and evaluate interventions for developing team members’ collective orientation.

Team Research Methods for Studying lntranasal Heroin Use and Its HIV Risks

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence J. Ouellet ◽  
◽  
W. Wayne Wiebel ◽  
Antonio D. Jimenez
Keyword(s):  
Research Methods ◽  
Heroin Use ◽  
Hiv Risks ◽  
Team Research

The Contingent Effect of Team Composition on the Performance of Entrepreneurial Teams

2019 ◽  
pp. 654-680
Author(s):  
Serghei Musaji ◽  
Julio De Castro
Keyword(s):  
Future Research ◽  
Team Composition ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Team Diversity ◽  
Entrepreneurial Teams ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Fertile Ground ◽  
Active Debate ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship

Despite the continuous interest in studying entrepreneurial teams, the relationship between team composition and, particularly, team diversity and performance remains fertile ground for active debate. Taking roots in the knowledge-based view and organizational learning literatures, this chapter argues that performance in entrepreneurial teams is contingent on (a) the overlap between team members’ knowledge/competences and the content of the performed tasks, (b) the duplication of the team members’ knowledge in the areas with that content, (c) the nature of tasks (exploration or exploitation), (d) the team’s flexibility to adapt to changes in the content and nature of those tasks, and (e) the rate of environmental change. Because an important source of ambiguity in the understanding of how team diversity and performance are linked ties to issues of how team diversity is conceptualized and operationalized, the chapter also proposes a new way of looking at diversity in future research.

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