Collectivistic orientation in teams: an individual and group-level analysis

With the increasing use of work teams in U.S. industry, understanding team members' collectivistic orientation toward group goals and activities is critical for developing cooperative and productive teams. Using the research on expectancy theory, self-efficacy, locus of control, and individualism–collectivism, collectivism is examined as both an individual difference variable and a group composition variable. One hundred and forty-eight individuals (comprising 33 groups) working on a complex and interdependent task comprised the research sample. Results indicated that individual difference variables of self-efficacy for teamwork, need for social approval, and positive past experience working in teams were related to self-report collectivism. Additionally, team collectivistic orientation was examined as a group composition variable and found to be related to cooperative team behaviors. In turn, these cooperative team behaviors acted as a mediator of the relationship between team collectivistic orientation and team performance. Results are discussed in terms of theory building and applied research. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Age and work outcomes: The moderating effects of self-efficacy and tool design effectiveness

This field study addressed the relationship between age and work outcomes by investigating the effects of two potential moderators of age–work outcome relations: self-efficacy and perceptions of tool design effectiveness, while controlling for job tenure, job demands, and gender. Findings revealed that job-focused self-efficacy beliefs moderated the relationship between age and absenteeism, while tool design moderated the relationship between age and performance. Self-efficacy and tool design both had direct positive main effects on job satisfaction. Implications for research on age and constructive work force management are discussed.     

When and how personality predicts workplace safety: Evaluating a moderated mediation model

Introduction: Though previous research has linked personality and workplace safety, results have been inconsistent. Aims of the present study were to understand when and how personality factors predict safety performance. Methods: With 492 working adults, a moderated mediation model was tested whereby the relationship between personality and safety behavior was mediated by safety motivation and moderated by situation strength (i.e., safety climate perceptions). Results: Findings indicate that, aside from extraversion, safety motivation mediated all relationships between FFM personality traits and safety behavior. The mediated relationship between conscientiousness and safety motivation was attenuated by safety climate perceptions. However, relationships between all other personality traits and safety motivation, and ultimately safety behavior, remained consistent or, in the case of extraversion, was augmented at higher levels of safety climate perceptions. Conclusion: Results demonstrate an empirical basis for how and when personality translates into safety behavior at work. Additionally, findings provide a theoretical explanation for the mixed results among previous studies of personality’s relationship with safety outcomes. Implications are discussed for employee selection and training practices in safety-intensive industries.     

No person is an island: The effects of group characteristics on individual trait expression

Although most researchers now espouse a person‐by‐situation interactionist approach, there remains much work to be carried out to fully understand how different features of the environment interact with personality to influence behavior. Thus, this study sought to examine the moderating effects of three group‐level constructs on the relationships between two personality traits (conscientiousness and extraversion) and individual performance and counterproductive behaviors. Specifically, using trait activation theory as an organizing framework, we considered the moderating effects of the following: (i) a previously unexamined construct called core group evaluations (CGEs); (ii) group conscientiousness composition; and (iii) group extraversion composition. Data were obtained from a sample of university football players (N = 225–252 from 40 groups). The results indicated that CGEs moderated the relationships between individual conscientiousness and both performance (subjective) and counterproductive behaviors. Group conscientiousness composition also moderated the relationships between individual conscientiousness and both performance (objective and subjective) and counterproductive behaviors. Lastly, group extraversion composition moderated the relationship between individual extraversion and counterproductive behaviors. These findings highlight the importance of considering a team's CGEs, as well as the personality composition of team members when investigating the effects of conscientiousness and extraversion on individual performance and counterproductive behaviors. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Emergent network structure and initial group performance: The moderating role of pre‐existing relationships

Organization restructurings often put groups of employees into new teams and roles, and it is not unusual for some of these new teammates to have pre‐existing work and friendship relationships. While there has been much theorizing on the impact of existing social network structures on group performance, there has been less research on how pre‐existing relationships help or hinder initial group performance, especially in teams with interdependent roles and tasks. We explore several hypotheses in a competitive management simulation involving 42 teams and find that (1) the density of pre‐existing work and friendship relationships are directly associated with higher initial group performance, and (2) pre‐existing work network density moderates the relationship between emergent work network density and initial group performance. In other words, the degree to which emergent work ties are based on pre‐existing work relationships (i.e., former co‐workers actually work together in their new roles) also contributes to higher initial group productivity. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Personality and teamwork behavior in context: The cross‐level moderating role of collective efficacy

This research examines whether the relationship between an individual's personality and their behavior within a team is contingent on the team's overall perception of its capability. Individuals were peer‐rated on the extent to which they displayed interpersonal and performance management teamwork behaviors over the course of an 8 week business simulation. The personality trait of agreeableness predicted interpersonal teamwork behavior, while the personality traits of conscientiousness and core self‐evaluation (CSE) predicted performance management behavior. Multilevel analysis showed that collective efficacy influenced the extent to which an individual engaged in both types of behavior, and was also a cross‐level moderator of the relationship between agreeableness and interpersonal behavior and the relationship between CSE and performance management behavior. At the team level, interpersonal behavior mediated between collective efficacy and team performance. The study's results show that in team settings the personality and individual behavior relationship may depend on group level confidence perceptions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An assessment of health and safety management within working groups in the UK manufacturing sector

Problem: In response to the demands of competitiveness, there has been a proliferation of management delayering in order to move responsibility to those people carrying out the operations and to focus on working as a team. Teams can be managed in different ways: using supervisors, team leaders, or self-managed. The management of health and safety and other business risks is dependent on the way in which the team is managed. Method: This study has assessed, through the use of semistructured interviews, how UK manufacturing companies have addressed a range of health and safety management issues (i.e., the setting, communication, and measurement of company objectives, employee participation and empowerment, and risk assessment) in relation to different styles of group working (i.e., supervised groups, groups with team leaders, and self-managed groups). Discussion: Although the differences are not always significant, it is noticeable that within organizations using supervised work environments, there is a lack of communication of specific health and safety information, little involvement and participation in safety activities, and a greater reliance on the safety function. However, in organizations using team leaders and self-managed groups, there is evidence of greater management involvement, more open communication, and greater employee involvement in health and safety, although empowerment in its true sense was still limited in these organizations. Impact on industry: The results obtained illustrate the impact of different working groups on the management of health and safety in the UK manufacturing sector.     

The effects of job complexity and autonomy on cohesiveness in collectivistic and individualistic work groups: a cross‐cultural analysis

Increased job complexity and autonomy have often been associated with improved performance in work groups. This study examines the mediating effect of group cohesiveness. The moderating effects of individualism/collectivism on the relationship between job characteristics (both complexity and autonomy) and cohesiveness are also tested. The sample consists of 381 teams drawn from the Hong Kong and U.S. branches of an international bank. The findings indicate that an increase in job complexity and/or task autonomy will increase group cohesiveness, which subsequently translates to better performance. The positive effects of job complexity and autonomy on group cohesiveness are also found to be more prominent for individualistic rather than collectivistic work groups. The theoretical implications of the results and the limitations of the study are also discussed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of self-esteem and gender on goal choice

The relationship between enduring or personality characteristics and goal choice has been of considerable theoretical, but little empirical interest in recent years. From an expectancy value perspective, we addressed the impact of self-esteem and gender on choice of goal difficulty level. As predicted, esteem and gender made significant contributions to the prediction of goal choice. The implications of these findings for future research in organizational settings, goal setting theory, and the relationship between goals and tasks are discussed.     

Retracted: Authentically leading groups: The mediating role of collective psychological capital and trust

Although there have been recent theoretical advances in what is increasingly being recognized as authentic leadership, research testing possible mediating processes and the impact on group‐level outcomes has not received attention. To help address this need, this study examined at the group level of analysis the role that collective psychological capital and trust may play in the relationship between authentic leadership and work groups' desired outcomes. Utilizing 146 intact groups from a large financial institution, the results indicated a significant relationship between both their collective psychological capital and trust with their group‐level performance and citizenship behavior. These two variables were also found to mediate the relationship between authentic leadership and the desired group outcomes, even when controlling for transformational leadership. Implications for future research and practice conclude the paper. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Group-level organizational citizenship behavior: Effects of demographic faultlines and conflict in small work groups

Organizational scholars have recently shifted their attention to examining organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) as a group-level phenomenon. Adopting the input-mediator-outcome model of group performance, we examined antecedents and intermediate processes that predict group-level OCB (GOCB) in small work groups. The results, based on data from 62 work groups representing a variety of industries, revealed that demographic faultlines based on relation-oriented attributes (gender, age, and race) and a task-related attribute (tenure) had differentiated relationships with task and relationship conflict, which mediated the relationships between faultlines and group outcomes (GOCB and group performance). Both task and relationship conflict were negative predictors of group performance. However, task conflict increased GOCB, whereas relationship conflict decreased it. The present study offers evidence of the relationship between demographic faultlines and various group processes and outcome variables in natural work groups. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Factors that influence the use of safe patient transfer technique in home care service

The aim of this pilot study was to explore whether home care service personnel used knowledge and skills in transfer technique in their daily work; knowledge and skills gained by participating in training programmes, and to identify factors that may hinder and support their use. Focus group interviews were held with 2 home care service groups in 2 Swedish towns. Individual interviews were conducted with the personnel's managers, unit leaders and safety representatives. Qualitative content analysis was used. The findings revealed that the personnel tried to use their knowledge and skills. However, there were both hindering and supporting factors for the use of safe work technique. The findings indicate that training programmes in transfer technique should not be implemented as isolated actions without considering the physical environment, the wishes of persons receiving care and their relatives, the work organisation, the safety culture and the role of managers.     

Exploring work unit context and leader–member exchange: a multi‐level perspective

Leader–member exchange relationships have rarely been explored within the context of the work unit. Employing a sample of 285 employees of a southeastern county library system, the work unit contextual factors of work group size, work group cohesiveness, organizational climate, and leader power were examined for their relationship with LMX from the subordinate's perspective, using a within and between analysis (WABA) approach. All of the contextual variables except size were significantly related to LMX. The WABA and r_WG analyses revealed that effects occurred at both within‐ and between‐group levels, indicating individual difference effects. Thus, practitioners should emphasize enhancements to group and organizational processes as well as contributions toward relationship building in LMX dyads. Future research should expand the network of contextual variables that may have potential relevance with LMX, since this study demonstrated that the work context in which the dyad resides contributes in part to the LMX phenomenon. Additional study of the work unit size and LMX relationship is also warranted, as the current research failed to replicate previous research with a predicted negative relationship. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Moderating effects of self-efficacy for the relationship between training method and anxiety and stress reactions of newcomers

The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effect of self-efficacy for the relationship between training method and newcomers' anxiety and stress reactions. The two methods of training examined were formal orientation and training and tutorial training. A sample of 198 newly-hired entry-level accountants completed a questionnaire following their first few weeks of entry. The results indicated that self-efficacy was negatively related to anxiety but not stress. However, a positive relationship between anxiety and stress suggested that self-efficacy was indirectly related to stress through its relationship with anxiety. Further, self-efficacy was found to moderate the relationship between training method and anxiety. Formal orientation and training was related to lower anxiety for newcomers with low technical self-efficacy. The opposite result was found for tutorial training. Tutorial training was related to higher anxiety for newcomers with low academic self-efficacy. The relationship between training and anxiety did not vary by training method for newcomers with high self-efficacy. The research and practical implications of a self-efficacy theory framework are discussed for the training, socialization, and adjustment of newcomers.     

Cognitive and motivational effects of participation: A mediator study

Previous experimental studies of participation have typically examined its motivational (especially commitment) benefits. These studies showed that these benefits are neither large nor consistent. The present study focused on the cognitive benefits of participation in decision making (pdm) and on the role of a different motivational mediator, self-efficacy. Unlike previous research which claimed to study the cognitive (informational) effects of participation, the present experiment: (a) allowed the information concerning task strategies to emerge from group discussion rather than being manipulated by the experimenter; (b) measured the actual strategies that were developed and used by subjects in the pdm condition; and (c) measured self-efficacy which was associated with the discovery and use of these strategies. It was found that the strategies developed by the subjects and their self-efficacy completely mediated the effect of participation on performance. Further, participation in setting goals, consistent with previous studies, did not affect performance but did affect self-efficacy.     

The contribution of burnout to work performance

While the notion that ‘burnout’ is related to a decline in work performance is widely recognized, empirical support for this relationship is lacking. The present study, composed of human services personnel, is the first to empirically test the relationships among Maslach's three dimensions of burnout and work performance. A negative relationship was established between one dimension of burnout, emotional exhaustion, and subsequent work performance. However, the results failed to establish relationships among work performance, depersonalization and diminished personal accomplishment. These results provide further support for emotional exhaustion as a key component of the burnout experience. Future directions and implications of these findings are introduced. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effects of attitude,subjective norm and self-efficacy on intention to benchmark: a comparison between managers with experience and no experience in benchmarking

Competitive benchmarking is a management technique used to compare company performance. The practices and processes of one's own organization are compared with the best performance of other organizations to set targets and learn ways to make improvements. Drawing on Ajzen's (1985) theory of planned behaviour, we examined the effects of attitude, subjective norm and self-efficacy on managers' intentions to undertake benchmarking in their organization. A sample of 49 managers with benchmarking experience was compared with 46 managers with no experience of the practice. Consistent with the theory of planned behaviour, attitude and subjective norm were significant predictors of intention to benchmark. However, contrary to the theory, self-efficacy was not a significant predictor. For managers with benchmarking experience, attitudinal beliefs toward the technique was the strongest predictor of benchmarking intention. For managers with no benchmarking experience, normative beliefs about the views of key groups such as senior management and employees, was the strongest predictor of intention to benchmark. These findings support the possibilities of refinement of the theory of planned behaviour to postulate the primacy of subjective norms in introduction of group behaviour and attitude primacy in continuation of group behaviour. The findings are also discussed in relation to beliefs about benchmarking and for preparing managers who are about to introduce or continue a benchmarking programme.     

Is there agreement between worker self and supervisor assessment of worker safety performance? An examination in the construction industry

Introduction: Individual safety performance (behavior) critically influences safety outcomes in high-risk workplaces. Compared to the study of generic work performance on different measurements, few studies have investigated different measurements of safety performance, typically relying on employees' self-reflection of their safety behavior. This research aims to address this limitation by including worker self-reflection and other (i.e., supervisor) assessment of two worker safety performance dimensions, safety compliance and safety participation. Method: A sample of 105 workers and 17 supervisors in 17 groups in the Chinese construction industry participated in this study. Comparisons were made between worker compliance and participation in each measurement, and between workers' and supervisors' assessment of workers' compliance and participation. Multilevel modeling was adopted to test the moderating effects on the worker self-reflection and supervisor-assessment relationship by group safety climate and the work experience of supervisors. Results: Higher levels of safety compliance than participation were found for self-reflection and supervisor assessment. The discrepancy between the two measurements in each safety performance dimension was significant. The work experience of supervisors attenuated the discrepancy between self- and supervisor-assessment of compliance. Contrary to our expectations, the moderating effect of group safety climate was not supported. Conclusions: The discrepancy between worker self- and supervisor-assessment of worker safety performance, thus, suggests the importance of including alternative measurements of safety performance in addition to self-reflection. Lower levels of participation behavior in both raters suggest more research on the motivators of participatory behavior. Practical applications The discrepancy between different raters can lead to negative reactions of ratees, suggesting that managers should be aware of that difference. Assigning experienced supervisors as raters can be effective at mitigating interrater discrepancy and conflicts in the assessment of compliance behavior.     

Why do lay people believe that satisfaction and performance are correlated? possible sources of a commonsense theory

Decades of research have shown that the correlation between job satisfaction and job performance is modest in magnitude, yet lay people are thought to believe strongly that satisfied or ‘happy’ employees are more productive at work. This paper first documents the strength and pervasiveness of belief in several versions of the happy–productive worker hypothesis (Study 1), then proposes and explores potential substantive explanations for these beliefs (Study 2). It is possible that lay people base their beliefs on genuinely stronger relationships that occur at a different level of analysis than usually studied by researchers, and/or that exist between satisfaction‐like and performance‐like variables other than the constructs typically investigated by scholars. Study 2 provides data relevant to several of these possibilities. The most compelling findings were at the within‐person level of analysis. The average within‐person correlation between momentary task satisfaction and concurrent perceived task performance was 0.57. Individuals feel more satisfied than usual when they believe they are performing better than usual for them. If lay persons mistakenly generalize from their own within‐person experiences of satisfaction–performance covariation to the between‐persons level, this relationship may be the basis for the strong lay belief that satisfied workers perform better. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.