Suchergebnisse

Group efficacy is an emerging construct that has great potential for small group performance. Several studies have linked group efficacy to increased productivity. However, few studies have examined the relationship between group efficacy and other group variables that contribute to long-term group productivity. This study addresses the relationship between group efficacy and other group variables. Specifically, it examines the relationships between group efficacy and group viability, personal learning and development, satisfaction with leadership opportunities, and the ability to work independently within the group. Results suggest that group efficacy has a beneficial effect on group dynamics and overall group effectiveness. Groups with higher levels of group efficacy rated higher on group viability, learning and self-development while within the group, and opportunities for individual autonomy. Group efficacy was not found to have an impact on satisfaction with leadership opportunities. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are addressed.

Group efficacy is an emerging construct that has great potential for groups as it has been repeatedly linked to group performance. However, there has been little research on the antecedents of group efficacy or how it is developed. What factors lead to high group efficacy? What actions can be taken to foster it? What effect does group leadership have on its development? A study was designed to address these questions and to begin to identify how group efficacy is developed. Data analysis reveals a strong link between the informal leaders' perceptions of efficacy and group-level measurements of efficacy. It is suggested that group efficacy perceptions are influenced by informal group leaders. Data analysis also reveals that this relationship is much stronger at the beginning of the group's task than at the end of the group's task. Implication of these findings and suggestions for future research are addressed.

Cohesion has historically been considered one of the most important variables in the study of small group dynamics and has historically been one of the most frequently studied of group-level constructs. In this commentary we consider why and how group cohesion influences behavior in sports teams and why and how it operates differently in different types of teams. Specifically, we note that sports teams operate in extremely well-defined contexts, with much greater clarity in terms of goals, member roles, working procedures, available resources, and so forth, than most other types of teams. Consequently we suggest that while cohesion may be a valid construct for studying and analyzing sports teams, the relative lack of clear unambiguous context for most other types of teams reduces the explanatory power of cohesion for teams in other contexts.

A growing stream of theory and research suggests that overlap in team member mental models (i.e. socially constructed theories about systems and their expected behavior) has a positive influence on team processes and outcomes. In this article we argue that for self- managing work teams (SMWTs), the content of those shared mental models is also important. We begin by reviewing theory on SMWT effectiveness to determine the content of effective teamwork mental models in SMWTs. These are proposed to include: (1) psychological ownership of team processes and outcomes; (2) a need for continuous learning; and (3) a need for heedful interrelating. We then conduct content analyses of four published longitudinal studies of SMWTs to uncover the opportunities and challenges to developing and sustaining these mental models in dynamic organizations. Results suggest these mental models flourish when organizational supports back up their existence. However, since mental models are fluid and adapt to explicit and implicit messages, they weaken if shifting priorities cause organizational support to wane. Finally, the implications of our findings are discussed.