A comprehensive summary of the second problem of course 4.2 "Groups at work" at the Master Positive Organizational Psychology / Work and Organizational Psychology at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. Most articles are effectively summarized in one or maximal two pages and in bullet points. Articles...
4.2 #2 LG1: What is the relationship between team size & team outcome?
What is the effect of team size?
Aube, Rousseau, & Tremblay, 2011 - Team Size & Quality of Group Experience
Method:
- 97 2-9-member teams with 341 members in public safety sector
- Questionnaires
Results:
- Team size negatively related to quality of group experience (H1)
- Team size positively related to parasitic behaviors (H2)
Parasitism: behaviors that involve getting other team members to do one’s work
negatively related to quality of group experience (H6)
mediates relationship between team size & quality of group experience
(H10)
- Team size positively related to interpersonal aggressive behaviors (H3)
Interpersonal aggression: detrimental physical or psychological behavior towards other
negatively related to quality of group experience (H7)
mediates relationship between team size & quality of group experience
(H11)
- Team size positively relates to boastful behaviors (H4)
Boastfulness: exaggerating one’s own contributions compared to teammates
negatively related to quality of group experience (H8)
mediates relationship between team size & quality of group experience
(H12)
- Team size positively relates to behaviors associated with misuse of resources (H5)
Misuse of resources: inappropriate use of material & equipment
Does not negatively relate to quality of group experience (H9X positive: .24;
may be explained by considering misuse of resources as an outlet for team
members’ frustration without directly affecting interactions with teammates)
mediates relationship between team size & quality of group experience
(H13)
Discussion:
- Relationship between team size & quality of group experience is indirect
counterproductive behaviors may intervene as mediators
The more members there are in a team, the more likely the team is to encounter problems
with its functioning and its outcomes
- Implications:
Managers would benefit by conducting task analyses to build teams that do not include
more than the number of members required to efficiently perform the work
1
, 4.2 #2 LG1: What is the relationship between team size & team outcome?
What is the effect of team size?
Hoegl, 2005 - How to keep project teams small
Teamwork:
- Team performance depends on its ability to work in an interactive mode to achieve a common
team output
- Performance-relevant team processes include task-related & social elements:
Teamwork can be assessed by considering 6 facets of collaborative work process:
communication, coordination, balance of member contributions, mutual support,
effort, & cohesion
Team size effect: Team size ↑
Difficulty of knowledge sharing ↑
complexity of communication structure ↑
social loafing ↑
nonparticipating members ↑
There is no optimal team size: team size must be determined with respect to
- staffing requirements, deriving from the size of the project task, &
- teamwork requirements, deriving from task complexity & uncertainty
Ways to keep project teams small (while providing necessary knowledge & personnel capacity):
1. Create a multiteam project: larger projects should be assigned to several small teams
(subprojects) with their own quality, schedule, & budget objectives
2. Core team versus extended team: rather than having representatives from various organizational
groups be included as formal team members, it is better to establish a core team of individuals
that are necessary for task completion to work directly & interactively together on the project
The remaining individuals outside of the core team may take roles of consulting or
advisory members, who are informed on a regular basis and can provide input as needed
3. Define team-external contributions: specific tasks & contributions toward project completion
can be identified for team-external individuals or groups to provide, rather than including those
individuals or groups within the team itself (outsource work)
4. Project phase-specific team members: keep team members on board during the project phases for
which they are needed, rather than carrying them on the team throughout the whole project
Cohen & Bailey, 1997
Past research suggests that size has a curvilinear or inverted U-shaped relation to effectiveness such that
too few or too many members reduce performance
- BUT 2 studies found that increasing group size actually improved performance without limit
Benefits of increasing team size: larger teams imply fewer teams within a firm, thus
fewer leaders must be trained
less coordination is required among teams,
fewer team proposals must be reviewed by steering & oversight committees
imply that the U-shaped relationship between size and effectiveness may not hold for all types
of teams in organizational settings
2
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