Team mental models, relationship conflict and effectiveness over time
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to evaluate the extent to which similar team mental models (TMMs) at the beginning of a team's lifecycle influence the level of relationship conflict within the team, TMM-similarity at the middle of the team lifecycle, and in turn team effectiveness. Thus far, no research has analysed the mediating role of a dysfunctional team process between TMM-similarity and effectiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted in a strategy and management competition involving 414 individuals who comprised 92 teams (3-5 members). Data were collected at four moments in time. The questionnaires were developed based on validated scales and adapted for the specific context.
Findings
The results provide support for the mediating role of conflict between the similarity of team-TMMs at the beginning of team lifecycle and effectiveness. The results also provide support for the mediating role of task-TMMs in the middle of team lifecycle between task-TMMs at the beginning of team lifecycle and effectiveness. Findings suggest that teams with more similar TMMs, experience less relationship conflict which in turn improves effectiveness.
Research limitations/implications
In this study TMM-accuracy was not analysed. Future research should analyse the role of TMM similarity and accuracy. Further, future research should explore the optimal level of TMM-similarity and when the similarity of TMM is disruptive to teams.
Originality/value
This paper sheds light on the role of conflict as a dysfunctional team process between TMM-similarity and effectiveness. Moreover, this paper shows that more research on TMM evolution is needed.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by a Research Grant awarded to Catarina Marques Santos [Ref. SFRH/BD/79292/2011]; and by a Project [Ref. PEst-OE/EGE/UI0315/2011] from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology. The authors thank their colleagues in the Doctoral Program of Human Resources and Organizational Behaviour and the Doctoral Program of Psychology at Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL) for their helpful comments in preparing the manuscript. They would also like to thank Sjir Uitdewilligen for his helpful comments and suggestions on a later version of this work. Finally, the authors thank SDG Company for allowing themto collect the data.
Citation
Marques Santos, C. and Margarida Passos, A. (2013), "Team mental models, relationship conflict and effectiveness over time", Team Performance Management, Vol. 19 No. 7/8, pp. 363-385. https://doi.org/10.1108/TPM-01-2013-0003
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited