Management & Organization

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End date: 2009Subject: search.filters.subject.Psychology, Industrial

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    Virtual Team Member Performance and Viability: The Influence of Individual Characteristics
    (2008-04-23) Hill, Nora Sharon; Bartol, Kathryn M; Business and Management: Management & Organization; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The use of virtual teams is increasing in organizations. Virtual teamwork occurs when team members collaborate using technology-mediated communication rather than face-to-face. Research has shown that virtual teamwork can be challenging. However, currently there is little research to help organizations identify team members who are most likely to be effective in a virtual teamwork environment. Given this, the purpose of my dissertation research was to identify individual characteristics that influence a virtual team member's contribution to team performance and team membership viability. This dissertation developed and tested a theoretical model that integrates literature identifying individual team member characteristics that are directly germane to effective functioning in a team operating virtually. These characteristics include virtual teamwork knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs); self-regulatory team orientation; and preference for face-to-face communication with team members. These individual characteristics were hypothesized to influence team member contribution to team performance and membership viability through the intervening variables of virtual teamwork behaviors and attitude toward virtual teamwork with the team. In addition, team technology support and empowering team leadership were two contextual factors predicted to moderate the hypothesized relationships between team member characteristics and virtual teamwork behaviors. The hypotheses were tested using data from 193 team members in 29 virtual teams in the procurement department of one large multinational company. The data were collected from team members and team leaders using online surveys, and hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze the data. Results showed that both virtual teamwork KSAs and self-regulatory team orientation, although not directly associated with virtual teamwork behaviors, interacted with empowering team leadership to influence virtual teamwork behaviors. Self-regulatory team orientation and preference for face-to-face communication were both found to be positively associated with attitude toward virtual teamwork. Results further showed that virtual teamwork behaviors and attitude toward virtual teamwork were both positively associated with contribution to team performance and membership viability. Finally, no support was found for the hypothesized moderating influence of team technology support on the relationship between team member characteristics and virtual teamwork behaviors.
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    Locked Up: Exploring the Complex Nature of Conflicting Values Systems and Their Effects on Work Attitudes
    (2007-08-06) DeCelles, Katherine A.; Tesluk, Paul; Business and Management: Management & Organization; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Values are individuals' enduring perspectives on what is fundamentally right or wrong (Rokeach, 1973). These perspectives affect how people interpret their surroundings and interactions with others; individuals act in accordance with, and judge others' behavior by, what they believe is right (Bandura, 1991). Values have been studied extensively in the organizational literature, focusing on how individuals' values (such as honesty or achievement) affect their job attitudes (such as organizational commitment and job satisfaction; Ravlin & Meglino, 1987). While values and their effects on employees have been widely studied (Braithwaite, 1994; Cable & Edwards, 2004; Judge & Bretz, 1992; Rokeach, 1973; Ravlin & Meglino, 1987; Schwartz, 1992, 1994; Tsui & O'Reilly, 1989), they are often categorized into competing or conflicting frameworks (e.g., Cameron & Quinn, 1999; Schwartz, 1994). However, emerging evidence suggests that some competing values might actually be held simultaneously by individuals (Braithwaite, 1994; El-Sawad, Arnold, & Cohen, 2004; Kerlinger, 1983; Tetlock, 1986). If this paradoxical scenario is true, these values may actually interact, rather than displace one another. While cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1957) and balance theory (Heider, 1946) --- central in psychology and organizational literature --- predict that individuals cannot hold conflicting values simultaneously without suffering from negative consequences like stress, I argue otherwise. This dissertation examines the extent to which individuals can hold conflicting values simultaneously rather than dichotomously, explores the mechanisms through which they do so, and also examines the effects of such value composition on employee attitudes. This is accomplished through two studies: first, a survey-based examination, and second, an in-depth inductive study. Both of these studies investigate these questions about conflicting values in a sample of correctional officers, and their values towards crime (punitive and rehabilitative ideals). Results indicate support that conflicting values can be simultaneously held by individuals, and that they interact to produce positive, rather than negative, job attitudes. More specifically, I find that correctional officers who hold both of these values have higher levels of perceived fit with their organization, higher levels of organizational commitment, and lower levels of burnout than officers of other value combinations. Inductive results of the qualitative portion also add explanatory value to the question of why and how this can happen; qualitative results show that correctional officers often draw from both value-perspectives in order to complete their difficult job duties in effective and balanced ways.
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    The Influence of Career Identity and Social Networks on Career Transition Magnitude
    (2006-06-01) Slay, Holly Selena; Taylor, Susan; Management and Organization; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Increasingly, scholars and journalists are suggesting that there is a trend toward greater magnitude in career transitions signified by the crossing of career boundaries (such as level, functional, organizational, industry and professional boundaries). To date, much of the quantitative empirical research suggests that organizational, relational and environmental factors influence career transition behavior. However, while we know that these external influences may cause an individual to transition, we know less about the process through which career transitions evolve, especially those of larger magnitude and how forces internal to the individual may help to explain variance above and beyond these external factors. In this dissertation, I use qualitative and quantitative methodologies to develop and refine a model of career transition focusing on career transition magnitude. Specifically, I use research from social identity, social networks and role exit theory to develop a model of career transition magnitude that posits career identity (the cognitive representation of the self derived from past career experiences, beliefs, values, attributes and motives that define the individual in terms of their career) and network characteristics (the pattern of interpersonal relationships) influence the magnitude of intended career transition, the career exit behaviors one engages in and the evaluation of career opportunities. Further, I use path analysis to find that career exit behaviors are influenced by the magnitude of the intended career transition as well as strong coworker ties and social and personal turbulence. Additionally, I find that the favorable evaluation of career transition opportunities is impacted by career identity centrality and organizational satisfaction. Finally, I find that the magnitude of the intended career transition is influenced by the favorable evaluation of transition opportunities, network career range, organizational satisfaction and social and personal turbulence. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed.
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    The relationship between leader core self-evaluations, team feedback, leader efficacy, transformational leadership, team efficacy, team goals, team action and transition processes, and team performance
    (2003-11-11) Quigley, Narda Roxanne; Locke, Edwin A.; Tesluk, Paul E.; Management and Organization
    This research attempts to explain how internal team leaders can help teams perform in high stress, dynamic environments. Specifically, the aim of the research was to examine a chain of relationships beginning with team leaders' core self-evaluations and ending in team performance. Several core research questions were examined, including: "Do leaders' core self-evaluations and self-efficacy serve as important antecedents of transformational leadership? Is transformational leadership an important antecedent of team efficacy? How does team efficacy lead to higher levels of team performance?" First, I reviewed the extant relevant literature. Second, I derived from this review a theoretical model, which proposes that both leader core self-evaluations and team feedback may influence leader self-efficacy and transformational leadership. Transformational leadership may then influence team efficacy, which in turn may influence performance through its impact on team goals and team action and transition processes. Third, using data collected from a sample of teams composed of first-year MBA students involved in a week-long business simulation, I tested the model and demonstrated support for a number of hypothesized relationships. Fourth, I revised the model based on modification indices provided by covariance structure analysis. I found that leaders' core self-evaluations do influence their self-efficacy; this efficacy exhibited positive and significant direct relationships with team efficacy and with team processes. In addition, I found support for a chain of relationships linking team efficacy to team goals to team processes to team performance.