August 29, 2006
GROUP COMPOSITION AND EFFECTIVENESS
Petru L. Curseu
Reviewed by Mihaela Chraif
Assistant editor EJOP
In the context of group research, group composition represents an aspect that proves to be both theoretical and practical relevant. The theoretical relevance emerges from the models of group effectiveness including group composition as central drivers of group outcomes. The results concerning the implications of group composition for group effectiveness are mixed and no clear pattern seems to emerge from the scientific literature, therefore this is still an intellectually challenging research field. The research field has a major practical implication because group composition is an essential element in group design as well as in “human resources engineering” outlining ways in which managers can create effective groups or improve the functioning of their work groups.
The goal of the book is to bring together a few of the most recent theoretical and empirical developments that investigate the relation between group composition and group effectiveness.
The book is divided into two sections: Chapter 1 to 8 are focused on the group level implications of group composition and Chapter 9 and 10 being focused on the implications of group diversity for the individual group members in terms of satisfaction and individual performance. Furthermore, each Chapter represents a research on group composition made by a group of Masters Students at the department of Organization Studies, Tilburg University, The Netherlands under the supervision of the books editor. The book illustrates a continuous effort within the department to encourage students to engage directly with research in organizations.
Chapter 1 - Group composition: Theoretical and Methodological Consideration (Petru L. Curseu) gives an overview of the most important theoretical models that explain the impact of group composition on group effectiveness , as well as extensive overview of the methods and algorithms used to compute group diversity.
The aim of this chapter is to integrate the research done on the implications of group composition using the general framework offered by the system theories. The chapter is uses two systemic frameworks:
Groups as open systems, that take resources from the environment and transform them based on group processes into specific outputs, and the feedback is a core element of adaptation;
Groups as complex adaptive systems, a framework that underlines the importance of the interaction between groups and their environment (the group has to adjust to the environmental changes through a process of self-regulation/feedback);
Theoretical approaches on group diversity: Cognitive resource diversity theory (the roots of this theory are to be found in the systemic perspective on groups); Social categorization theory (inspired from the general categorizations studies in human cognition); Similarity attraction hypothesis and homophily; and Integrative theoretical approaches;
Methodological considerations: the multilevel approach is involved in almost any research dealing with the group composition and means that data collected at a certain level of analysis will be used to make inferences and conclusions at another level of analysis;
Chapter 2 - Deep-level Diversity in Work Groups: Relating Extraversion and Conscientiousness to Work Group Performance (Inge Wessel) explore the implications of deep-level diversity on team effectiveness and shows how group diversity in extraversion and conscientiousness are related to group cohesion and group performance.
The aim of this Chapter is to discuss the group diversity in terms of less visible attributes that cannot be easily detected at a first glance as: expertise, personality education and functional background. To get a better understanding of the relationship between personality and group performance two personality characteristics of the commonly accepted Big Five factor-model were analyzed as related/independent to different facets of group performances. Thus, conscientiousness is related to task completion, whereas extraversion relates to interpersonal relationships.
The main topics treated in Chapter 2 are:
Social psychological theories of group diversity;
Personality and group performances- underlining the strongest relationship between the conscientiousness and individual performance in work environments;
Consciousness, extraversion and group cohesion;
Group cohesion and group performances;
This chapter contains the methodology of a research study based on the main thesis from above, which is definitely recommended to the undergraduate students, students attending MA courses and even students attending doctorial classes in the way of research stimulation.
In Chapter 3 - Multidisciplinary Teams: Dynamics and Outcomes, Patricia Snel reviews the open system models of group dynamics and tests an integrative input-process-output model of group effectiveness in a sample of 50 multidisciplinary teams in a consultancy company. The goal of this chapter is to approach that team-based organizations must seek not only the best individuals for the job, but they must also seek the best combination of individuals for the team in terms of the mix knowledge, skills, abilities, and personality characteristics and leadership.
The main theses approached by Patricia Snel in this research are:
What is the team?- defining the team;
Models of team performances: Gladstein’s model; Hackman’s model; and Tannenbaum, Beard and Salas’ model;
Team characteristics: team size; team diversity;
Team processes: communication; coordination; planning; conflict; leadership;
Team performances and effectiveness;
Integrated conceptual model and hypotheses;
Figure 1 Overall Model of Multidisciplinary Teams Effectiveness
The Overall model from Figure 1 has been used by Patricia Snel in her research and tested on a sample of 50 multidisciplinary teams.
In Chapter 4 - Across Sectional Study of Diversity, Process and Performance in Organizational Groups, Margreet Assmann explores the way in which the groups’ diversity interacts with group processes, as well as the leadership style in determining the group’s financial performance, and tests this interaction in a sample of 27 groups operating in the car rental industry. The aim of this chapter is to reveal that the diversity research could be used in organizational settings- team designs. The author starts her study from the following research question: “To what extent does group diversity influence group performance and which is the role of group processes in this relation?” (Assman; 2006). Thus, Margreet Assmann demonstrated by this research the negative role played by the group diversity on group performance. The results suggested that all the attributes of diversity taken together have a negative influence on group performances and group processes have appositive effect on group performance.
Chapter 5 - The influence of Group Diversity, Group Processes and Style of Leadership on Perceived Group Performance (Eveline M.C. Kienhuis) gives an overview of the way in which the interaction between group composition and leadership styles impacts on perceived group effectiveness. The aim of this chapter is to investigate the relationship between the group diversity, group processes and leadership styles in determining perceived group performance. The Study starts from the following research question: “What is the relationship between group diversity, group processes, style of leadership and perceived group diversity?” (Kienhuis, 2006).
In Chapter 6 - The Effectiveness of Student Project Teams: An Open System Perspective, Martijn Agterberg uses the open system framework to explain the performance of 53 student project teams as a function of inputs (groups’ diversity), processes (coordination, planning, and conflict) and emergent states (potency, trust).
This chapter focuses on the impact of diversity on the effectiveness of student project groups performing cognitive tasks.
The main theses approached by this study are:
Open system perspective;
Group diversity as general concept;
The effects of diversity on team functioning;
Group processes;
Emergent states;
Conceptual model;
Figure 2
The conceptual model from figure 2 integrates many theories explaining the effects of diversity on group dynamics and effectiveness in a holistic model of group performance. This conceptual model has been tested in a sample of 53 teams.
The conclusions of the study underline negative influence on teamwork quality dimension related with the group diversity. Diverse teams experience problems with communication and coordination. Their members perceive less cohesion within the group and experience more conflicts. Also, the diversity seems to have a positive influence on team outcomes through cognitive complexity and creativity. Unfortunately, the limitation of the study is the sample size providing a limited statistical power.
Chapter 7 - Relationship Conflict and Conflict Resolution Strategies in Multicultural Teams (Gilbrth Wernet) gives an overview of conflict resolution in 50 multicultural student teams. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of group diversity with respect to cultural background on relationship conflict and the impact of the cultural values on conflict management strategies used by multicultural teams. The study starts from the author’s question: “How do multicultural teams deal with relationship conflict?” (Wernet, 2006).
The main these approached by Wernet in his study are:
Multicultural teams: teams consisting of people of different nationalities;
Types of conflict: task conflict; relationship conflict and process conflict;
Nationality and culture: individualistic and collectivistic national values;
Individualism/collectivism and teamwork: “we” with an “I” orientation in an individualist society;
Ways of dealing with relationship conflict;
The study has several minor limitations: small sample size; all groups were composed of members scoring rather high on individualism; communication and cooperation- very important variables in working teams have not been taken in consideration.
An important contribution of the study consisted in the exploration of conflict resolution strategies in multicultural teams, whose members bring to the team their culture, language and way of thinking. This cultural diversity can lead to conflict and confrontations between the members of the working groups or other members in the organization.
Chapter 8 - Cognitive Diversity and Group Dynamics (Smaranda Boros) uses a shared cognition framework to explore the implications of group cognitive diversity for group dynamics and outcomes. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of cognitive diversity of groups on the speed with which the groups reach consensus as well as on the effectiveness of group processes and the quality of the emergent states.
The literature on organizational identity reviewed has been focused on the following major themes:
Organizational identity- as typical form of social shared cognition;
Methods for the study of organizational identity and shared cognition;
The validity of Q-methodology as a shared cognition elicitation and representation tool;
Cognitive diversity and group effectiveness;
Furthermore, the effects of cognitive diversity were discussed and a set of hypothesis has been set. Finally, empirical studies were conducted to test the hypotheses and were discussed in the framework of group diversity and shared cognition.
In Chapter 9 - How does it Work? The Effects of Group Diversity, Group Processes, and Leadership Style on Individual and Groups Outcomes, Pieter Schep explores the impact of group diversity on the individual perceived performance, as well as on job satisfaction in four teams working in a Dutch non-governmental organization.
The aim of his research is to investigate the last two dimensions of group effectiveness and particularly to study the effects of group diversity, group processes and leadership style on group members’ commitment and satisfaction as well as on group perceived performance. Furthermore, the paper has contributions and limitation which must be taken into consideration for future researches.
Finally, in Chapter 10 - Is Job Satisfaction the Bridge Between the Group Diversity, Leadership Style and Individual Job Performances?, Jim Prince investigates the mediating role of job satisfaction in the relation between group diversity and leadership style on one hand and individual job performance on the other hand in a sample of 189 employee of a commercial company that focuses on retail activities within the European bedroom furniture market.
The author has been focused in his research on the following thesis:
Job satisfaction;
Group diversity;
Leadership styles;
The conceptual model used by Jim Prince in the present research is presented in figure 3.
Figure 3
The Overall Model describes job satisfaction as mediator variable between group diversity and leadership styles on one side, and job performances on the other.
The results offered only marginal and partial support for the expected relations specified in the conceptual model. The direct effects on group diversity and leadership styles on job performance were all positive yet not significant. The limitations of the study offer us an important example what to avoid in furtherer researches: the research took place only in one organization and therefore some of the obtained results might be influenced by the specific context of the organization and the way of leadership evaluation.
The present book illustrates a continuous effort within the Organisation Studies department to encourage students to engage directly with research in organizations. Furthermore, doing high quality scientific research can often be important and valuable for students who face in-depth data collection and analysis for the first time in their lives.
Group Composition and Effectiveness with all the contributions and limitations of the studies represent a continuum challenge for the readers, students and all the others interested in the research field.