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Published on: September 18, 2021
Transactive memory system links work team characteristics and performance
Zhi-Xue Zhang1, Paul S Hempel, Yu-Lan Han
1Guanghua School of Management, Peking University, Beijing, China. zxzhang@gsm.pku.edu.cn
The Journal of Applied Psychology
|November 21, 2007
Summary
Effective teamwork relies on a transactive memory system (TMS) for sharing expertise. This study shows team characteristics influence TMS, which in turn boosts team performance in Chinese organizations.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Psychology
- Team Dynamics
- Knowledge Management
Background:
- Team effectiveness is increasingly linked to coordinated expertise among diverse members.
- Transactive Memory Systems (TMS) enable teams to manage and utilize distributed knowledge.
- Existing TMS research requires broader ecological validity and generalizability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationships between team characteristics, TMS, and team performance in Chinese work teams.
- To determine if TMS mediates the link between team characteristics and performance.
- To provide practical implications for enhancing team effectiveness.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed 104 work teams across various organizational settings in China.
- Examined correlations between team characteristics (task interdependence, goal interdependence, innovation support), TMS, and performance.
- Employed structural equation modeling to test mediation effects.
Main Results:
- Task interdependence, cooperative goal interdependence, and support for innovation positively correlated with TMS.
- TMS was positively associated with team performance.
- Structural equation analysis confirmed TMS as a mediator between team characteristics and performance.
Conclusions:
- Team characteristics significantly influence the development and effectiveness of TMS.
- TMS plays a crucial role in translating team attributes into tangible performance outcomes.
- Findings offer actionable insights for leaders and members to optimize team functioning and performance through improved knowledge sharing.
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