Collective orientation and team performance: development of an individual differences measure

We examine the construct of collective orientation, develop a measure to assess individual differences in collective orientation, and examine the extent to which the collective orientation of team members predicts performance on a variety of team tasks.

Scholars increasingly emphasize the importance of teamwork in collaborative work environments, and evidence indicates that a lack of teamwork is a prominent factor in many real-world accidents. Although it is clear that some persons are more team oriented than others are, there are few instruments available to assess individual differences in collective orientation in a team context.

We develop a scale to measure collective orientation in teams, gather evidence on reliability and construct validity, and examine the extent to which collective orientation predicts team performance.

Results indicate that the Collective Orientation Scale is reliable, correlates with cognate measures, and predicts performance on a variety of team tasks.

We discuss the role of collective orientation in teams and the application of this scale to assess and diagnose teamwork deficiencies in work groups.

This research should contribute to a further understanding of factors that influence collaboration and coordination in teams.