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Peer-based control in self-managing teams: linking rational and normative influence with individual and group
Greg L Stewart1, Stephen H Courtright, Murray R Barrick
1Department of Management, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000, USA. greg-stewart@uiowa.edu
The Journal of Applied Psychology
|September 8, 2011
Summary
Peer-based rational control enhances team performance by linking rewards to teammate input. This motivational state, especially in less cohesive teams, boosts both individual and collective output.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Behavior
- Social Psychology
- Team Dynamics
Background:
- Self-managing teams rely on internal control mechanisms.
- Group cohesion is a well-studied normative control force in teams.
- Peer-based rational control, a motivational state, has not been fully explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce peer-based rational control within a multilevel framework.
- Examine how peer-based rational control interacts with group cohesion.
- Determine the impact of these controls on individual and collective team performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a multilevel framework analyzing data from 587 factory workers.
- Studied 45 self-managing teams across 3 different organizations.
- Employed quantitative analysis to assess the relationships between control mechanisms and performance.
Main Results:
- Peer-based rational control positively correlated with higher individual and team performance.
- A significant interaction was found between rational and normative control mechanisms.
- The positive performance effects of peer-based rational control were more pronounced in teams with low cohesion.
Conclusions:
- Peer-based rational control is a significant motivational state in self-managing teams.
- The interplay between rational and normative controls influences team performance.
- Team cohesion can moderate the effectiveness of peer-based rational control on performance.
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