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Composition, process, and performance in self-managed groups: the role of personality
1Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37203, USA. barryb@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu
The Journal of Applied Psychology
|February 1, 1997
Summary
Extraversion positively impacts group dynamics and performance, with extraverts influencing outcomes through social and task contributions. Conscientiousness, however, showed no significant relation to group processes or results.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Organizational Behavior
Background:
- The Five Factor Model (FFM) is a widely accepted framework for understanding personality traits.
- Understanding the influence of personality on group dynamics is crucial for optimizing team performance.
- Extraversion and Conscientiousness are key traits within the FFM, with potential implications for collaborative work.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between personality traits, specifically extraversion and conscientiousness, and small group processes and outcomes.
- To examine these relationships at both individual and group levels of analysis.
- To explore the mechanisms through which extraversion influences group perceptions and performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Five Factor Model, focusing on extraversion and conscientiousness.
- Employed a sample of 289 graduate students organized into 61 teams (4-5 members each).
- Groups engaged in creative problem-solving tasks over several weeks, with data analyzed using covariance structure modeling.
Main Results:
- Extraversion was significantly associated with group processes and outcomes at both individual and group levels.
- Individually, extraverts were perceived as having a greater effect on group outcomes, contributing socioemotionally and task-wise.
- A curvilinear relationship was observed between the proportion of extraverted members and task focus/group performance.
- Conscientiousness demonstrated no significant association with individual or group-level processes and outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Extraversion plays a significant role in shaping small group dynamics and effectiveness.
- The impact of extraversion on group outcomes is mediated by both social and task-related contributions.
- The proportion of extraverted individuals in a group can influence its focus and overall performance in a non-linear fashion.
- Conscientiousness, contrary to potential hypotheses, did not emerge as a significant predictor of group processes or outcomes in this study.