No abstract

This paper addresses the effects of role models and self-efficacy on forming career intentions, and whether the effects vary by gender and process. Focusing on entrepreneurship as a career choice, we explored (a) the effect of exposure to entrepreneurial role models on entrepreneurial career intention; (b) the difference in effects between men and women; and (c) the mediating functionality of self-efficacy. Results indicate that role models have a significant and positive impact on intention, that gender moderated the effects, and that self-efficacy mediated it. A moderated mediation relationship was observed such that, for women, role models had stronger influence on self-efficacy, which, in turn, influenced entrepreneurial career intention. Results are discussed in terms of implications for theory and practice.j asp_713 270..297

The interaction process and performance of culturally homogeneous and culturally diverse groups were studied for 17 weeks. Initially, homogeneous groups scored higher on both process and performance effectiveness. Over time, both types of group showed improvement on process and performance, and the between-group differences converged. By week 17, there were no differences in process or overall performance, but the heterogeneous groups scored higher on two task measures. Implications for management and future research are given.

Nearly all research on the accuracy of individual versus group decision making has used ad hoc groups, artificial problems, and trivial or nonexistent reward contingencies. These studies have generally concluded that the knowledge base of the most competent group member appears to be the practical upper limit of group performance and that process gains will rarely be achieved. We studied individual versus group decision making by using data from 222 project teams, ranging in size from 3 to 8 members. These teams were engaged in solving contextually relevant and consequential problems and, in direct contrast with previous research, the groups outperformed their most proficient group member 97% of the time. Furthermore, 40% of the process gains could not be explained by either average or most knowledgeable group member scores. Implications for management practice are also discussed.

The primary objective of this study was to examine the extent to which increased experience in working in a group would affect group versus individual problem solving. The duration and intensity of group involvement for subjects (over 30 hr) was extensive. In addition, the reward system provided a clear and direct tie between individual or group performance and a significant outcome (i.e., course grades). The decision-making task had a great deal in common with many of the aspects of group decision making in organizations. Results were overwhelmingly in favor of group decision making across time, given this type of task. The percentage by which the group performance score was higher (or lower) than the group's best member was called the group added value (G>W). In addition, a synergy ratio was developed in an attempt to measure how much a group added over their best member's contributions. Best members rarely repeated as the top scorer and became less important to group success as the groups gained experience. The results call into question much of the previous group decision-making research and strongly support the value of group-consensus decision making both in task forces and ongoing organizational groups.