Linking educational diversity and team performance: Team communication quality and innovation team climate matter

Abstract

Linking educational diversity and team performance: Team communication quality and innovation team climate matter V ıctor Valls*, Vicente Gonz alez-Rom a and In es Tom as Idocal, University of Valencia, Spain This study examines the influence of education level diversity on team communication quality and team performance. Specifically, we propose a moderated mediation model with team communication quality as a mediator in the relationship between education level diversity and team performance, and with innovation team climate as a moderator in this mediated relationship. The study sample consisted of 57 bank branches, and a lagged design with three data-collection points was implemented. The results obtained showed that, as expected, innovation team climate moderated the relationship between education level diversity and team communication quality, as well as the indirect effect linking education level diversity, team communication quality, and team performance. Practitioner pointsThis study informs team managers about the contingent influence of education level diversity on work teams' functioning that should be taken into account when forming and managing teams composed of individuals with different levels of formal education. Education level diversity was found to influence team communication quality and performance positively when the level of innovation team climate was high, but negatively when it was low. Therefore, team managers should foster innovation climates in teams with members who have different levels of education. The aforementioned influence of education level diversity was transmitted through intrateam communication quality. Therefore, team managers should enhance the latter variable within educationally diverse teams.

Relationship between Psychological Capital and Psychological Well-Being of Direct Support Staff of Specialist Autism Services. The Mediator Role of Burnout

“…Secondly, the causal direction of relationships between psychological capital, burnout and PWB remains unclear, given the use of a time lagged design. Adopting a time-lagged design we overcome many limitations associated with cross-sectional research and it let us to test the hypothesized relationship in a more rigorous manner (Valls et al, 2016 ). To make the direction of relationships between these variables clearer, longitudinal studies would be necessary.…”

Innovation climate: A systematic review of the literature and agenda for future research

“…For example, by utilizing the interactionist model of creativity (Woodman & Schoenfeldt, 1990) and the input-process-output model for team effectiveness (McGrath, 1984), Somech and Drach-Zahavy (2013) found that team creativity only enhanced innovation implementation when team innovation climate was high. Valls, Gonzalez-Roma, and Tomas (2016) established that when team innovation climate was higher, the influence of team educational diversity on team communication quality was stronger and the influence of team educational diversity on team performance through team communication quality was also higher. Charbonnier-Voirin, El Akremi, and Vandenberghe (2010) established that the influence of transformational leadership on employees' adaptive performance was stronger when team innovation climate was higher.…”

“…Chen and Hou (2016), based on social learning theory (Bandura, 1997), found that the indirect effect of ethical leadership on individual creativity via voice behaviour was stronger when team innovation climate was higher. Valls, Gonzalez-Roma, and Tomas (2016) established that when team innovation climate was higher, the influence of team educational diversity on team communication quality was stronger and the influence of team educational diversity on team performance through team communication quality was also higher. Underpinning this study was the categorization-elaboration model (CEM; van Knippenberg, De Dreu, & Homan, 2004), which posits that the information/decision-making perspective and social categorization perspective can jointly be used to predict effects of diversity.…”

Dealing with diversity in workgroups: Preventing problems and promoting potential

“…Knippenberg, Dawson, West, & Homan, 2011). Additionally, groups obtain a greater task understanding by reflecting upon and modifying their functioning (i.e., team reflexivity; Schippers, Den Hartog, Koopman, & Wienk, 2003;Van Ginkel, Tindale, & Van Knippenberg, 2009), and by building an open and trusting climate for debate and conflict (e.g., Mitchell, Nicholas, & Boyle, 2009;Olson, Parayitam, & Bao, 2007;Simons, Pelled, & Smith, 1999;Valls, González-Romá, & Tomás, 2016).…”

“…This shared task understanding can be facilitated by stimulating a collective understanding of who knows what within the group (i.e., transactive memory system; Heavey & Simsek, ) or by stressing shared group goals (e.g., Van Knippenberg, Dawson, West, & Homan, ). Additionally, groups obtain a greater task understanding by reflecting upon and modifying their functioning (i.e., team reflexivity; Schippers, Den Hartog, Koopman, & Wienk, ; Van Ginkel, Tindale, & Van Knippenberg, ), and by building an open and trusting climate for debate and conflict (e.g., Mitchell, Nicholas, & Boyle, ; Olson, Parayitam, & Bao, ; Simons, Pelled, & Smith, ; Valls, González‐Romá, & Tomás, ).…”