The roles of perceived task interdependence and group members' interdependence in the development of collective efficacy in university student group contexts

Abstract

The results suggest that forming groups with capable university students in group work, strengthening university students' perceptions of themselves as interdependent in the early stages of academic group work and assigning interdependent group tasks during group work may contribute to the development of high collective efficacy.

Which efficacy constructs for large-scale social dilemma problems? Individual and collective forms of efficacy and outcome expectancies in the context of climate change mitigation

“…Alavi and McCormick (2008) summarise the findings of a range of studies (e.g. Gibson, 1999) testing the first distinction between levels of interdependence, and conclude that when group members work independently (i.e.…”

“…Among the different measures of group efficacy, the discussion or consensus method is inappropriate for large-scale problems due to the practical difficulties of communication among individuals in collective situations. The aggregated individual efficacy method of assessing collective efficacy is also inappropriate as it is based on judgements of individual competency to carry out a behaviour, and does not measure the capabilities of the whole group to carry out actions at the collective level (Alavi and McCormick, 2008). Thus, in the context of a collective problem, the most pertinent measure is that of the aggregated holistic index (Bandura, 2000), calculated as the mean of individual ratings of the capacity of the collective to carry out the behaviour.…”

Empowering teams through social network ties

“…"Groups composed of self-efficacious members may not necessarily develop high collective efficacy if there is unsatisfactory interaction and coordination" (Alavi and McCormick, 2008). Lin and Peng (2010) also argued that team efficacy is not merely an aggregation of personal judgments concerning capabilities, but an emergent team level state that results from interpersonal interaction and coordination.…”

The importance of context when applying social cognitive theory in organizations

“…Collectivism referred to the extent to which group members emphasized collective instead of individual actions to perform a task. Alavi and McCormick (2008) also identified evidence in university student group contexts that groups with higher average collectivistic orientation had higher collective efficacy. These results suggest that collectivistic cultures may provide opportunities for the development of high collective efficacy if members of the collective perceive themselves members of an ingroup, which may enhance attachment and cohesiveness within the collective (Triandis 1995 (Gudykunst et al 1996).…”