Transactive memory system links work team characteristics and performance.

Abstract

Teamwork and coordination of expertise among team members with different backgrounds are increasingly recognized as important for team effectiveness. Recently, researchers have examined how team members rely on transactive memory system (TMS; D. M. Wegner, 1987) to share their distributed knowledge and expertise. To establish the ecological validity and generality of TMS research findings, this study sampled 104 work teams from a variety of organizational settings in China and examined the relationships between team characteristics, TMS, and team performance. The results suggest that task interdependence, cooperative goal interdependence, and support for innovation are positively related to work teams' TMS and that TMS is related to team performance; moreover, structural equation analysis indicates that TMS mediates the team characteristics-performance links. Findings have implications both for team leaders to manage their work teams effectively and for team members to improve their team performance.

Effects of Group-Level Fit on Group Conflict and Performance

“…Given the dearth of empirical studies in this domain, definite conclusions cannot be made. However, group-level goal fit seems more proximal to group performance and generates more task-pertinent interactions among members when compared with group-level ability fit, which may activate various intervening processes, such as group efficacy, knowledge sharing processes, and transactive memory system that facilitate the full utilization of KSAs held by members toward collective performance (Stajkovic et al, 2009;Zhang, Hempel, Han, & Tjosvold, 2007). The caveat is that groups need strong morale and KSAs to achieve high performance.…”

Employability and Job Performance as Links in the Relationship Between Mentoring Receipt and Career Success

“…To test for mediation, which pertained to Hypotheses 2c, 3, 5, and 6c, direct and indirect effects in the SEM tests were calculated (Hempel, Zhang & Tjosvold, 2008;Zhang, Hempel, Han & Tjosvold, 2007) following relevant procedures in EQS that generated standard errors and path coefficients for these effects (Bentler, 2004). The indirect effect of employability on subjective career success was non-significant (β = -.09, ns), while the corresponding direct effect was found to be significant as per Hypothesis 2b (β = .32, p < .01).…”

Beyond Collective Beliefs

“…Interdependence was measured using an eight-item scale constructed from the fiveitem scale developed by Zhang, Hempel, Han, and Tjosvold (2007), sample item: "I work closely with others in doing my work", supplemented by three items developed specifically for this study or adapted from other sources, sample items: "Collaboration with the other team is useful for me, time spent at meetings considering," "We have been mutually dependent on getting the necessary information or materials from each other to perform our tasks," and "My duties are pretty much a one-person job; there is little need to check or work with others" (Van Der Vegt, Emans, & Van De Vliert, 2000), (α = .73). Collective GSE was measured using five items adapted from Chen, Gully, and Eden (2001), sample item: "I will be able to achieve most of the goals that I have set for myself" (α = .78).…”