Investigating the Relation Between Team Learning and the Team Situation Model

Selma van der Haar, Mien Segers, Karen A. Jehn, Piet Van den Bossche

Small Group Research · 2014 · 36 citations · 61 references

Concepts

TL;DR

Team situation models (TSMs) are shared, moment‑to‑moment understandings of the current situation, yet their influence on team effectiveness has been understudied. This study tests a moderated mediation model linking team learning processes—co‑construction and constructive conflict—to TSM and team effectiveness. Forty‑seven emergency‑management command‑and‑control teams completed a realistic simulation evaluated by team members, researchers, and field experts. Co‑construction predicts TSM only when constructive conflict is high, and TSM in turn predicts higher quality actions at the incident scene.

Abstract

The development of a team situation model (TSM), a shared understanding of the current situation developed by team members moment by moment, and its impact on team effectiveness have received minor attention in team research. This study investigates a moderated mediation model including the relationship between the team learning processes of co-construction and constructive conflict, the TSM, and team effectiveness. Forty-seven emergency management command-and-control teams participated in this field study. Their task was to manage a realistic emergency simulation developed and organized by field experts. The multi-rater approach included ratings of team members, researchers, and field experts. Results show that co-construction is related to the TSM under the condition of high constructive conflict. The TSM predicts team effectiveness in terms of the quality of actions at the incident scene.

References

61