A motivational investigation of group effectiveness using social-cognitive theory.

Abstract

The authors developed a model of group effectiveness that emphasizes 3 group-level representatives of the mediators hypothesized in social-cognitive theory. Group affective evaluations, group goals, and collective efficacy were predicted to mediate the influences of performance feedback and vicarious experience on group effectiveness. Covariance structure analysis of data from 81 groups indicated that performance feedback affected both group affective evaluations and collective efficacy, which in turn related to group effectiveness. Furthermore, group affective evaluations and collective efficacy completely mediated the relationship between performance feedback and group effectiveness, and collective efficacy partially mediated the linkage between vicarious experience and group effectiveness. No support was found for the mediating role of group goals. Recommendations for future research and applications are discussed.