Attribute Alignment Framework: A Novel Solution to Team Aggregation (Organizational Effectiveness)
Abstract
We propose an attribute alignment framework to advance research on team composition, particularly team aggregation. A major problem in current team research is that little, if any, consideration is given to patterns of the multitude of attributes team membersÕ have (e.g., IQ, emotion regulation, conscientiousness, and power) before aggregating them into team-level properties. By conceptualizing teams as matrices composed of rows representing team members and columns representing their attributes, our framework can account for the impact of the alignment of two or more within-team member attributes on team outcomes. To account for the alignment of three or more attributes, we borrow from theories of electrostatic energy systems. Currently, we hypothesize that cognitive ability (IQ), emotion regulation (ER), conscientiousness, and power, align within team members to impact team performance. Despite consistently reported independent relationships between these four variables and individual behavior, previous work has reported mixed results regarding their impact in team environments. We submit that the reason for these mixed findings may be, at least partially, because previous studies aggregate these attributes to the team level without first considering their co-existence within individual team members. We propose one laboratory and two field studies to test our alignment hypotheses. Our work can aid team selection processes by allowing for the consideration of multiple team member attributes simultaneously and inform more focused team interventions targeting specific members with specific sets of attributes. It will also result in a computer program in Python and R allowing team researchers to use our alignment analysis technique. ?
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 04, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1910107
Entities
People
- Kyle J Emich
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- United States Army
- University of Delaware