Identifying with the Work Team:Implications for Task and Contextual Performance

Michael D. JohnsonFrederick P. Morgeson

Remus Ilies

Michigan State University

2

Social Identities in Organizations

Multiple targets of identification (Johnson et al., 2006)– Teams are most proximal– Identities are apt to be subunit-specific

(Ashforth & Mael, 1989) Changes in identification over time Relationship of identification and

performance Individual difference antecedents (Johnson

& Morgeson, 2005)

3

Individual Differences & Identification

Extraversion– Related to group process (Barrick, 1998; Barry &

Stewart, 1997)– Preference for being in groups (Costa & McCrae,

1992)

H1: Extraversion is positively related to team identification

4

Individual Differences & Identification

Agreeableness– Altruistic, unselfish, sympathetic, eager to

help others (Costa & McCrae, 1992)– “...the fundamental trait associated with the

intention to strive for communion with others” (Barrick, Stewart, & Piotrowski, 2002)

H2: Agreeableness is positively related to team identification

5

Team Identification and Performance

Contextual performance– Identification leads to “intragroup cohesion,

cooperation, and altruism” (Ashforth & Mael, 1989)

– Empirical association between OID and OCB (Bartel, 2001; Bergami & Bagozzi, 2000; Christ et al., 2003)

H5: Team identification is associated with higher contextual performance both between- and within-persons

6

Team Identification and Performance

Task performance– Causes people to act in ways that are

consistent with and support the organization (Dutton & Dukerich, 1991)

– Social loafing is reduced when people identify with the group (Hogg et al., 2004)

H6: Team identification is associated with higher task performance both between- and within-persons

7

Method

Participants– 266 undergraduates in 4-5 member teams

with MBA team leader

– Weeks 1-4: Assessment, selection and recruitment

– Week 5: Team member selection– Weeks 6-14: Training, development, and

performance– Week 15: Disbandment

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Method

Measures– Team members

» Personality: NEO-PI-R (Costa & McCrae, 1992)» Cognitive ability: Wonderlic Personnel Test

(Wonderlic, 1992)» Team identification: Cognitive and affective

identification (Johnson & Morgeson, 2005)

– Team leaders» Task performance (Liden, Wayne, & Stilwell, 1993)» Contextual performance (Van Scotter & Motowidlo,

1996)

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Method

Individual Differences

TeamIdentification

only

Team identification

Task andcontextual

performance

Assessment, selection,

recruitmentTeams formed

Training, development, performance

Disbandment

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Cognitive identification Affective identification Fixed effect Coefficient SE Coefficient SE For intercept1, β0

Intercept 2, γ00 3.42** .05 4.31** .03 Extraversion, γ01 .33** .11 .15* .06 Neuroticism, γ02 .17† .10 -.03 .06 Agreeableness, γ03 - .01 .11 .16* .06 Cognitive ability, γ04 .00 .01 .00 .01

For time slope, β1 Intercept 2, γ10 .18** .02 .07** .01 Extraversion, γ11 .04 .03 -.01 .03 Neuroticism, γ12 .02 .03 -.04 .03 Agreeableness, γ13 - .03 .04 -.05† .03 Cognitive ability, γ14 .00 .00 .00 .00

Results

HLM of identification scales, time, and individual differences

† p < .10 * p < .05 ** p < .01

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Results

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Time 1 Time 2 Time 3 Time 4

Cognitive identification

Affective identification

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Results

Between-subjects regression of performance on identification scales

* p < .05** p < .01

Task performance Contextual performance β β Cognitive identification .01 .05 Affective identification .19* .24** F 5.18* 10.41** R2 .04 .08

13

Task performance

Contextual performance

Fixed effect Coefficient SE Coefficient SE For intercept1, β0

Intercept 2, γ00 4.10** .04 4.09** .03 Extraversion, γ01 .25** .08 .24** .07 Cognitive ability, γ04 .02* .01 .00 .01

For time slope, β1 Intercept 2, γ10 .01 .02 .05** .02 Agreeableness, γ13 - .11* .05 .03 .03

For cognitive identification slope, β2

Intercept 2, γ20 .14** .04 .06* .03 For affective identification slope, β3

Intercept 2, γ30 - .09 .06 .00 .04

Results

Within-subjects HLM of performance, identification scales, time, and individual differences

† p < .10 * p < .05 ** p < .01

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Discussion

Theoretical implications– People vary in their

propensity to identify with work teams

– Team identification increases over time

– Identification with the team is important for both task and contextual performance

15

Discussion

Practical implications– Selecting for work

teams (Morgeson, Reider, & Campion, 2005)

– Fostering team identification

Future research– Leader effects– Person-situation

interactions– Multiple targets over

time– “Finishing” processes

(Ilgen, Hollenbeck, Johnson, & Jundt, 2005)