Journal ArticleDOI
Effects of size and task type on group performance and member reactions
J. Richard Hackman,Neil Vidmar +1 more
- Vol. 33, Iss: 1, pp 37
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In this article, the effects of group size and task characteristics (production, discussion, and problem solving type tasks) on group performance and member reactions were assessed, and it was found that dyads tended to be most satisfied and dissatisfaction increased in approximately linear fashion for larger groups.Abstract:
The effects of group size (2 through 7 members) and certain task characteristics (production, discussion, and problem solving type tasks) on group performance and member reactions were assessed. Subjects were students at two universities who performed three 15-minute tasks. Results showed that size had negligible effects on performance characteristics and strong effects on member reactions. Dyads tended to be most satisfied, and dissatisfaction increased in approximately linear fashion for larger groups. Type of task strongly affected both performance characteristics and member reactions. Contrary to expectations, there were no substantial interactions between size and task type in predicting member reactions or group performance. Several implications of the results were discussed: (a) the uniqueness of dyads in comparison to other groups sizes; (b) the question of what is the "optimal" group size; (c) the means by which the strong effects of task type may take place; and (d) questions raised by the finding that some substantial differences were obtained for subjects run at the two different universities. Many of the most obvious-and most potent-determiners of group behavior are, ironically enough, also among the least investigated and least understood in the group psychology field. Several reviewers (e.g., Golembiewski, 1962; Collins and Guetzkow, 1964; McGrath and Altman, 1966) have documented the dearth of systematic knowledge about two such factors: group size and the nature of the group task. Clearly, both group size and task characteristics should make differences in the ways people interact in groups and in the kinds of reactions they have to the group experience. The scattered empirical work which has inread more
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Reference EntryDOI
Work Groups and Teams in Organizations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors address the nature and dynamics of work teams and emphasize the types of teams that are commonly used in work settings and the processes that are key to their success.
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Predicting voice behavior in work groups.
Jeffrey A. LePine,Linn Van Dyne +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, a field study of 441 full-time employees in 95 work groups examined voice behavior (constructive challenge to the status quo with the intent of improving the situation rather than merely criticizing) as a function of person-centered (satisfaction with the work) and situational factors.
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Electronic brainstorming and group size
R. Brent Gallupe,Alan R. Dennis,William H. Cooper,Joseph S. Valacich,Lana M. Bastianutti,Jay F. Nunamaker +5 more
TL;DR: Two concurrent experiments were conducted with groups of varying size; there were 2, 4, and 6-person groups in one and 6, and 12- person groups in the other, and the number and quality of groups was compared.
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Does Team Training Improve Team Performance? A Meta-Analysis
Eduardo Salas,Deborah DiazGranados,Cameron Klein,C. Shawn Burke,Kevin C. Stagl,Gerald F. Goodwin,Stanley M. Halpin +6 more
TL;DR: The findings suggest that team training interventions are a viable approach organizations can take in order to enhance team outcomes and are useful for improving cognitive outcomes, affective outcomes, teamwork processes, and performance outcomes.
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Computer brainstorms: More heads are better than one.
TL;DR: In this paper, the results of an experiment that found the reverse to be true for computer-mediated electronic brainstorming were presented. But the experiment was conducted with 12-member electronically interacting groups and 6-member nominal groups, and there were no differences between the two groups.
References
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Group Problem Solving1
TL;DR: In this article, an overview of the experimental evidence on group problem solving, factors that inhibit and promote the effective problem solving and the present state of group problem-solving research is provided.
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A social psychology of group processes for decision-making
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TL;DR: This paper reviews 31 empirical studies of small groups in which the major independent variable, group size, was related to several classes of dependent variables: group performance, distribution of participation, the nature of interaction, group organization, member performance, conformity and consensus, and member satisfaction.
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