GVT Week 2

Successful management of social categorization

• increased focus on work tasks

• expectations of valuable task-relevant differences

Bias activation of social categorization

• Identity threat

• Competition

• Stereotyping

• Implicit bias

Haas and Mortensen (2016) summary

Two problems of today’s teams: “us vs. them” and incomplete information

lingua franca

common language people use; cons include communication avoidance, status loss, reinforcement of “us vs. them”, and attributions to incompetence

prerequisites for lingua franca

• Hiring and training

• inclusiveness/tolerance

• culture 

• Leadership behaviors and accountability

hidden profiles

the best solution is hidden but to get it you must combine all information with each other, creating cognitive understanding, social perception, and behavioral flexibility

relational demography

individual level difference between a focal individual and others within a certain unit where individuals who differ the most experience low social integration, less commitment, higher absence, lower satisfaction, and are most likely to exit

four D framework

digital, dispersed, diverse, and dynamic teams

enabling conditions of high performance team in Hans and Mortensen (2016)

• compelling direction

• strong structure

• supportive context

• shared mindset

3 criteria to evaluate team effectiveness in Hans and Mortensen (2016)

output, collaborative ability, and members’ individual development

LeaD model description

two key leadership behaviors (person-focused and task-focused) and the dominant diversity related processes (intergroup bias and information elaboration); person focused + intergroup bias and task-focused + information elaboration

shared mental model

team members’ shared understanding and mental representation about key element of one’s environment

shared identity

members’ sense of self is linked to their team

5 core characteristics of a team

• Membership 

• Interdependence

• goals/shared responsibility for outcomes

• Team dynamics

• Team boundaries

team interdependence

when members jointly problem solve and collaborate to complete a task

shared mindset

a common identity and common understanding of a team

“real” vs. “pseudo” teams by Benishek and Lazzara (2019)

• Real → everyone tightly coupled interdependence, agreed upon objectives, systematic reflex or review or performance, clear boundaries, high autonomy, and specified roles

• Pseudo → group that call themselves a team but work independently

teaming from Benishek and Lazzara (2019)

continual process where teams are constituted and reconstituted

social identity theory

individuals derive a part of their self-concept from the social categories they belong to

two dimensions of shared identity

cognitive — how team members perceive themselves as part of the team

affective — captures emotional connection to the team (pride, loyalty, etc.)

inclusion

allows team members to feel both a sense of belonging and freedom to express their uniqueness

dimensions of inclusion

• low uniqueness value + low belongingness = exclusion

• low uniqueness value + high belongingness = assimilation

• high uniqueness value + low belongingness = differentiation

• high uniqueness value + high belongingness = inclusion

strategies to develop shared identity

group status, salience, goal interdependence, intergroup competition

Heckman’s model of three enabling conditions for effective teamwork

compelling direction, strong structure, supportive context

SPLIT framework by Neeley (2015)

structure, process, language, identity, technology

reflected knowledge from Neeley (2015)

information about oneself, one’s working location, and relationships viewed from a distant collaborator’s perspective

how to ensure structure of a GVT doesn’t harm its effectiveness

1. Staying in contact with all team members at all of the GVT's different geographic locations

2. Ensuring all geographic locations carry out tasks with equal prestige and importance. 

3. Emphasize a common mission or goal for the team as a whole.

description of SPLIT

• Structure → prevent subgroup formation and power imbalance

• Process → creating space for disagreements and emphasizing spontaneous communication

• Language → setting rules for native and nonnative speakers

• Identity → understand and reflect on others’ backgrounds and behaviors of diverse members

• Technology → match the media to the intended communication aim