Organizational teams

Short Description

In a series of field and experimental studies, we examine what effects power and hierarchies have on team processes and team outcomes. In our first study, we found that functional diversity is negatively related to team performance when teams have many hierarchical layers (rather than being "a team of equals" with regard to power) and that this interactive effect of functional diversity and number of hierarchical layers is mediated by power struggles among the team members. Overall, we do not assume that (position) power and hierarchies are always detrimental to teams. Rather, our aim is to investigate under what conditions and through what mechanisms power and hierarchies have positive and negative effects.