Cristina B. Gibson

The Antecedents, Consequences, and Mediating Role of Organizational Ambidexterity

We investigated contextual organizational ambidexterity, defined as the capacity to simultaneously achieve alignment and adaptability at a business-unit level. Building on the leadership and organization context literatures, we argue that a context characterized by a combination of stretch, discipline, support, and trust facilitates contextual ambidexterity. Further, ambidexterity mediates the relationship between these contextual features and performance. Data collected from 4,195 individuals in 41 business units supported our hypotheses.

The Impact of Team Empowerment on Virtual Team Performance: The Moderating Role of Face-to-Face Interaction

We investigated the relationship between team empowerment and virtual team performance and the moderating role of the extent of face-to-face interaction using 35 sales and service virtual teams in a high-technology organization. Team empowerment was positively related to two independent assessments of virtual team performance— process improvement and customer satisfaction. Further, the number of face-to-face meetings moderated the relationship between team empowerment and process improvement: team empowerment was a stronger predictor for teams that met face-toface less, rather than more, frequently.

Unpacking the Concept of Virtuality: The Effects of Geographic Dispersion, Electronic Dependence, Dynamic Structure, and National Diversity on Team Innovation

To understand why the virtual design strategies that organizations create to foster innovation may in fact hinder it, we unpack four characteristics often associated with the term ‘virtuality’ (geographic dispersion, electronic dependence, structural dynamism, and national diversity) and argue that each hinders innovation through unique mechanisms, many of which can be overcome by creating a psychologically safe communication climate. We first tested the plausibility of our arguments using in-depth qualitative analysis of interviews with 177 members of 14 teams in a variety of industries. A second study constituted a more formal test of hypotheses using survey data collected from 266 members of 56 aerospace design teams. Results show that the four characteristics are not highly intercorrelated, that they have independent and differential effects on innovation, and that a psychologically safe communication climate helps mitigate the challenges they pose. We discuss the implications of these findings for theory and research.

A Healthy Divide: Subgroups as a Stimulus for Team Learning Behavior

This paper examines the relationship between subgroups and team learning behavior, defined as a cycle of experimentation, reflective communication, and codification. We develop the construct of “subgroup strength,” defined as the degree of overlap across multiple demographic characteristics among a subset of team members. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we propose that the presence of subgroups within a team may stimulate learning behavior and that organizational design features, such as performance management by an external leader, team empowerment, and the availability of a knowledge management system, may have different effects on teams, depending on subgroup strength. Data on 156 teams in five pharmaceutical and medical products firms confirmed that moderately strong demographic subgroups in teams fostered learning behavior. In addition, both very homogeneous and very heterogeneous teams were more inclined to engage in learning behavior, but only if we controlled for the concurrent effect of subgroup strength. Finally, subgroup strength moderated the impact of organizational design features on team learning. Overall, this study contributes to the literature on team composition, design, and learning by highlighting the importance of subgroups for understanding team behavior.

Metaphors and meaning: An intercultural analysis of the concept of teamwork

This paper develops a conceptual framework to explain different understandings of the concept of teamwork across national and organizational cultures. Five different metaphors for teamwork (military, sports, community, family, and associates) were derived from the language team members used during interviews in four different geographic locations of six multinational corporations. Results indicated that use of the teamwork metaphors varies across countries and organizations, after controlling for gender, team function, and total words in an interview. Analyses of specific relationships between national cultural values and categories of metaphor use and between dimensions of organizational culture and categories of metaphor use revealed patterns of expectations about team roles, scope, membership, and objectives that arise in different cultural contexts. We discuss the implications of this variance for future research on teams and the management of teams in multinational organizations.

Multinational Organization Context: Implications for Team Learning and Performance

Integrating and extending literature on international management and team effectiveness, we examined how macro context in multinational organizations (MNCs) influences work team learning and how team learning influences task performance and interpersonal relations. We examined these influences in a multimethod study of 115 teams in 20 subsidiaries of five MNCs. Controlling for micro contextual features, including team type, training, feedback, and autonomy, we found that organizational contexts emphasizing global integration reduced team learning, but those emphasizing responsiveness and knowledge management increased team learning. Team learning in turn positively influenced both task performance and the quality of interpersonal relations.

Doing Research that is Useful to Practice a Model and Empirical Exploration

Drawing from literature on knowledge transfer and cognition, we develop a theoretical model for conducting research that is useful to practitioners. We explore the potential of this model by examin...

Understanding Group Efficacy An Empirical Test of Multiple Assessment Methods

Methods of assessing group efficacy were examined using a multiparty role play negotiation. Group efficacy is defined as a group’s perceived capability to perform. Three methods of measuring group efficacy were compared: (a) group potency, (b) an aggregation of group members’ estimates, and (c) group discussion. These methods were used to assess group efficacy regarding several group performance characteristics. Analyses were conducted to assess various validity and measurement issues. All methods and types demonstrated construct validity; however, predictive validity was modest and varied across the measures. The group discussion method predicted group outcomes better than the potency scale or aggregate method. As expected, generalized efficacy measures predicted general performance indicators, and task-specific measures predicted task-specific performance.

Multinational Work Teams: A New Perspective

This authored books purpose is to extend and consolidate the evolving literature on multinational work teams by developing a comprehensive theory that incorporates a dynamic, multilevel view of such teams. The model used by the authors focuses on various features of the teams members, their interactions as a team, and the organizational context in which they operate. The concept of integration and differentiation, as well as the notion of equilibrium are used as a general force guiding the specific processes that link various levels of analysis in the model. Providing a framework for scholars and students in the field of organizational studies, this book presents: *a comprehensive review of the literature related to multinational and multicultural teams; *an overview of the specific model driving our thinking along with an extensive description of the component parts; *the individual and group-level elements of teams and their members; *the linking processes that connect various elements and structures; *the catalysts that give rise to changes in various elements and structures described in the theory section; and *a general integration of the model and an application of this framework for understanding MNTs in diverse cultural contexts.

Is what you see, what you get?: The relationship among surface- and deep-level heterogeneity characteristics, group efficacy, and team reputation

In this study, the authors observed and examined 57 bank branch teams to better understand the consequences of two types of team heterogeneity— surface level (gender and ethnicity) and deep level (collectivism cultural values and tenure)—on internal (group efficacy) and external (team reputation) team outcomes, arguing in general that heterogeneity has a negative impact on group efficacy but a positive impact on team reputation. As proposed, teams with lower tenure heterogeneity had higher group efficacy, and teams with higher gender heterogeneity and higher collectivism heterogeneity received better ratings on team reputation. However, contrary to the hypotheses, the relationship between collectivism heterogeneity and group efficacy was positive, and the relationship between ethnic heterogeneity and team reputation was negative. Implications for theories of social cognition, group development, and international management are discussed.