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An analysis of predictors of team satisfaction in product development teams with differing levels of virtualness
Author(s) -
Stark Eric M.,
Bierly III Paul E.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
randd management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.253
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1467-9310
pISSN - 0033-6807
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9310.2009.00571.x
Subject(s) - clarity , psychology , team effectiveness , team composition , variety (cybernetics) , interpersonal communication , preference , new product development , product (mathematics) , social psychology , psychological safety , applied psychology , knowledge management , marketing , business , computer science , biochemistry , chemistry , geometry , mathematics , artificial intelligence , economics , microeconomics
The purpose of this study is to empirically examine and assess the moderating effects of extent of virtualness on a variety of well‐established predictors of new product development team satisfaction. We focus our study on 178 different new product development teams from a variety of industries and use extent of virtualness as a structural characteristic of the teams, measuring it on a continuum. The predictors of team satisfaction we studied are relationship conflict, familiarity, goal clarity and preference for group work. Primary findings include: (1) relationship conflict has a more deleterious effect on team member satisfaction as teams become more virtual, mainly because it is very difficult for team members of virtual teams to resolve their interpersonal disputes; (2) the relationship between preference for group work and team satisfaction is moderated by extent of virtualness, such that preference for group work increases team satisfaction more as virtualness increases; (3) goal clarity and familiarity are not moderated by extent of virtualness, but have a significant direct effect on team satisfaction. Managerial and research implications of these findings relative to new product development teams are also discussed.