Better Together: Member Proactivity Is Better for Team Performance When Aligned with Conscientiousness

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Author(s)Emich, Kyle
Author(s)Lu, Li
Author(s)Ferguson, Amanda J.
Author(s)Peterson, Randall
Author(s)McCourt, Michael
Author(s)Martin, Sean
Author(s)McClean, Elizabeth
Author(s)Woodruff, Col. Todd
Date Accessioned2023-08-25T15:27:35Z
Date Available2023-08-25T15:27:35Z
Publication Date2023-05-09
DescriptionThis article was originally published in Academy of Management Discoveries. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.5465/amd.2021.0208. Copyright 2023. This article will be embargoed until 05/09/2024.
AbstractProactivity, the tendency to create change in the work environment, typically improves team performance. This relationship is far from perfect, however. We explore inconsistencies in the team proactivity literature to shed light on an important question – when is member proactivity beneficial or dysfunctional for teams? First, we consider the composition of member proactivity at the team level and whether a simple ‘more is better’ heuristic neglects a more complex relationship linking member proactivity to team coordination and performance. Second, we explore whether proactivity is better when aligned with another individual difference focused on the propensity to plan and coordinate with others (i.e., conscientiousness). In two studies, we compare traditional additive and configurational compositional approaches to these two attributes with a new attribute alignment approach, allowing us to examine the co-occurrence of proactivity and conscientiousness within some team members relative to others. First, we find that team member proactivity-conscientiousness alignment (P-C alignment) predicts the performance of MBA consulting teams better than the other team composition models we considered. Then, we replicate this finding in a laboratory simulation, finding that it occurs because P-C alignment improves team coordination. Our results demonstrate that member proactivity is most effective for the team when it aligns with conscientiousness.
CitationEmich, Kyle, Li Lu, Amanda J. Ferguson, Randall Peterson, Michael McCourt, Sean Martin, Elizabeth McClean, and Col. Todd Woodruff. “Better Together: Member Proactivity Is Better for Team Performance When Aligned with Conscientiousness.” Academy of Management Discoveries, May 9, 2023, amd.2021.0208. https://doi.org/10.5465/amd.2021.0208.
ISSN2168-1007
URLhttps://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/33269
Languageen_US
PublisherAcademy of Management Discoveries
Keywordsinterpersonal & team processes
Keywordsteam composition
Keywordsindividual differences
Keywordspersonality
Keywordsproaction
Keywordsteam development & building
TitleBetter Together: Member Proactivity Is Better for Team Performance When Aligned with Conscientiousness
TypeArticle
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