Beteiligte: | , |
---|---|
In: | Communication Research, 41, 2014, 3, S. 333-352 |
veröffentlicht: |
SAGE Publications
|
Medientyp: | Artikel, E-Artikel |
Umfang: | 333-352 |
---|---|
ISSN: |
0093-6502
1552-3810 |
DOI: | 10.1177/0093650212443696 |
veröffentlicht in: | Communication Research |
Sprache: | Englisch |
Schlagwörter: | |
Kollektion: | SAGE Publications (CrossRef) |
<jats:p>Subgroup formation within larger virtual teams can lead to biased information sharing and conflict. Given this, the present study examined how social categories (i.e., in-group vs. out-group status) and interpersonal behaviors (i.e., a teammate behaving positively vs. negatively) influenced intentions and attitudes toward subgrouping in short-term virtual teams. One hundred sixty-four participants interacted in four-person teams using a synchronous chat program. The analysis showed that, though both social categories and interpersonal behaviors affected subgrouping choices, interpersonal behaviors had a stronger effect. Additionally, there was no evidence for the “black sheep hypothesis” predicting that in-group members behaving negatively discourages subgrouping. Overall, this exemplified how minimal categorical cues trigger in-group favoritism and out-group discrimination in virtual teams as anticipated by social identity models. The findings also illustrated how interpersonal behaviors robustly affect virtual team dynamics as stated by social information processing theory.</jats:p> |