Effects of Leader Role, Team-Set Goal Difficulty, Efficacy, and Tactics on Team Effectiveness

Abstract

Concepts from the domains of leadership theory, goal setting theory and social cognitive theory were used to identify factors influencing team effectiveness. Seventy-two three-person teams performed a computerized tank battle simulation (BOLO) in a 2 × 2 design. Teams were assigned difficult or easy goals and were led by commanders or team coordinators. Commanders were preselected based on personality. Both types of leaders were instructed in their roles. Gender ratios of the teams were balanced. Controlling for ability, teams with team coordinators implemented better tactics than teams with commanders, and the quality of the tactics discovered and implemented by the teams strongly affected team performance. Assigned goal difficulty affected both team efficacy and team-set goal difficulty. Team efficacy influenced team-set goal difficulty, which in conjunction with team tactics influenced performance. Team tactics were more strongly related to team performance than was team-set goal difficulty. Additionally, an interaction effect on performance was found between team tactics and team-set goal difficulty.