The effects of psychological safety, team efficacy, and transactive memory system development on team learning behavior in virtual work teams

The effects of psychological safety, team efficacy, and transactive
memory system development on team learning behavior in virtual work
teams

Thesis or Dissertation

The purpose of this study was to provide an analysis of the
relationship between psychological safety, team efficacy, transactive
memory system (TMS) development, and learning behaviors of virtual
teams. Background for this study was provided by four existing
theoretical models of team learning. This study utilized correlation
analysis and multiple regression analysis methods to help establish that
there is a relationship between psychological safety, team efficacy,
TMS, and virtual team learning behaviors. A population that consisted of
a variety of teams made up of members of a leading North American
plastic pipe trade association were given an electronic survey.
Responses from 124 individuals representing 47 individual member
companies and 23 distinct teams were gathered. The constructs measured
in the survey are conceptually meaningful at the team level. Data were
gathered from individual team members to assess team-level variables
that were aggregated at that level. The results of the study indicate
that the team interpersonal beliefs of psychological safety and team
efficacy were positively associated with team learning behaviors. In
addition, TMS was found to be positively associated with team learning
behavior, and was moderately correlated to psychological safety and team
efficacy. The main research hypothesis of this study was that the
relationship between team psychological safety, team efficacy, and team
learning behaviors are moderated by TMS. The hypothesized model that
placed TMS as a moderator did show a slight increase in the variation
explained in virtual team learning behaviors versus the model with no
moderating effect included. This result may indicate a potential
moderating effect of TMS, but is not strong enough to make an
unequivocal statement. However, the study found a high degree of
correlation between TMS and virtual team learning behaviors, which may
indicate that TMS plays an important role in team learning. This study
provided quantitative data and analysis of the interpersonal factors
driving team learning behavior, and the development of TMS for virtual
teams in an organizational setting. It is believed that information
specific to the relationship between the team-level constructs will
allow HRD practitioners and researchers to further develop learning in
this critical organizational form.

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. May 2016. Major:
Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development. Advisor: Alexandre
Ardichvili. 1 computer file (PDF); vi, 107 pages.

Knapp, Randall.

(2016).
The effects of psychological safety, team efficacy,
and transactive memory system development on team learning behavior in
virtual work teams.

Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy,

http://hdl.handle.net/11299/181755.