The present study investigated the relationship between collective leadership, team trust, and team performance longitudinally and with the inclusion of a performance feedback loop. Collective leadership was hypothesized to mediate the relationship between team trust and team performance; however, this hypothesis was not supported. Additional analyses support the conceptualization of collective leadership as an emergent state because collective leadership density increased significantly across two time-points. Further hypothesis testing revealed performance feedback to influence subsequent levels of team trust. / Master of Science

There are many leadership theories that dominate the field of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, however there is a lack of understanding as to which leadership processes may be most appropriate for action teams in high stress environments. Previous research has articulated leadership behaviors, but has largely ignored the temporal processes of leadership, and how it changes throughout the operating team’s tenure. The proposed study investigates two types of leadership, namely shared and autocratic leadership, that take place during critical steps of the perioperative process and relates these leadership behaviors to team dynamics and psychological processes. Specifically, this study builds upon other studies by testing how leadership behaviors are related to levels of psychological safety and the optimization of teamwork and communication among team members. We were also interested in understanding if the surgeon’s perception of past performance of their team has an impact on the amount of trust the leader has in his/her team and if this in turn, has an impact on the type of leadership utilized during the team’s tenure. As an exemplar environment, we explored these dynamics in the operating theater, which is a high stakes environment requiring both technical and non-technical skills, such as leadership, communication, and teamwork. Results show that the correlation between the surgeon’s perceived past performance of the team and the trust the surgeon has in his/her team and the relationship between team’s trust and teamwork and communication were significant at the alpha =.1 level. All other relationships were non-significant. / M.S. / In the field of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, many leadership theories have been developed, however, there is a lack of understanding as to which type of leadership is best for teams who work in high-stress environments, such as the operating room. This study looks at two types of leadership: shared leadership and autocratic leadership. Shared leadership is when all team members emerge and have a leadership role, whereas autocratic leadership is when one person makes all the decisions without consulting other team members. Previous research has articulated leadership behaviors, but has largely ignored the temporal processes of leadership, and how it changes over time throughout the surgical procedure. This study builds upon other studies by testing how leadership behaviors are related to levels of psychological safety and the optimization of teamwork and communication among team members. We were also interested in understanding if the surgeon’s perception of past performance of their team has an impact on the amount of trust the leader has in his/her team and if this in turn, has an impact on the type of leadership utilized during the team’s tenure. As an exemplar environment, we explored these dynamics in the operating theater, which is a high stakes environment requiring both technical and non-technical skills, such as leadership, communication, and teamwork. Results show that the relationship between the surgeon’s perceived past performance of the team and the trust the surgeon has in his/her team is significant and the relationship between the trust the surgical team members have in each other and the amount that they communicate with each other is also significant.

Within the growing literature on team leadership, there is a lack of understanding which leadership process may be most reflective of intratsk leadership. In study 1, I explored leadership behaviors throughout the operating team's OR tasks and if a shared leadership approach is related to psycho-social attitudes and performance of the team. I also investigate surgical teams' engagement in safety related behaviors and if these are related to the team's workflow disruptions. As an exemplar environment, I chose to observe these dynamics in the operating theater, which is a high-stakes environment that necessitates the team to use both technical and non-technical skills. In study 2, I investigate whether a brief targeted leadership coaching sessions with residents in a simulated environment results in different (increase or decrease) leadership behaviors at an interval of 6 months. Multiple hypothesized models were tested in Study 1. The results of model 1 show that psychological safety and team trust are significantly correlated to each other (r=.704, p= <.001). The results show that psychological safety (β= -.505 p=.049) is related to performance (time of patient on bypass), while team trust (β= .177 p=.303) does not predict performance. The results of model 2 show that more extensive shared leadership behaviors are not significantly correlated with psychological safety (r=.087 p=.250) and performance (r=-.085, p =.295); however, the results show that there is a significant correlation with shared leadership and team trust (r=.260 p =.023), indicating that a more extensive shared leadership approach is related to higher team trust in a surgical team. The results of model 3 show that the length of the time-out (a safety critical behavior) does not mediate the relationship between perceptions of the usefulness of the time-out and frequency with which the circulating nurse leaves the operating room (OR). However, there is a strong relationship between the perceptions of the time-out and the number of times the circulating nurse leaves the OR (β = -.425, p<.001), indicating that for every unit increase in the perceptions of the usefulness of the time-out, the nurse leaves the OR .45 fewer times. In study 2, a paired sample t-test was conducted to understand if leadership behaviors post-coaching session are more frequent than pre-coaching session. The results show that there is no significant difference in the frequency of leadership behaviors at time 1 (M =.113, SD=.040) and the leadership behaviors at time 2 (M= .127, SD= .041); t (6)= -1.216, p = .270. / Doctor of Philosophy / Within the growing literature on team leadership, there is a lack of understanding which leadership process may be most reflective of intratsk leadership. In study 1, I explored leadership behaviors throughout the operating team's OR tasks and if a shared leadership approach is related to psycho-social attitudes and performance of the team. I also investigate surgical teams' engagement in safety related behaviors and if these are related to the team's workflow disruptions. As an exemplar environment, I chose to observe these dynamics in the operating theater, which is a high-stakes environment that necessitates the team to use both technical and non-technical skills. In study 2, I investigate whether a brief targeted leadership coaching sessions with residents in a simulated environment results in different (increase or decrease) leadership behaviors at an interval of 6 months. Multiple hypothesized models were tested in Study 1. The results of model 1 show that psychological safety and team trust are significantly correlated to each other. The results show that psychological safety is related to performance (time of patient on bypass), while team trust does not predict performance. The results of model 2 show that more extensive shared leadership behaviors are not significantly correlated with psychological safety and performance; however, the results show that there is a significant correlation with shared leadership and team trust, indicating that a more extensive shared leadership approach is related to higher team trust in a surgical team. The results of model 3 show that the length of the time-out (a safety critical behavior) does not mediate the relationship between perceptions of the usefulness of the time-out and frequency with which the circulating nurse leaves the operating room (OR). However, there is a strong relationship between the perceptions of the usefulness of the time-out and the number of times the circulating nurse leaves the OR, indicating that for every unit increase in the perceptions of the usefulness of the time-out, the nurse leaves the OR .45 fewer times. In study 2, a paired sample t-test was conducted to understand if leadership behaviors post-coaching session are more frequent than pre-coaching session. The results show that there is no significant difference in the frequency of leadership behaviors at time 1 and the leadership behaviors at time 2.

The present study seeks to advance understanding of intragroup trust and team diversity. The dynamic interrelationships between intragroup trust, information sharing, and performance were examined over feedback cycles in interdisciplinary and homogeneous teams. In a three-hour lab session, participants completed a management simulation task in teams of four. Performance feedback was administered and process variables were measured periodically throughout the task. Several hypotheses were posed predicting differences between team type as well as the dynamic influence of performance feedback on the nature of trust. Findings both add to knowledge about the development of trust as well as point to future research directions. Although trust displayed an overall positive linear trend independent of team type, Cycle 1 performance feedback contributed to the trust trajectory. Additionally, considerations for operationalizations of information sharing and team performance are discussed in light of findings. / Master of Science

The thesis aims to explore the effect of team dynamics on team and organisational outcomes. Dynamics is a broad term that encompasses all the processes and attitudes that exist between team members and influence the direction of team's performance. Trust, conflict and behavioural integration comprise psychological facets of teamwork and are amongst the most common dynamics of a team. The current study aims to shed light on the perceptions of board members about the level of conflict, trust and behavioural integration during board meetings, which comprise the most critical forum of the group. Trust, conflict and behavioural integration are the primary attitudes, behaviors, and cognitions that arise within the board and encompass the core aspects of teamwork. There is a gap in the literature for examining the role of social-psychological processes and interactions between the board members because access to the boardroom is difficult and the researchers are forced to turn their attention on secondary data and proxies for board behaviors. Although that board of directors is an upper echelons group of executives who can ensure the long-term survival of the organisations, there is scarce of research in studying boards from a team perspective. Until today, we have limited knowledge of team processes, such as conflict, both inside the boardrooms and in the context of strategy implementation. The literature review in this thesis is drawn from multiple disciplines, including management, psychology and sociology, which enable us to gain a deep understanding of team's dynamics. The methodology has been based on a positivist approach since the focus is centered around the data collection process and the statistical interpretation of the findings. Primary data was collected from board members in Nordic countries, namely Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Norway. The data was collected with the use of survey method and the findings are based on 186 usable responses. The Nordic corporate governance model remains still the less known outside the Nordic region (Thomsen, 2016) but this thesis postulates that valuable lessons can emanate from its study. The study of the Nordic model could give us useful lessons for the roles of the board and the structure of their organisations. The statistical analysis of the model involved: Descriptive Analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factory Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results of this thesis provide theoretical and managerial recommendations for achieving superior board performance. The importance of the role of the Behavioural Integration inside the boardroom is underlined as a significant finding of this study. Moreover, the role of Trust in the board context raises some important questions about its priority since there may be other processes or dynamics which present more clear-cut results on board effectiveness. Furthermore, the deleterious effects of conflict have been underlined. It is also underlined that in this competitive era boards should go beyond fiduciary responsibilities to a more strategic role on a broader range of matters With the exception of a few studies, researchers still to move inside the "black box" of the upper echelons processes and understand how the executives in the board interact. Building a strong board of directors requires a focus beyond demographic characteristics to board interactions. The most effective boards have the strongest board dynamics and are characterized by openness, teamness and collaborative behaviour. The power of the board comes from the ability of the directors to effectively work together and hopefully the current study contributes substantially to the corporate governance field and the way that team processes affect team outcomes.

Building and maintaining trust is a necessary condition for group cohesion. In order to successful collaborative group process in online learning environment, development of trust must be understood in online teams. Difference communication behaviors in the online teams with different trust levels were investigated in this research. Participants were 61 students in an undergraduate level who enrolled in the online course. In this research, online teams&amp / #8217 / collaborative communication behaviors were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods to understand the factors that facilitate and deepen trust. Data were obtained from questionnaires and online class discussion archives. One of the findings of the study was that trust is built and maintained in online teams. Another finding was that online trust can be fragile and certain communication behaviors should be presented by members to deepen and maintain the trust level. The results of the study showed that there must be social interaction, enthusiasm, task oriented interaction, equal and predictable communication, and feedback among the member of online teams to built and maintain trust.

The purpose of the study was to examine elements which affected students' team trust building in an online collaborative learning team and relationships among these elements. The setting of this study was a graduate-level online course on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) in which all course activities were conducted collaboratively through online communications. Data were collected from multiple sources including interviews which were audio taped, transcripts of students' self-reflective journals, transcripts of messages on the asynchronous web conferencing system, transcripts of messages on the synchronous web conferencing system, and the researcher's reflective journals. Data were analyzed using the coding procedures for developing grounded theory proposed by Strauss and Corbin (1998). Results of the data analysis indicated the influences of CSCL course context including the collaborative nature of the course and the heterogeneity of teams on students' team trust building. Results also indicated the dynamics of team trust building. Four different components of team trust building, which were initial team trust, contributors, dimensions, and consequences of team trust, influenced one another. Students’ initial team trust influenced the contributors to team trust which were students' competence, reliability, online communication, and caring. In addition, these contributors influenced the dimensions of team trust such as task performance trust and interpersonal trust. Once students built trust in their teams, they could develop collaborative knowledge building and a sense of community which were the consequences of team trust. The consequences of students’ team trust, in turn, influenced the contributors to team trust. Understanding the construct of team trust may help not only instructors in their design and guidance of successful online collaborative learning teams, but also students in various online collaborative learning teams. In addition, the results of this study may help instructors and researchers to consider carefully the issues in relation to online team trust building. / text

Employee turnover is a major topic of research in organisational behaviour and human resource management. Particularly for health care organisations, employee turnover is a major concern because it produces shortages and unstable staffing, which consequently leads to increases in work demands, which can threaten well-being, job satisfaction and behavioural commitment of individual nurses and consequently the quality of care. High turnover at the collective team level has been considered to be more complex and significant than individual level turnover because of its negative impact on organisational performance and quality of patient care. The study of the consequences of turnover on organisational outcomes over time is important and it has begun to address at the collective level to understand the direct causal effects. However, few have investigated the underlying reasons for the negative effects of team turnover on organisational outcomes. Team turnover has been shown to disrupt normal operation of firms by weakening human resources, loosening social ties among members, and interrupting cooperation and change in assigned duties and responsibilities. There is a critical need to examine the theoretical mechanisms and boundary conditions that drive the effects of team turnover on team outcomes over time. Turnover research is limited in explaining turnover processes and outcomes at team level of analysis over time. The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of team turnover on team performance and team effectiveness outcomes over time by considering the mediating role of team trust, cooperative behaviours, monitoring behaviours and the moderating effect of team cohesion and team support. A model formulated around input-process-output (IPO) was developed, based on operational disruption theory, to test the direct and indirect effects of team turnover on outcomes using four waves of data collected over nine months from 827 nurses nested within 75 teams in two health care organisations, whereas team performance was assessed by supervisor ratings and team effectiveness was assessed by team member ratings. The findings of structural equation modelling showed a direct negative effect of team turnover on team performance and team satisfaction and indirect negative effects of team turnover on team performance, team satisfaction and team commitment. The result showed that team cohesion partially moderated the effect between team turnover and team performance and team satisfaction. Team trust, cooperative behaviour and monitoring behaviour act as multiple meditating roles between team turnover and team performance and effectiveness. The result showed that: (1) team trust fully mediated the effect of team turnover on cooperating behaviour and monitoring behaviour; (2) cooperative behaviour fully mediated the effect of team trust on team performance; and (3) monitoring behaviour fully mediated the effect of team trust on team commitment. The IPO model supported the research hypotheses that team turnover has a negative effect on key interaction processes and that these disruptions negatively influence team performance and team commitment. These findings contribute to further our understanding about team turnover and about the underlying relations between team turnover, processes and outcomes within teams. The findings of this study provide healthcare human resource managers and policy makers with a better understanding of how team turnover effects team performance and effectiveness through trust, cooperative behaviours and monitoring behaviours, as well as cohesion in teams assisting in dealing with negative implications of team turnover. The results of this study also offer advice that can help to implement intervention strategies to retain health care team members by supporting their teams that need to cope with operational disruptions such as human capital resources loss and social capital loss that associate with team turnover. Strengths and limitations of the study are outlined and the directions for future research are highlighted.