[SCOPUS] Effects of Team-member Psychological Proximity on Teamwork Performance

posted Mar 16, 2015, 5:36 AM by CWS Yonsei   [ updated Mar 16, 2015, 6:20 AM ]
Cha, M., Park, J.-G., & Lee, J. (2014). Effects of Team-member Psychological Proximity on Teamwork Performance. Team Performance Management, 20(1/2), 81-96.

Abstract
Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine whether team-members’ psychological proximity affects the degree of teamwork quality and therefore affecting the team performance.
Design/methodology/approach – A survey instrument was developed based on extant literature reviews, and administered among information technology professionals. Collected data were analysed using partial least square (PLS) method.
Findings – Team-members’ psychological proximity is found to be significantly related to teamwork quality. The magnitude of relational coefficients between sub-dimensions of psychological proximity and those of teamwork quality turned out to be different from each other.
Research limitations/implications – Psychological proximity is found to critically influence teamwork and performance in IT teams. Also, the four-factormodel developed from previous literature is validated for further use. Snowball sampling using IT professionals is the major limitation of this study.
Originality/value – Studies on teamwork quality that employs psychological proximity are scarce. Socialising in workplaces is sometimes viewed as an unproductive activity, however, socialising decreases psychological proximity among team-members, increasing teamwork quality. In addition, examining the psychological proximity in team-members adds to the growing literature on teamwork quality.

Keywords
Team performance, Psychological proximity, Team-member proximity, Teamwork quality