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Publication Date

2012-04-28

Availability

UM campus only

Embargo Period

2014-04-28

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Communication Studies (Communication)

Date of Defense

2012-04-13

First Committee Member

Don W. Stacks

Second Committee Member

Michel Dupagne

Third Committee Member

Diane Millette

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate whether or not group voice climate contributes to team performance. And, if so, how it contributes. Specifically, it was hypothesized that one kind of team emergent states, group voice climate, defined as the extent to which team members feel safe and effective to speak up, exerts a positive influence on team performance. Furthermore, team creativity and team reflexivity, generally arise during team member interactions, were presumed to be team process mediators bridging the relationship between group voice climate and team performance. Team creativity allows team to find ways to improve working procedures and methods, while team reflexivity enables teams to both reevaluate past activities and plan for the future. A cross-sectional survey of 265 employees from 84 engineer teams at three high-tech companies in China was used to test the three hypotheses. The results demonstrated that group voice climate contributed to team performance. Moreover, team reflexivity fully mediated the relationship between group voice climate and team performance, while the mediating role of team creativity was not supported empirically. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed as well.

Keywords

team; voice climate; team performance; creativity; reflexivity

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