Proportion of women in work teams and team performance: a moderated mediation model

Abstract

Women’s representation in the workforce is increasing. However, we still do not know how, why, and when the proportion of females in work teams is related to team performance. Based on Social Role Theory and Congruence Theory, the purpose of the study was to ascertain whether the relationship between the proportion of women in work teams and team performance is mediated by team social cohesion, and whether this indirect effect is moderated by the frequency of leader-team member social interactions. Regarding methodological aspects, the study sample was composed of 178 work teams from three banks. We implemented a time-lagged design and collected data from two distinct sources (team members and team leaders) at three different time points. Our findings indicate that the proportion of women in teams was positively related to team performance via team social cohesion. This indirect effect was moderated by the frequency of leader-team member social interactions, so that it was positive and statistically significant only in teams with medium and high frequency of these interactions. This study reveals that team social cohesion is a mechanism through which the proportion of women in work teams can facilitate team performance, especially when team leaders frequently interact with their team members. The theoretical and practical implications of our findings were discussed.