Levels of cognitive congruence between managers and team members' perceptions of cooperation at work

Abstract

Much of the research on the psychological dynamics of performance teams suffers from the following limitations: consideration of only one theoretical framework and analysis of just one perspective (e.g., manager-coach or team member). To address these shortcomings, this study used a Global Cooperation concept that synthesized five psychological frameworks: coordination, cohesion, cooperation, integration, and identification. The objective of this study was to examine the level of congruence-symmetry between the two perspectives and the tendency for managers-coaches and team members to reduce cognitive dissonance in the perception of global cooperation. To this end, 108 managers-coaches and members of performance teams were studied (range: 23-60 years old) using a CooperativeWorkteam Questionnaire (CWQ). Results revealed that the greatest amount of asymmetry was observed in Global Cooperation and Emotional Cooperation, while less asymmetry was found in Personal Growth, and good congruence-fit in Conditioned Cooperation. Results are discussed in terms of their theoretical meaning and practical implications for interventions on performance teams.