Measures and models of personality and their effects on communication and team performance

Abstract

The importance of teams and their impact on the contemporary workplace cannot be overstated. Many studies have been conducted to point to specific relevant factors related to team performance. Nonetheless, there remains relatively little that is known about the mechanisms and interactions that lead to high performing teams. In this study we consider communication (a key feature of teamwork) as a potentially mediating factor between each aspect of human personality (as measured by the Five Factor Model) and team performance. This exploratory study sheds further light on how personalities affect teams via communication, using a structural equation modeling approach. Results indicate that at least one team measure of extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, and openness is moderated by communication in influencing team performance. Relevance to industry: This research can aid managers on the relative importance of personality metrics on team performance, as well as the nature of the relationships among these metrics. This has the potential to improve organizational performance and reinforces the need for communication in fostering teamwork.