ERIC Number: EJ1294401
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0969-6474
EISSN: N/A
Power Asymmetry, Egalitarianism and Team Learning -- Part II: Empirical Examination of the Moderating Role of Environmental Hardship
Sinha, Ruchi; Stothard, Christina
Learning Organization, v28 n1 p46-58 2021
Purpose: This paper aims to clarify under which conditions, and via what mechanisms, power asymmetry is likely to affect team learning. This work is part of a two-paper series. Part I presents the theoretical arguments linking power asymmetry to team learning via egalitarianism and the moderating role of environmental hardship. In Part II, the authors provide an empirical evaluation of the conceptual model presented in Part I. Design/methodology/approach: Data was gathered on 4,637 military personnel nested in 143 ongoing teams. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the proposed moderated mediation model. The results show that under higher levels of environmental hardship, teams with higher power asymmetry (greater hierarchy) show greater team egalitarianism and higher team learning. Findings: The results show that under higher levels of environmental hardship, teams with higher power asymmetry (greater hierarchy) show greater team egalitarianism and higher team learning. Research limitations/implications: The empirical examination of the proposed relationships is based on a large sample of military teams in the real world. Future research would benefit from testing the model on different samples across industries and adopting different operationalizations for environmental hardship relevant to each industry. Originality/value: This work provides insights to help practitioners to preserve the coordination benefits of hierarchy, while still promoting more egalitarianism and team learning in hierarchical teams. [For "Power Asymmetry, Egalitarianism and Team Learning -- Part 1: Conceptualizing the Moderating Role of Environmental Hardship," see EJ1273428.]
Descriptors: Power Structure, Cooperative Learning, Teamwork, Environmental Influences, Models, Group Dynamics, Social Behavior, Military Personnel
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A