Status Processes in Enduring Work Groups

Abstract

We examine the impact of team, organizational, and societal status characteristics on interaction patterns in long-term work groups. Data are from 2077 respondents representing 224 research and development teams drawn from 29 large corporations. Hypotheses based on status characteristic theory are supported: Both external (organizational and societal) and internal (team) status characteristics affect team interaction. When status within a team is controlled, only one external characteristic has a significant positive effect. Team status, in turn, is significantly affected by each of the external characteristics studied. While most of these external characteristics may reflect a team member's past performance, gender, when past performance is controlled, also has an independent effect on team status with males being accorded higher status. This suggests that competence and performance are not the sole bases for team status. Status processes in enduring work teams behave very much like those observed in ad hoc groups: Beliefs associated with diffuse status characteristics affect the ordering of interaction.