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Stronger than the sum of its parts? The performance implications of peer control combinations in teams

de Jong, Bart A.; Bijlsma-Frankema, Katinka M.; Cardinal, Laura B.

Authors

Katinka M. Bijlsma-Frankema

Laura B. Cardinal



Abstract

Integrating theorizing on situational strength and complementarity with control theory, we investigate the mediating processes that transmit peer control combination effects to team performance. We argue that two critical peer control mechanisms-norm strength and peer pressure-complement each other such that their joint impact on team members becomes stronger than the sum of their parts. In a multiple mediator model, we identify effort and trust as two distinct mediating processes that explain the relationship between peer control combinations and team performance. Multisource, multiwave data from 41 self-managing healthcare teams largely support our model. The pattern of mediation was more complex than we anticipated, revealing an indirect effect of peer controls on effort via trust. Together, our findings offer insight into how controls complement each other and the processes through which they do so.

Citation

de Jong, B. A., Bijlsma-Frankema, K. M., & Cardinal, L. B. (2014). Stronger than the sum of its parts? The performance implications of peer control combinations in teams. Organization Science, 25(6), 1703-1721. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2014.0926

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date Aug 28, 2014
Publication Date 2014-11
Deposit Date Mar 13, 2025
Journal Organization Science
Print ISSN 1047-7039
Electronic ISSN 1526-5455
Publisher Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 25
Issue 6
Pages 1703-1721
DOI https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2014.0926
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3708073