Information Sharing and Team Performance: A Meta-Analysis

    Authors

    J. R. Mesmer-Magnus;L. A. DeChurch

    Comments

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    Abstract

    Information sharing is a central process through which team members collectively utilize their available informational resources. The authors used meta-analysis to synthesize extant research on team information sharing. Meta-analytic results from 72 independent studies (total groups = 4,795; total N = 17,279) demonstrate the importance of information sharing to team performance, cohesion, decision satisfaction, and knowledge integration. Although moderators were identified, information sharing positively predicted team performance across all levels of moderators. The information sharing-team performance relationship was moderated by the representation of information sharing (as uniqueness or openness), performance criteria, task type, and discussion structure by uniqueness (a 3-way interaction). Three factors affecting team information processing were found to enhance team information sharing: task demonstrability. discussion structure, and cooperation. Three factors representing decreasing degrees of member redundancy were found to detract from team information sharing: information distribution, informational interdependence, and member heterogeneity.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Applied Psychology

    Volume

    94

    Issue/Number

    2

    Publication Date

    1-1-2009

    Document Type

    Article

    First Page

    535

    Last Page

    546

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000264247000017

    ISSN

    0021-9010

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