Past research suggests that task conflict may improve team performance under certain conditions; however, we know little about these specific conditions. On the basis of prior theory and research on conflict in teams, we argue that a climate of psychological safety is one specific context under which task conflict will improve team performance. Using evidence from 117 project teams, the present research found that psychological safety climate moderates the relationship between task conflict and performance. Specifically, task conflict and team performance were positively associated under conditions of high psychological safety. The results support the conclusion that psychological safety facilitates the performance benefits of task conflict in teams. Theoretical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Prior research evidence shows that within-team interdependence moderates the process-performance relationship in small groups. Data collected from 94 top management teams (TMTs) replicated and extended the small groups finding. Specifically, TMTs with high interdependence (i.e., real teams) had higher team and subsequent firm performance when the team was more cohesive and had more communication. However, teams with low interdependence (i.e., working groups) had higher performance when communication and cohesion were lower. This constructive replication provides the first examination of the moderating effect for team interdependence within TMTs on both team and firm performance.

Using data from 94 top management teams, we found that dyadic goal importance congruence between CEOs and vice presidents (VPs) partially mediated the relationship of CEO transformational leadership with individual VPs' attitudes, but not their performance. However, finer-grained analyses suggested it may be higher VP perceptions of goal importance, rather than the exact correspondence between CEO and VP goal importance ratings, that are associated with both CEO transformational leadership and VP attitudes. At the organizational level, CEO transformational leadership was positively related to within-team goal importance congruence, which in turn was positively related to organizational performance.