We outline the potential of dynamics systems theory for researching team processes and highlight how state space grids, as a methodological application rooted in the dynamic systems perspective, can help build new knowledge about temporal team dynamics. Specifically, state space grids visualize the relationship between two categorical variables that are synchronized in time, allowing the (team) researcher to track and capture the emerging structure of social processes. In addition to being a visualization tool, state space grids offer various quantifications of the dynamic properties of the team system. These measures tap into both the content and the structure of the dynamic team system. We highlight the implications of the state space grid technique for team science and discuss research areas that could benefit most from the method. To illustrate the various opportunities of state space grids, we provide an application example based on coded team interaction data. Moreover, we provide a step-by-step tutorial for researchers interested in using the state space grid technique and provide an overview of current software options. We close with a discussion of how researchers and practitioners can use state space grids for team training and team development.

Scholars are increasingly embracing innovative research designs and measures to capture actual leader and/or follower behaviors in real interactions. Our systematic review of this emerging research stream and development of a research agenda seeks to move the literature further in this direction. Specifically, we aim to inspire scholars with techniques for observing, manipulating, or training actual leadership and/or followership behaviors at different temporal scopes in the laboratory or field and identify which future research areas are worth exploring. To achieve these aims, we perform a review of existing studies in this domain according to their underlying conceptual model and temporal scope. We analyze which types of leader or follower behaviors (i.e., verbal behavior, text-based behavior, choice behavior, gaze, facial expressions, gestures, voice tone and pitch, movement cues, and unspecified nonverbal behavior) have been studied, how they have been studied (i.e., using which methodological approaches), and in which study context (i.e., laboratory or field). We distill these findings to derive six future research directions: conducting studies that connect actual and perceived leader/follower behaviors, considering temporal granularity in a nuanced manner, exploring interdependent behavioral patterns, leveraging unconventional research methods, performing multimodal behavior analyses, and conducting more studies "in the wild" (i.e., field research).

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In the present research, we developed NegotiAct, a comprehensive coding scheme for negotiations, comprising 47 mutually exclusive behavioral codes. NegotiAct was derived by systematically integrating (i) 89 extant coding schemes for negotiations, (ii) pertinent findings from negotiation research, and (iii) specific interaction behaviors that were previously not considered in coding schemes for negotiations (e.g., active listening). To facilitate the application of NegotiAct, we designed a coding manual with precise instructions and with definitions and examples for every code. NegotiAct can be customized to address many research questions in experimental settings as well as field research by splitting codes into more specific behaviors. Thereby, differentiated codes can always be traced back to the original codes, preserving comparability across studies and facilitating cumulative research. In combination with interaction analytical methods, NegotiAct enables scholars to detect and investigate specific communication patterns across the negotiation process. As a first empirical validation of NegotiAct, we demonstrate a substantial interrater reliability for 18 videotaped negotiations (κ = .80) and conduct an exploratory validation analysis, studying the relation of multi-issue offers, active listening, and joint gains.

Meetings are at the core of organizational life. Yet, gender, as a central social cue, is poorly understood in this context. Here, we investigate how gender and humor, an integral communicative element, influence meeting experiences by analyzing a subsample of a larger database on meeting research with U.S. working adults across different industries (N = 662). Confirming our hypotheses, perceived positive and interactive humor positively related to perceived meeting satisfaction. This relationship was moderated by gender such that women benefited more from high perceptions of positive and interactive humor in terms of their meeting satisfaction, compared to men (β = .14, p = .010, Cohen’s f2 = .01). This study highlights the importance of individual attendee characteristics in meeting science and addresses previously overlooked gender differences in meeting experiences. It also informs meeting leaders on the benefits of promoting a meeting culture that fosters both benign and social humor.