In this paper we argue that reciprocal expertise affirmation-i.e. the mutual recognition by team members that they respect, value, and affirm each other's expertise-is positively related to team performance, but only in teams with high levels of shared expertise perceptions. Moreover, we propose that the joint effects of teams' reciprocal expertise affirmation and sharedness of expertise perceptions on team performance will be mediated by coordinated action. Data from 226 members of 39 student teams, working on a realistic four-week business simulation, supported our hypotheses. Our findings highlight the importance of reciprocal expertise affirmation for the effective functioning of work teams.
Decades of research demonstrate a fundamental human tendency to care about how one is seen by others, and for good reason; the perceptions and appraisals of others affect a wealth of important outcomes in our lives. In the workplace, for example, these outcomes include dismissals, bonuses, and promotions. In this review, we integrate a diverse body of research surrounding human "beliefs about how we are seen by others" and define these beliefs as meta-perceptions. We derive an overarching framework to highlight what we do and do not know about meta-perceptions in the workplace by disentangling their content, structural composition, and effects. Our review highlights that meta-perceptions can have important implications for employees' affect, cognition, and behavior, yet there is a lack of research exploring meta-perceptions in work settings and an inconsistency in how they are conceptualized and explored. Finally, we suggest several pathways for future research into the role of meta-perception in the workplace.
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