This study presents an empirical test of the effects of trainee choice of training on subsequent motivation and learning. 207 trainees were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (a) no choice of training; (b) choice of training-but choice not received; (c) choice of trainingwith choice received. A pilot study was used to create a unique training context whereby trainees could be differentiated on the three conditions of choice, while all ultimately received the identical training module. Results indicated that, after controlling for cognitive ability, those trainees having a choice of training did have greater motivation to learn, provided they were ultimately given the training of their choice. On the other hand, trainees allowed to choose but whose choice was not the training module subsequently delivered were less motivated and learned less than those not asked to participate in the choice of training at all. These findings suggest that, in an organizational training context, there may be some "perils of participation." Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Note: The authors would like to thank Michael Zeller and Mark Gavin for their assistance on this project, HUMAN m m c~ DEVE~PMENI QUARTERLY, WL 2. no. 1. Spring 1991 @ J o s u y -k Inc.. Publishers

Cognitive style has been regarded as one of the important variables to predict individual cognitive functioning. This paper describes an empirical study that examined the role of thinking styles in relation to students' online learning and teamwork performance. Two hundred and eight students in an online MBA (Master of Business Administration) program participated in the study. Data were collected through surveys and content analysis of online conference transcripts. Sternberg's thinking style inventory was used to measure two dimensions of cognitive style: levels and scope. A personal reflection questionnaire was administrated to measure some variables concerning virtual team experiences including trust, conflict management styles and teamwork satisfaction. The evidence gathered suggests that cognitive styles may be a poor indicator of students' overall online learning performance. However, cognitive style had predictive power over the students' satisfaction with their teamwork experience, as well as the level of trust they exhibited in their team members. This study implies that it would be useful to integrate cognitive styles of individual students as one of the design factors which could foster successful online virtual team experiences.

In recent years, many organizations have attempted to pursue continuous improvement through team‐based employee involvement programs (EIPs). As a result, increased practical emphasis has been placed on how to design and administer EIPs, though empirical work has been slow to emerge. In the present research, a pilot study of 68 EIP administrators was used to identify those design and administrative variables thought to be associated with EIP effectiveness. Data were then collected from 72 EIP teams in two organizations and associated with participant and supervisory assessments of EIP effectiveness. Results suggest that the significant predictors of team effectiveness were the degree of openness of a team's information access structure, the degree of heterogeneity in the job functions performed by team members, and the team's size. Implications for EIP research and practice are discussed.

The emergence of new technologies has made it increasingly easy for distributed collaboration in both educational and noneducational settings. Although the effectiveness in traditional settings of the dynamics of small group work has been widely researched, there is limited research that offers evidence on how teams can work effectively in a virtual environment. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship among team structure, trust, and conflict management style, in addition to their impact on teamwork effectiveness in a virtual environment. An experimental design was used to assess the effects of structure on team performance. Forty‐four groups, divided into hierarchical and nonhierarchical groups, worked on an online simulation project in an online MBA course. The results suggest that team structure is strongly associated with team performance, whereas trust and a collaboration conflict management style contribute to teamwork satisfaction.