Beyond Separate Emergence: A Systems View of Team Learning Climate

Abstract

In this paper, we consider how the four key team emergent states for team learning identified by Bell et al. (2012) , namely psychological safety, goal orientation, cohesion, and efficacy, operate as a system that produces the team’s learning climate (TLC). Using the language of systems dynamics, we conceptualize TLC as a stock that rises and falls as a joint function of the psychological safety, goal orientation, cohesion, and efficacy that exists in the team. The systems approach highlights aspects of TLC management that are traditionally overlooked, such as the simultaneous influence of and feedback between the four team emergent states and the inertia that TLC can have as a result. The management of TLC becomes an issue of controlling the system rather than each state as an independent force, especially because changing one part of the system will also affect other parts in sometimes unintended and undesirable ways. Thus the value is to offer a systems view on the leadership function of team monitoring with regards to team emergent states, which we term team state monitoring . This view offers promising avenues for future research as well as practical wisdom. It can help leaders remember that TLC represents an equilibrium that needs balance, in addition to pointing to the various ways in which they can influence such equilibrium.

Rivals When We Work Together: Team Rivalry Effects on Performance in Collaborative Learning Groups

“…We could in fact be looking into serial mediation mechanisms (Hayes 2018), where team rivalry negatively impacts psychological safety because of the fact that team members who perceive their colleagues as competitors are less likely to engage in sharing behaviors as they no longer perceive the team climate as safe for interpersonal risk taking, or assume that their contributions may be contorted by their rivals. Literature shows that psychological safety is directly linked to team learning climate (Edmondson 1999;Harvey et al 2019) and once psychological safety declines, team learning behaviors are also likely to decline, which in turn could have a negative impact on performance.…”

“…In a recent conceptual study on team learning climate, Harvey et al argue that, from a systems dynamics view, we should also look into delayed effects of team emergent states on team learning, and not just focus on the primary effects and relations that research has thus far uncovered (Harvey et al 2019). In their research, the authors integrated four of the emergent states consistently linked to team learning, namely, psychological safety, goal orientation, efficacy, and cohesion, and they show how, when studied over time, the primary positive effects on team learning could lead to negative effects on the long run.…”

“…Hence, knowledge sharing is increased and has a positive impact on team learning. However, Harvey et al (2019) argue that while psychological safety may at first benefit team learning, a secondary effect may also emerge. Too much psychological safety could foster too much information sharing, hence creating a problem for information processing and encumbering knowledge transfer and integration; therefore, psychological safety could at some point be impeding team learning (Harvey et al 2019).…”

“…However, Harvey et al (2019) argue that while psychological safety may at first benefit team learning, a secondary effect may also emerge. Too much psychological safety could foster too much information sharing, hence creating a problem for information processing and encumbering knowledge transfer and integration; therefore, psychological safety could at some point be impeding team learning (Harvey et al 2019). Similarly, they argue that cohesion has a positive impact on learning, but in time, cohesion may impede psychological safety, when team members become more concerned with maintaining a positive group climate, and hence refrain from making contributions and comments that would affect the individual positive relations within the team.…”

The Evolution and Maturation of Teams in Organizations: Convergent Trends in the New Dynamic Science of Teams

“…This learning climate has historically been viewed as a relatively stable or slow-moving phenomenon. However, Harvey et al ( 2019 ) apply systems dynamics modeling to forward a theory of team learning climate, and how it rises and falls with changes in levels of psychological safety, cohesion, efficacy, and goal orientation within the team. Again, several of these constructs previously considered time invariant can be reexamined through a dynamic lens to move the field forward.…”