The Moderating Role of Top Management Team Interdependence: Implications for Real Teams and Working Groups

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.