Team Performance as a Constellation of Forces: A General Model

Determinants of performance in general and, specifically, determinants of team performance are some of the most important subjects not only in the field of labour economics but in almost every science of social life. Unfortunately, little really comprehensive knowledge seems to be available up to now. Theories in the fields of, among others, labour economics, industrial sociology, social and motivational psychology, and scientific management differ as dramatically as do the empirical findings. The present paper undertakes to combine the various approaches through a synergetic analysis of only three motivational forces: the force of preference, of conformity, and of anti-conformity. Thereby, a wide behavioural landscape concerning levels of performance is opened. The central message of this investigation into team performance within an integrative, broader perspective is that there is no clear effort-enhancing effect through building work teams. Effort may rise or fall compared to some exogenously given or expected standard, or it may change--perhaps even abruptly--from a high (low) to a low (high) level.