Odd One Out: A Configural Perspective on Team Mental Models

Departing from prior research focusing on average mental model similarity in teams, we propose a configural conceptualization of team (shared) mental models. Using this perspective, we examine the consequences of cognitive isolation, that is, a configuration in which one member has a task mental model that is relatively dissimilar from any other member while the remaining members’ mental models are relatively similar to each other. In a study of 79 student teams performing a business simulation over the period of 3 weeks, we find that cognitive isolation undermines team performance in teams with low member epistemic motivation.