The Team Consensus�Performance Relationship and the Moderating Role of Team Diversity

Resumo

This laboratory research contributes new evidence about the relationship between team consensus (an outcome of the teamwork process) and team performance. The main empirical results indicate that team consensus that results from working on long-term, complex tasks, such as decision making, relates positively and significantly to team performance, and more important, team diversity acts as a moderating factor that reinforces this relationship. The arguments in support of this positive influence rely on assumptions that diversity increases team discussions and the free sharing of information, which promotes a better decision by teams that reach consensus as a result of their work. This finding represents an important contribution to the research agenda pertaining to the team consensus–performance relationship and has practical implications, mainly for those looking for new management practices that improve teamwork.