The impact of diversity and affective states on team cognition

Integrating individual knowledge in an effective manner reflects team collective intelligence and is a critical success factor in knowledge intensive work. This study aims at examining the linkages between cognitive style diversity, affective states, cognition and performance at team level based on a synthesis of literature on new knowledge emergence, team cognition and team diversity. 126 undergraduate students in 41 groups constituted our sample. We conducted surveys to collect data on cognitive style diversity, group atmosphere (affective state), transactive memory (team cognition) and perceived team performance. Actual team performance was evaluated based on certain criteria. The groups were given open ended, unstructured discussion topics and asked to generate ideas using a collaborative mind mapping tool. We also applied a predefined coding scheme to videotaped group interactions to analyze the micro-level cognitive and socio-emotional behaviors using lag sequential analysis. Regression analysis reveals that team cognitive style diversity negatively affects actual team performance. Group atmosphere has a positive impact on transactive memory which in turn positively affects perceived team performance. Groups which utilized the special-purpose collaborative mind mapping tool outperformed groups using traditional tools. In high diversity groups the sequential association between cognitive and socio-emotional verbal behaviors is stronger compared to low ones. In groups that are good at mind mapping, the facilitative cycle of cognitive verbal behaviors is stronger compared to groups that perform poor in mind mapping. Conversational analysis indicates that, group member interaction is more important than mere division of labor in knowledge intensive work. Our results underline the importance of diversity management, values-based collaboration and use of collaborative mind mapping in group knowledge building processes.