Groups Need Selves, But Which Selves? Dual Selves in Groups and the Downsides of Individuation

It may be true that “groups need selves,” as Baumeister et al. contend. However, certain types of selfhood and too much selfhood can both be detrimental to group functioning. I draw on theory and research on dual selves in work groups and teams to outline boundary conditions to the hypothesis that emphasizing individual selves yields positive effects for groups.