Interpersonal Emotion Regulation in Teams: Understanding its Influence on Team Dynamics and Performance

Abstract

Interpersonal emotion regulation (IER) has been defined as the strategies used by people to initiate, maintain or change the occurrence and intensity of others' affect. Previous research has shown that IER can influence important employee outcomes, such as their performance and sense of well-being. However, this interpersonal phenomenon has not been empirically studied among team members in work teams, which is surprising given its common occurrence in team dynamics and the importance placed on this phenomenon in models of team effectiveness. The current research represents an effort to remedy this lack of empirical research in the area. As such, the main aim of this thesis is to determine whether team member IER is related to teamwork. Specifically, based on the inputs-processes-states-outputs (IPSO) framework of team effectiveness, I propose a multilevel mediation model in which team member IER strategies act as an input, influencing team outputs, such as team performance and team member well-being, through its effects on team dynamics (i.e., team relationship conflict, team members' quality of relationship (TMX), and intrateam trust). Furthermore, I propose that team-level IER strategies have an effect over and above individual-level strategies, and that the diversity in these strategies negatively impacts team dynamics and outcomes. In order to achieve this objective, a quantitative cross-sectional research design was adopted. Data were collected in three Chilean and Latin American organisations (Study 1: 985 employees, 113 teams, Study 2: 4,659 employees, 697 teams, Study 3: 856 employees, 187 teams) using team members' ratings of team IER, conflict, TMX, trust, and well-being and team leaders' ratings of team performance in two separate surveys. This thesis's findings show that not all team member IER strategies have the same impact on team dynamics and team outcomes. Additionally, team-level IER strategies show stronger effects than individual-level IER strategies, and the heterogeneity in the perception of team-level IER has an overall negative impact on team dynamics and team outcomes. These findings extend interpersonal emotion regulation, team effectiveness, and diversity literature, by applying this concept to team member interactions, and by developing, analysing, and testing a multilevel model which shows a number of mechanisms by which team IER influences team outcomes.

Date of Award	31 Dec 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	David Holman (Supervisor) & Robin Martin (Supervisor)