Team Dynamics: Understanding the Influence of the “Big Five” Personality Traits on Small Group Reflexivity

Teamwork in organizations consists of both individual characteristics and group dynamics. When working in groups, task reflexivity is an important aspect of a group’s ability to maximize its potential. Task reflexivity is defined as “the extent to which team members collectively reflect upon the team’s objectives, strategies and processes as well as their wider organizations and environments, and adapt them accordingly” (West, 1996). The “Big Five” personality traits represent individual attributes, which may predict behaviors and the perception of reflexivity within the group. Previous studies have found conscientiousness to be positively associated with all job criteria; while agreeableness is found to be a valid predictor of job performance in careers where teamwork and cooperation are necessary (Barrick & Mount, 1991). We hypothesize that members with high levels of agreeableness and conscientiousness will be better at recognizing the existence of reflexive behaviors. Conversely, individuals low in these traits will be less likely to perceive team reflexivity. We also anticipate that the traits of emotional stability and intellect will have no significant relationship on perceptions of reflexivity. Our hypotheses were tested using data gathered during a group marketing project (N = 164) for a university course. We anticipate that our results will have practical implications for creating more effective small group structures based on personal attributes and we expect to find directional implications for future research, as our analysis is ongoing