The psychological dynamics underlying individual responses to working in multiple project teams: An intra-person and inter-person investigation

Organizations are increasingly placing individuals on multiple teams simultaneously. However, very little research has addressed this type of team arrangement which I refer to as parallel team memberships (PTMs). This study tested two conceptual models that sought to understand the dynamics associated with PTMs. Structural equation modeling analyses for Model 1 indicate that several role structure characteristics (i.e., number of teams and priority fluidity) and an individual\u27s time orientation related significantly to role strain. Additionally, time orientation interacted with role structure characteristics (i.e., priority fluidity and project stage variability) such that polychronic individuals were less likely to experience role strain under these conditions. Hierarchical linear modeling results for Model 2 suggest that the levels of team efficacy, team interpersonal cohesion, and project prestige across the various teams an individual belongs to influences the degree to which that individual identifies with those teams, which subsequently influenced their satisfaction with, performance on, and desire to continue working with those various teams in the future. Additionally, the results indicate an interaction between team cohesion and an individual\u27s motivational orientation, such that individuals with a high communion orientation experienced significantly stronger feelings of team identification for highly cohesive teams. This research lays the groundwork for future research on maintaining multiple team memberships simultaneously.