The Structural Effects of Team Density and Normative Standards on Team Member Performance

This study investigates the effects of team density, normative performance standards, and team accountability on team member performance. Analyses revealed that the effect of normative standards on member performance was positive, whereas the effect of density was negative. Additionally, accountability had a small, insubstantial effect on member performance. Interaction analyses further suggested that dense teams hold the ability to constrain members to either high or low performance standards. Specifically, members received the best performance evaluations when placed on dense teams with high standards of performance. Team density and team accountability also interacted to impact performance evaluations, but in the opposite direction of what was predicted. Specifically, analyses suggested that holding others accountable to performance standards was only beneficial in low-visibility situations. This research contributes to our understanding of how performance norms are communicated within organizational teams, as well as their nuanced effects on team members' performance evaluations.