Individualism that Excites and Solidifies Diverse Teams.

The current research examines the interplay of individualism- collectivism and team composition in team cohesion. I predict that individualism generates greater cohesion in diverse teams than does collectivism, whereas collectivism generates greater cohesion in homogeneous teams than does individualism. The underlying reasoning is that team composition is a cue that provides verification of one's self-construal and that such verification fosters cohesion in work teams via the mediating effect of energetic affective tone. An experimental study that manipulated a specific psychological states representing individualistic vs. collectivistic self-construal provided evidence for the hypothesis. Results showed that individualistic self-construal generates greater energetic feeling in diverse teams than does collectivistic self-construal, which in turn promotes cohesion. Theoretical and practical implications of such findings for teams and organizations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]