The bad apple spoils the bunch

243 Pages·2017·0.77 MB·English

University of Iowa
Iowa Research Online
Theses and Dissertations
Summer 2008
The bad apple spoils the bunch: how a disagreeable
person damages team performance and what can
be done about it
Bret Howard Bradley
University of Iowa
Copyright 2008 Bret Howard Bradley
This dissertation is available at Iowa Research Online: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/641
Recommended Citation
Bradley, Bret Howard. "The bad apple spoils the bunch: how a disagreeable person damages team performance and what can be done
about it." PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) thesis, University of Iowa, 2008.
https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.3fxrh5yp
Follow this and additional works at:https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd
Part of theBusiness Administration, Management, and Operations Commons
THE BAD APPLE SPOILS THE BUNCH: HOW A DISAGREEABLE PERSON
DAMAGES TEAM PERFORMANCE AND WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT
by

Bret Howard Bradley
An Abstract
Of a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the Doctor of
Philosophy degree in Business Administration
in the Graduate College of
The University of Iowa
August 2008
Thesis Supervisor: Professor Greg L. Stewart
1
ABSTRACT
Teams are being used more in organizations to do important work. However,
both positive and negative effects come with the increased use of teams. One problem is
the “bad apple” effect where a highly disagreeable team mate, for example, damages
team performance. This research aims to study how this person damages team
performance and what can be done to minimize the negative impact. I propose that a
disagreeable teammate negatively impacts team affective states which in turn give rise to
defensive behaviors among teammates. These defensive behaviors impact team
processes which in turn impact the team’s performance. In addition, I propose that team
interdependence moderates the impact of disagreeableness on teammate affective
reactions such that teammates in less interdependent contexts will react less negatively to
the “bad apple.”
I designed a 2x2 lab experiment with a confederate, or trained research
participant, to test these hypotheses. I manipulated disagreeableness through the
behaviors of the confederate and I manipulated interdependence through the information,
goals, and rewards of the teams. Results support all the hypothesized relationships. Of
note, I found that interdependence interacted with disagreeableness to predict team
affective reactions as measured by salivary cortisol – a well established biomarker for
affective reactions. I also found support for a mediating model using team core affect or
affective culture mediating the impact of disagreeableness on team process. Finally, I
found support for a mediated moderation model demonstrating that the moderation of
interdependence and disagreeableness on team process was mediated by team cortisol.
However, the impact on process was in the opposite direction than expected. Namely,
2
that more interdependent teams had higher processes despite elevated cortisol levels
indicating a negative affective, or stress reaction. This counterintuitive finding has
implications for future research attempting to discover useful methods of minimizing the
impact of a disagreeable teammate on the team.
Abstract Approved: ____________________________________
Thesis Supervisor
____________________________________
Title and Department
____________________________________
Date
THE BAD APPLE SPOILS THE BUNCH: HOW A DISAGREEABLE PERSON
DAMAGES TEAM PERFORMANCE AND WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT
by

Bret Howard Bradley
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the Doctor of
Philosophy degree in Business Administration
in the Graduate College of
The University of Iowa
August 2008
Thesis Supervisor: Professor Greg L. Stewart
Copyright by
BRET HOWARD BRADLEY
2008
All Rights Reserved
Graduate College
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
_______________________
PH.D. THESIS
_______________
This is to certify that the Ph.D. thesis of
Bret Howard Bradley
has been approved by the Examining Committee
for the thesis requirement for the Doctor of Philosophy
degree in Business Administration at the August 2008 graduation.
Thesis Committee: ___________________________________
Greg L. Stewart, Thesis Supervisor
___________________________________
Murray R. Barrick
___________________________________
Terry L. Boles
___________________________________
Amy L. Kristof-Brown
___________________________________
Michael J. Lovaglia
To my family
ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I want to thank the exceptional faculty at the University of Iowa for their help and
support. From them I have learned to value high quality research and appreciate
collaboration. In particular, I want to thank Greg Stewart for his tremendous guidance
and encouragement throughout the dissertation process. I would also like to thank those
involved in the Center for the Study of Group Processes at the University of Iowa for
their invaluable support of this study. In addition, I want to thank Arnold Postlethwaite
at the University of Tennessee for his generous assistance in the analysis of the salivary
cortisol. Finally, I want to thank my wife who made this journey possible.
iii
ABSTRACT
Teams are being used more in organizations to do important work. However,
both positive and negative effects come with the increased use of teams. One problem is
the “bad apple” effect where a highly disagreeable team mate, for example, damages
team performance. This research aims to study how this person damages team
performance and what can be done to minimize the negative impact. I propose that a
disagreeable teammate negatively impacts team affective states which in turn give rise to
defensive behaviors among teammates. These defensive behaviors impact team
processes which in turn impact the team’s performance. In addition, I propose that team
interdependence moderates the impact of disagreeableness on teammate affective
reactions such that teammates in less interdependent contexts will react less negatively to
the “bad apple.”
I designed a 2x2 lab experiment with a confederate, or trained research
participant, to test these hypotheses. I manipulated disagreeableness through the
behaviors of the confederate and I manipulated interdependence through the information,
goals, and rewards of the teams. Results support all the hypothesized relationships. Of
note, I found that interdependence interacted with disagreeableness to predict team
affective reactions as measured by salivary cortisol – a well established biomarker for
affective reactions. I also found support for a mediating model using team core affect or
affective culture mediating the impact of disagreeableness on team process. Finally, I
found support for a mediated moderation model demonstrating that the moderation of
interdependence and disagreeableness on team process was mediated by team cortisol.
However, the impact on process was in the opposite direction than expected. Namely,
iv