Career development, collective efficacy, and individual task performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the hypothesis that perceived collective efficacy would mediate the effects of self‐efficacy on individual task performance. Design/methodology/approach – An assessment center design with 147 participants in 49 three‐person groups was used. Findings – It is found that for individuals working on an assigned group goal, perception of the group's collective efficacy, rather than self‐efficacy, has a direct influence on task performance. Research limitations/implications – Future researchers should examine the extent to which cognitive intelligence influences collective efficacy effects. Practical implications – The research suggests that perceptions of collective efficacy and team support may influence early career developmental task performance. Originality/value – This paper found that collective efficacy might be more important than individual efficacy in predicting individual task performance in some circumstances.