Effects of status on the exchange of information in team decision-making: When team building isn't enough

We present an analysis of the effects of status on the information that members of an inter-organizational team contributed in decision-making meetings. Our analysis shows that the amount and content of members' participation was systematically related to their status in the group. More specifically, team members who occupied managerial levels in their respective organizations contributed ideas and opinions (as well as other information types) at higher rates than those not holding such higher status positions in their organizations. This bias occurred even though team members agreed that abilities related to managerial level were not relevant to the decision-making task. What is particularly striking about these findings is that the members of this team had participated in team building training prior to embarking on the decision-making task, and reported a high concern for and commitment to equal participation in the decision-making task. Our results clearly demonstrate the ubiquitous effects of social status on participation in teams, even when: (1) the basis for status is not necessarily relevant to the group's objective, and (2) team members have explicit awareness of such status processes and are committed to overcoming them. These results along with the conceptual framework we elaborate suggest that team building training alone may not be sufficient to overcome the powerful and often detrimental effects of status processes on effective decision making. We discuss alternatives and supplements to team building training that may increase the advantages and effectiveness of teamwork in organizations.