INDUCING INTERPERSONAL TRUST AND TEAM LEARNING

This study tested whether or not a prisoner''s dilemma game with different goal conditions would manipulate the level of between-team interpersonal trust. Further, would that manipulation then lead to different levels of Team Learning Behaviors and team effectiveness? The study involved 240 undergraduate students, participating in 40 six- person teams. The difficulty of testing a team learning model with newly formed vs. intact teams is discussed. The importance of individual differences, or a personality variable, is discussed as a potential covariate in a model of team learning. More research is needed to determine the necessary environmental and personality influences that create an abundance of Team Learning Behaviors. In today''s fast paced market, the existence of Team Learning Behaviors may be the only sustainable source of competitive advantage.