Authors
Roderick I Swaab, Michael Schaerer, Eric M Anicich, Richard Ronay, Adam D Galinsky
Publication date
2014/8
Journal
Psychological Science
Volume
25
Issue
8
Pages
1581-1591
Publisher
Sage Publications
Description
Five studies examined the relationship between talent and team performance. Two survey studies found that people believe there is a linear and nearly monotonic relationship between talent and performance: Participants expected that more talent improves performance and that this relationship never turns negative. However, building off research on status conflicts, we predicted that talent facilitates performance—but only up to a point, after which the benefits of more talent decrease and eventually become detrimental as intrateam coordination suffers. We also predicted that the level of task interdependence is a key determinant of when more talent is detrimental rather than beneficial. Three archival studies revealed that the too-much-talent effect emerged when team members were interdependent (football and basketball) but not independent (baseball). Our basketball analysis also established the mediating role …
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