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Scale development and validation of shared mental models of information and communication technology (ICT SMM)

Rebecca Müller (Department of Work and Organizational Psychology, Trier University, Trier, Germany)
Conny H. Antoni (Department of Work and Organizational Psychology, Trier University, Trier, Germany)

Team Performance Management

ISSN: 1352-7592

Article publication date: 3 September 2020

Issue publication date: 6 October 2020

574

Abstract

Purpose

Virtual teams are on the rise and many companies are implementing them to compete for the most talented experts. However, the use of information and communication technology (ICT), on which virtual teams depend, often ends in communication chaos. Research has shown that shared mental models (SMM), which are knowledge structures on team level, enhance team communication. In teams, which use ICTs, shared mental models of ICTs (ICT SMM) seem to be important. However, few studies that investigated ICT SMM have used different measurements that restrict their generalization. The purpose of this study is to define ICT SMM as well as develop and validate an ICT SMM scale.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a cross-sectional questionnaire in two different samples (N1 = 117 students and N2 = 165 employees).

Findings

The results of item and factor analyses indicated that ICT SMM contain at least two facets, ICT functionalities and task-specific ICT use and are distinct from teamwork, taskwork and temporal SMM. The ICT SMM scale reached good validity and reliability. On an individual level, ICT SMM were positively associated with perceived team performance and coordination and negatively with ineffective communication, workload and frustration.

Research limitations/implications

Future research using teams as sample to validate the ICT SMM scale seems to be promising.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that developed and validated a rating scale to measure SMM of ICT in different samples.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Declaration of interest: The authors report no potential conflicts of interest.

Citation

Müller, R. and Antoni, C.H. (2020), "Scale development and validation of shared mental models of information and communication technology (ICT SMM)", Team Performance Management, Vol. 26 No. 7/8, pp. 391-407. https://doi.org/10.1108/TPM-03-2020-0025

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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