Potency beliefs in newly formed project teams: sources of initial group efficacy beliefs

Group efficacy represents a group’s perceived capability to perform. This longitudinal study (involving 193 working adults organised into 47 project teams in MBA courses) examined several potential sources of group efficacy, measured as individual and group potency beliefs, including the procedure used to form groups, prior team experience, and individual attitudes. Results suggest that the group formation procedure is a relevant antecedent of individual’s potency beliefs about their newly formed project teams. A formation procedure designed to help group members understand each other’s potential contribution to the team generated greater potency than forming teams around a topic of interest or by random assignment. At the group level of analysis, however, initial group potency was negatively correlated with team outcome measures (learning behaviours, process effectiveness, satisfaction, team and instructor project evaluation). Results suggest some new considerations for future research and practice regarding forming teams that believe they can succeed.