Dysfunction and Power

Contrasting findings on power at the individual vs. team level

From our review of the existing literature on power in teams, several key conclusions emerge. First, team power-level seems to exert a generally negative effect on team outcomes, which is largely driven by increased (power) struggles within the team. Second, team power-dispersion also seems to exert a negative effect on team outcomes, again via team power struggles, but these effects do seem to be more contextually dependent. Third, team power struggles - disagreements and competition of the control of resources in the team, also seem to negatively impact team outcomes. These conclusions offer relatively dark implications about the effects of power when conceptualized and analyzed at the team-level of analysis.

Interestingly, these findings stand in contrast to the generally rosy view of the effects of power when operationalized at the individual level of analysis. At the individual level, having high power in one area, such as the rank, can lead to a host of benefits and accrual of other resources, such as higher decision-making authority, monetary benefits, organizational ranks and promotions, prestige, recognition, control, agency, independence, and well-being. Additionally, power at the individual level has also been shown to increase the actual capabilities and performance of power holders, increasing approach orientation, executive functioning, goal orientation, creativity, and task performance. Finally, power has even been shown to promote individual well-being, including affect, life satisfaction, and reduced stress. These benefits stand in contrast to what the emerging research on power at the team level is showing - when at least one high-power member is present within a team (as is the case in both high power-level and high power-dispersed teams), the team as a whole tends to suffer, with team performance and satisfaction being lower and turnover higher.

Given this large disconnect between what happens when power is conceptualized at the individual versus team-level of analysis, a stronger theory at the team-level of analysis is needed to explain why the benefits of power at the individual level can lead power at the team-level to harm team outcomes. We present an emergent, inductive theory, based on our review of the burgeoning literature in this area below.