THE RELATION BETWEEN GROUP COHESIVENESS AND PERFORMANCE - AN INTEGRATION

This article reports the results of a meta-analytic integration of the relation between group cohesiveness and performance. Overall, the cohesiveness-performance effect was highly significant and of small magnitude. The effect was stronger in correlational studies than in experimental studies. The effect was also stronger in smaller groups than in larger groups and stronger among real groups than among artificial groups. The cohesiveness-performance effect is due primarily to commitment to task rather than interpersonal attraction or group pride. A meta-analytic cross-lagged panel correlation analysis suggested that the most direct effect might be from performance to cohesiveness rather than from cohesiveness to performance. Discussion considers the implications of these results for future research on group cohesiveness and performance.