Is group productivity loss the rule or the exception? Effects of culture and group-based motivation

This study examined four causes of group performance loss: goal specificity, communication, incentives for goal attainment, and high versus low cultural collectivism. Subjects were managers from Israeli kibbutzim (63 individuals) and cities (59 individuals) who worked an a simulated task requiring them to evaluate resumes. We used a two-by-three-by-four design in which sample, goal, and test condition were varied to test hypotheses. Group performance lass occurred only for urban respondents with a do-your-best goal and team task.