IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jinfst/v74y2023i3p323-338.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Subgroup formation in human–robot teams: A multi‐study mixed‐method approach with implications for theory and practice

Author

Listed:
  • Sangseok You
  • Lionel P. Robert

Abstract

Human–robot teams represent a challenging work application of artificial intelligence (AI). Building strong emotional bonds with robots is one solution to promoting teamwork in such teams, but does this come at a cost in the form of subgroups? Subgroups—smaller divisions within teams—in all human teams can undermine teamwork. Despite the importance of this question, it has received little attention. We employed a mixed‐methods approach by conducting a lab experiment and a qualitative online survey. We (a) examined the formation and impact of subgroups in human–robot teams and (b) obtained insights from workers currently adapting to robots in the workplace on mitigating impacts of subgroups. The experimental study (Study 1) with 44 human–robot teams found that robot identification (RID) and team identification (TID) are associated with increases and decreases in the likelihood of a subgroup formation, respectively. RID and TID moderated the impacts of subgroups on teamwork quality and subsequent performance in human–robot teams. Study 2 was a qualitative study with 112 managers and employees who worked collaboratively with robots. We derived practical insights from this study that help situate and translate what was learned in Study 1 into actual work practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Sangseok You & Lionel P. Robert, 2023. "Subgroup formation in human–robot teams: A multi‐study mixed‐method approach with implications for theory and practice," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 74(3), pages 323-338, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jinfst:v:74:y:2023:i:3:p:323-338
    DOI: 10.1002/asi.24626
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24626
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/asi.24626?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael Boyer O'Leary & Mark Mortensen, 2010. "Go (Con)figure: Subgroups, Imbalance, and Isolates in Geographically Dispersed Teams," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(1), pages 115-131, February.
    2. L. G. Pee & Shan L. Pan & Lili Cui, 2019. "Artificial intelligence in healthcare robots: A social informatics study of knowledge embodiment," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 70(4), pages 351-369, April.
    3. Bertolt Meyer & Meir Shemla & Jia Li & Jürgen Wegge, 2015. "On the Same Side of the Faultline: Inclusion in the Leader's Subgroup and Employee Performance," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(3), pages 354-380, May.
    4. Lionel P. Robert Jr & Alan R. Dennis & Manju K. Ahuja, 2018. "Differences are Different: Examining the Effects of Communication Media on the Impacts of Racial and Gender Diversity in Decision-Making Teams," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 29(3), pages 525-545, September.
    5. Russell W. Belk, 2013. "Extended Self in a Digital World," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 40(3), pages 477-500.
    6. Martin Hoegl & Hans Georg Gemuenden, 2001. "Teamwork Quality and the Success of Innovative Projects: A Theoretical Concept and Empirical Evidence," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 12(4), pages 435-449, August.
    7. Michael Mäs & Andreas Flache & Károly Takács & Karen A. Jehn, 2013. "In the Short Term We Divide, in the Long Term We Unite: Demographic Crisscrossing and the Effects of Faultlines on Subgroup Polarization," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 716-736, June.
    8. Read, Wayne & Robertson, Nichola & McQuilken, Lisa, 2011. "A novel romance: The Technology Acceptance Model with emotional attachment," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 223-229.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ambos, Tina C. & Ambos, Björn & Eich, Katharina J. & Puck, Jonas, 2016. "Imbalance and Isolation: How Team Configurations Affect Global Knowledge Sharing," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 316-332.
    2. Shuai Chen & Duanxu Wang & Yun Zhou & Ziguang Chen & Daoyou Wu, 2017. "When too little or too much hurts: Evidence for a curvilinear relationship between team faultlines and performance," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 34(4), pages 931-950, December.
    3. Daniel Tzabbar & Alex Vestal, 2015. "Bridging the Social Chasm in Geographically Distributed R&D Teams: The Moderating Effects of Relational Strength and Status Asymmetry on the Novelty of Team Innovation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(3), pages 811-829, June.
    4. Ulrich Leicht‐Deobald & Hendrik Huettermann & Heike Bruch & Barbara S. Lawrence, 2021. "Organizational Demographic Faultlines: Their Impact on Collective Organizational Identification, Firm Performance, and Firm Innovation," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(8), pages 2240-2274, December.
    5. Elshandidy, Tamer & Bamber, Matthew & Omara, Hossam, 2024. "Across the faultlines: A multi-dimensional index to measure and assess board diversity," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    6. Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma, 2018. "Consumer segmentation within the sharing economy: The case of Airbnb," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 187-196.
    7. Ahmet Türkmen & Muhammed Bilgehan Aytaç, 2025. "The role of overt and covert narcissism in virtual goods purchase motivations and intention," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 1545-1575, June.
    8. Patricia A. Norberg & Daniel R. Horne, 2024. "When the bridge is not human: Algorithmic interference in forming social relationships through the manipulation of weak ties," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(2), pages 606-629, June.
    9. Amélie Thery & Michel Verstraeten, 2018. "Highlighting the Relations between Interaction Types in Meetings and Group Performance," Working Papers CEB 18-011, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    10. Anastasiadou, Constantia & Vettese, Samantha, 2021. "Souvenir authenticity in the additive manufacturing age," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    11. Vishal K. Gupta & Suman Niranjan & Banu A. Goktan & John Eriskon, 2016. "Individual entrepreneurial orientation role in shaping reactions to new technologies," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 935-961, December.
    12. Seongkyoon Jeong & Jae Young Choi, 2012. "The taxonomy of research collaboration in science and technology: evidence from mechanical research through probabilistic clustering analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 91(3), pages 719-735, June.
    13. Blindenbach-Driessen, Floortje & van den Ende, Jan, 2006. "Innovation in project-based firms: The context dependency of success factors," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 545-561, May.
    14. Greve, Goetz & Meyer, Frederike, 2020. "Sales- und Service-Bots im Vertrieb - Chance oder Risiko für Unternehmen?," Marketing Review St.Gallen, Universität St.Gallen, Institut für Marketing und Customer Insight, vol. 37(5), pages 10-17.
    15. Bart A. De Jong & Katinka M. Bijlsma-Frankema & Laura B. Cardinal, 2014. "Stronger Than the Sum of Its Parts? The Performance Implications of Peer Control Combinations in Teams," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(6), pages 1703-1721, December.
    16. Youkyung Ko & Hwaneui Lee & Sunghyup Sean Hyun, 2021. "Airline Cabin Crew Team System’s Positive Evaluation Factors and Their Impact on Personal Health and Team Potency," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-20, October.
    17. Monika Tkacz & Izaskun Agirre-Aramburu & Aitor Lizartza-Martin, 2023. "Is Team Entrepreneurial Orientation important in generating creative business ideas? The moderating role of team-perceived heterogeneity and the individual creative mindset," Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, Fundacja Upowszechniająca Wiedzę i Naukę "Cognitione", vol. 19(1), pages 79-111.
    18. Wang, Liwen & Zhao, Jane Zheng & Zhou, Kevin Zheng, 2018. "How do incentives motivate absorptive capacity development? The mediating role of employee learning and relational contingencies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 226-237.
    19. Johnson, William H.A. & Dong, Longzhu & Li, Ming & Taras, Vas, 2025. "Transcending conflict in global virtual teams: Multi-level effects of cultural intelligence and perceptions of conflict on subjective and objective outcomes," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(1).
    20. Maqbool, Rashid, 2018. "Efficiency and effectiveness of factors affecting renewable energy projects; an empirical perspective," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 944-956.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jinfst:v:74:y:2023:i:3:p:323-338. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.asis.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.