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Secret conversation opportunities facilitate minority influence in virtual groups: The influence on majority power, information processing, and decision quality

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  • Swaab, Roderick I.
  • Phillips, Katherine W.
  • Schaerer, Michael

Abstract

We examined the impact of secret conversation opportunities during virtual team discussions on majority opinion holders’ motivation to attend to minority opinion holders. Studies 1a and b showed that majorities were more motivated to process others’ arguments when secret conversation opportunities were available (vs. not), provided these arguments contained unique (vs. shared) information and this information was offered by the minority (vs. majority). Study 2 demonstrated that this effect occurs because secret opportunities made majorities feel less powerful after being exposed to unique information from the minority (Study 2a), especially when majority members expected others to use these channels (Study 2b). Study 3 used an interactive group decision-making task and demonstrated that the increased majority motivation triggered by secret opportunities increased group decision quality. Study 3 also examined whether secret opportunities influence the minority and whether the effect is robust across different communication settings.

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  • Swaab, Roderick I. & Phillips, Katherine W. & Schaerer, Michael, 2016. "Secret conversation opportunities facilitate minority influence in virtual groups: The influence on majority power, information processing, and decision quality," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 17-32.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:133:y:2016:i:c:p:17-32
    DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2015.07.003
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    1. Schaerer, Michael & Loschelder, David D. & Swaab, Roderick I., 2016. "Bargaining zone distortion in negotiations: The elusive power of multiple alternatives," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 156-171.
    2. Fernandes, Catarina R. & Yu, Siyu & Howell, Taeya M. & Wood Brooks, Alison & Kilduff, Gavin J. & Pettit, Nathan C., 2021. "What is your status portfolio? Higher status variance across groups increases interpersonal helping but decreases intrapersonal well-being," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 56-75.
    3. Marlow, Shannon L. & Lacerenza, Christina N. & Paoletti, Jensine & Burke, C. Shawn & Salas, Eduardo, 2018. "Does team communication represent a one-size-fits-all approach?: A meta-analysis of team communication and performance," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 145-170.
    4. Bolger, Fergus & Rowe, Gene & Belton, Ian & Crawford, Megan M & Hamlin, Iain & Sissons, Aileen & Taylor Browne Lūka, Courtney & Vasilichi, Alexandrina & Wright, George, 2020. "The Simulated Group Response Paradigm: A new approach to the study of opinion change in Delphi and other structured-group techniques," OSF Preprints 4ufzg, Center for Open Science.

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