IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ororsc/v22y2011i6p1384-1398.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Playing Offense vs. Defense: The Effects of Team Strategic Orientation on Team Process in Competitive Environments

Author

Listed:
  • Anita Williams Woolley

    (Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213)

Abstract

Organizations increasingly rely on teams to formulate plans and respond in critical situations. However, current models of team process are insensitive to the effects of team strategic orientation. This paper expands existing work on team process and strategic orientation to introduce and explicate the constructs of offensive and defensive strategic orientations in teams. It takes advantage of a rare opportunity to observe eight counterterrorism teams in the intelligence community that explicitly adopted an offensive or defensive strategic orientation in evaluating terrorist threats. The resulting inductive model suggests that the strength of a team's strategic orientation was enhanced or inhibited by its perception of oppositional strength and the problem scope it assumed in confronting the adversary. This in turn had effects on the work strategy the teams adopted, the extent to which they relied on internal versus external knowledge, and the norms for effort that evolved within the teams. The observations suggest broader theoretical implications for research on teams, as the “offense” and “defense” strategic orientations influence fundamental team processes related to effort, performance strategy, and use of member knowledge and skill.

Suggested Citation

  • Anita Williams Woolley, 2011. "Playing Offense vs. Defense: The Effects of Team Strategic Orientation on Team Process in Competitive Environments," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(6), pages 1384-1398, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:22:y:2011:i:6:p:1384-1398
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1100.0617
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1100.0617
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/orsc.1100.0617?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. Arthur A. Stein, 1976. "Conflict and Cohesion," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 20(1), pages 143-172, March.
    2. Green, Kesten C., 2002. "Forecasting decisions in conflict situations: a comparison of game theory, role-playing, and unaided judgement," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 321-344.
    3. Paese, Paul W. & Bieser, Mary & Tubbs, Mark E., 1993. "Framing Effects and Choice Shifts in Group Decision Making," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 149-165, October.
    4. Richard L Daft & Juhani Sormunen & Don Parks, 1988. "Chief executive scanning, environmental characteristics, and company performance: An empirical study," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(2), pages 123-139, March.
    5. Armstrong, J. Scott, 2002. "Assessing game theory, role playing, and unaided judgment," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 345-352.
    6. Sucheta Nadkarni & Pamela S. Barr, 2008. "Environmental context, managerial cognition, and strategic action: an integrated view," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(13), pages 1395-1427, December.
    7. Jane E. Dutton & Liam Fahey & V. K. Narayanan, 1983. "Toward understanding strategic issue diagnosis," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 4(4), pages 307-323, October.
    8. Tindale, R. Scott & Sheffey, Susan & Scott, Leslie A., 1993. "Framing and Group Decision-Making: Do Cognitive Changes Parallel Preference Changes?," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 55(3), pages 470-485, August.
    9. Henry Mintzberg, 1978. "Patterns in Strategy Formation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(9), pages 934-948, May.
    10. Martine R. Haas & Morten T. Hansen, 2005. "When using knowledge can hurt performance: the value of organizational capabilities in a management consulting company," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 1-24, January.
    11. Sze-Sze Wong, 2004. "Distal and Local Group Learning: Performance Trade-offs and Tensions," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 15(6), pages 645-656, December.
    12. Nandini Rajagopalan, 1997. "Strategic orientations, incentive plan adoptions, and firm performance: evidence from electric utility firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(10), pages 761-785, November.
    13. Tasa, Kevin & Whyte, Glen, 2005. "Collective efficacy and vigilant problem solving in group decision making: A non-linear model," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 96(2), pages 119-129, March.
    14. Samer Faraj & Yan Xiao, 2006. "Coordination in Fast-Response Organizations," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(8), pages 1155-1169, August.
    15. Jonathon N. Cummings, 2004. "Work Groups, Structural Diversity, and Knowledge Sharing in a Global Organization," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(3), pages 352-364, March.
    16. N. Venkatraman, 1989. "Strategic Orientation of Business Enterprises: The Construct, Dimensionality, and Measurement," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(8), pages 942-962, August.
    17. Marjorie A. Lyles & Charles R. Schwenk, 1992. "Top Management, Strategy And Organizational Knowledge Structures," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 155-174, March.
    18. Kyle Lewis, 2004. "Knowledge and Performance in Knowledge-Worker Teams: A Longitudinal Study of Transactive Memory Systems," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(11), pages 1519-1533, November.
    19. Henry, Rebecca A., 1995. "Improving Group Judgment Accuracy: Information Sharing and Determining the Best Member," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 190-197, May.
    20. Tanya Menon & Jeffrey Pfeffer, 2003. "Valuing Internal vs. External Knowledge: Explaining the Preference for Outsiders," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 49(4), pages 497-513, April.
    21. Don A. Moore & John M. Oesch & Charlene Zietsma, 2007. "What Competition? Myopic Self-Focus in Market-Entry Decisions," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(3), pages 440-454, June.
    22. Littlepage, Glenn & Robison, William & Reddington, Kelly, 1997. "Effects of Task Experience and Group Experience on Group Performance, Member Ability, and Recognition of Expertise," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 133-147, February.
    23. Martine R. Haas, 2006. "Knowledge Gathering, Team Capabilities, and Project Performance in Challenging Work Environments," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(8), pages 1170-1184, August.
    24. Samer Faraj & Lee Sproull, 2000. "Coordinating Expertise in Software Development Teams," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 46(12), pages 1554-1568, December.
    25. Sniezek, Janet A. & Henry, Rebecca A., 1989. "Accuracy and confidence in group judgment," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 1-28, February.
    26. Levine, John M. & Higgins, E. Tory & Choi, Hoon-Seok, 2000. "Development of Strategic Norms in Groups," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 88-101, May.
    27. Lewis, Kyle & Belliveau, Maura & Herndon, Benjamin & Keller, Joshua, 2007. "Group cognition, membership change, and performance: Investigating the benefits and detriments of collective knowledge," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 103(2), pages 159-178, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Park, Tae-Youn & Kim, Seongsu & Sung, Li-Kuo, 2017. "Fair pay dispersion: A regulatory focus theory view," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 1-11.
    2. Beersma, Bianca & Homan, Astrid C. & Van Kleef, Gerben A. & De Dreu, Carsten K.W., 2013. "Outcome interdependence shapes the effects of prevention focus on team processes and performance," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 121(2), pages 194-203.
    3. Woolley, Anita Williams & Bear, Julia B. & Chang, Jin Wook & DeCostanza, Arwen Hunter, 2013. "The effects of team strategic orientation on team process and information search," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 122(2), pages 114-126.

    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. Woolley, Anita Williams & Bear, Julia B. & Chang, Jin Wook & DeCostanza, Arwen Hunter, 2013. "The effects of team strategic orientation on team process and information search," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 122(2), pages 114-126.
    2. Argote, Linda & Fahrenkopf, Erin, 2016. "Knowledge transfer in organizations: The roles of members, tasks, tools, and networks," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 146-159.
    3. Henrik Bresman, 2010. "External Learning Activities and Team Performance: A Multimethod Field Study," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(1), pages 81-96, February.
    4. Robert S. Huckman & Bradley R. Staats, 2008. "Variation in Experience and Team Familiarity: Addressing the Knowledge Acquisition-Application Problem," Harvard Business School Working Papers 09-035, Harvard Business School.
    5. Bonner, Bryan L. & Bolinger, Alexander R., 2013. "Separating the confident from the correct: Leveraging member knowledge in groups to improve decision making and performance," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 122(2), pages 214-221.
    6. Martine R. Haas, 2006. "Acquiring and Applying Knowledge in Transnational Teams: The Roles of Cosmopolitans and Locals," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 17(3), pages 367-384, June.
    7. Ciaran Heavey & Zeki Simsek, 2015. "Transactive Memory Systems and Firm Performance: An Upper Echelons Perspective," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(4), pages 941-959, August.
    8. Linda Argote & Sunkee Lee & Jisoo Park, 2021. "Organizational Learning Processes and Outcomes: Major Findings and Future Research Directions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(9), pages 5399-5429, September.
    9. Pattravadee Ploykitikoon & Charles M. Weber, 2019. "Knowledge Pathways and Performance: An Empirical Study of the National Laboratories in a Technology Latecomer Country," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 16(03), pages 1-37, May.
    10. 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.
    11. Kerrissey, Michaela & Novikov, Zhanna & Tietschert, Maike & Phillips, Russell & Singer, Sara J., 2023. "The ambiguity of “we”: Perceptions of teaming in dynamic environments and their implications," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).
    12. Sheen S. Levine & Michael J. Prietula, 2012. "How Knowledge Transfer Impacts Performance: A Multilevel Model of Benefits and Liabilities," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(6), pages 1748-1766, December.
    13. Bachrach, Daniel G. & Mullins, Ryan, 2019. "A dual-process contingency model of leadership, transactive memory systems and team performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 297-308.
    14. Fernández-Pérez, Virginia & García-Morales, Victor J. & Pullés, Dainelis Cabeza, 2016. "Entrepreneurial decision-making, external social networks and strategic flexibility: The role of CEOs' cognition," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 296-309.
    15. Yuqing Ren & Kathleen M. Carley & Linda Argote, 2006. "The Contingent Effects of Transactive Memory: When Is It More Beneficial to Know What Others Know?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(5), pages 671-682, May.
    16. Önkal, Dilek & Zeynep Sayım, K. & Lawrence, Michael, 2012. "Wisdom of group forecasts: Does role-playing play a role?," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 693-702.
    17. Edward G. Anderson & Kyle Lewis, 2014. "A Dynamic Model of Individual and Collective Learning Amid Disruption," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(2), pages 356-376, April.
    18. Ann Majchrzak & Sirkka L. Jarvenpaa & Andrea B. Hollingshead, 2007. "Coordinating Expertise Among Emergent Groups Responding to Disasters," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(1), pages 147-161, February.
    19. Kyle Lewis & Benjamin Herndon, 2011. "Transactive Memory Systems: Current Issues and Future Research Directions," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(5), pages 1254-1265, October.
    20. Sirkka L. Jarvenpaa & Ann Majchrzak, 2008. "Knowledge Collaboration Among Professionals Protecting National Security: Role of Transactive Memories in Ego-Centered Knowledge Networks," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 19(2), pages 260-276, April.

    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:inm:ororsc:v:22:y:2011:i:6:p:1384-1398. 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: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    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.