Theories of Team Cognition

10

Combinations of Contributions for Sharing Cognitions in Teams

Verlin B. Hinsz and Jared L. Ladbury

Teams in organizations are ubiquitous (Cohen & Bailey, 1997; Devine, Clayton, Philips, Dunford, & Melner, 1999) and important for organizational functioning (Sundstrom, McIntyre, Halfhill, & Richards, 2000). Teams appear at all levels of an organization—from top management teams to sales groups to accounting teams—to such an extent that new hires who do not have the necessary skills to work in teams can struggle in the workplace (Ellis, Bell, Ployhart, Hollenbeck, & Ilgen, 2005; Hollenbeck, DeRue, & Guzzo, 2004). Teams work to accomplish the goals of the organization and are expected to function at a higher level than individuals working alone ...