Effects of Situational Factors on Team Planning

Abstract

Abstract. Although there has long been consensus in team research that planning generally has a positive impact on performance, very little is known about how input factors (e. g., situational factors) affect the planning behavior of teams. In addition, the various dimensions of planning remain largely unexplored. In this study, we examine the effects of time pressure, task routine, and decision importance on team planning. We suggest that planning consists of four dimensions: exploration, strategic planning, detailed planning, and prognosis. In two policy-capturing studies, undergraduates and employees were presented with a series of hypothetical scenarios and asked to indicate in each case how they might plan for these if working as part of a team. Results from our Bayesian multilevel analyses revealed that teams overall used less planning when they were under acute time pressure, when tasks were very routine, and when the decisions involved were of little importance.