Power to the People: The Impact of Student Personal Power on Performance in Teams

Abstract

This article examines teammates’ perceptions of individual expert and referent power (personal power) in student teams working on a semester-long project. In our study, we found a positive relationship between being perceived as high in personal power (expert and referent power) by teammates and faculty advisor-rated performance, measured by quality and quantity of work, efficiency, meeting team goals, meeting deadlines, and overall performance. To examine the mechanism behind this relationship, we also examined and found that expressed humility mediated the effect between teammates’ power perceptions and individual performance. These findings suggest that power plays an important role in teammates’ perceptions of individuals, in the individual’s own performance, and in how humility functions in team settings. We further discuss these results in terms of practical implications as well as implications for management educators.