People who are friendly and trustworthy are more likely to be selected for teams than those who are known for just their skill competency and personal reputation, according to new research.

While people who are both trustworthy and competent are the most sought after when it comes to team assembly, friendliness and trustworthiness are often more important factors than competency.

“We assume that people are selected for important task forces and teams because of the knowledge, skills and abilities they bring to the table. However, this research suggests that people may often get picked because team members feel comfortable with them,” said Cynthia Maupin, assistant professor of organizational behavior and leadership in Binghamton University’s School of Management. “People may be willing to sacrifice a bit in terms of performance in order to have a really positive team experience.”

Maupin and her colleagues focused on a cohort of MBA students to conduct their study. Students were randomly assigned to teams at the beginning of the semester to work on class projects and assignments. Toward the end of the semester, students were asked to form their own teams and assess why they selected each member of their group.

“We wanted to find out what people did to signal to others that they might be someone who would be good to team up with in the future,” Maupin said.

The researchers specifically looked at how students signaled their human capital, the ability to do their tasks well, and their social capital, the degree to which they were friendly and trustworthy, to other students by studying their use of either challenging or supportive voice:

• Challenging voice: Communicating in a way that challenges the status quo and is focused on new ideas and efficiency.
• Supportive voice: Communicating in a way that strengthens social ties and trust, and builds friendly cohesion of a team.

The researchers found that people who exhibited both competence, through the use of challenging voice, and trustworthiness, through the use of supportive voice, were the most in-demand people when it came to assembling teams.

Story Source:
Materials provided by Binghamton University. Original written by Allen Wengert. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.