Modelling we consciousness

In 2001, Marks, Mathieu and Zaccaro introduced entrepreneurial studies to the concept of emergent states for variables such as trust, cohesion and shared mental models. Since then, emergent state research has produced numerous papers, but has also suffered from an inconsistent and incoherent accumulation of knowledge, as it has mainly advanced in silos. This resulted in inaccuracies and inconclusive evidence for the important relationship between emergent states and team performance. Hence, this research builds and expands on a newly introduced, encompassing emergent state variable: We Consciousness. Throughout this study, Sollberger’s (2017) definition of We Consciousness is refined by assessing, selecting and defining the most influential affective and cognitive emergent states. This is done with the goal of strengthening the standing of We Consciousness as a representation of the relevant emergent states in order to provide a better construct to analyse and model the overall emergent states’ impact on team performance. After assessing and selecting the most relevant affective (cohesion, satisfaction, commitment and potency), cognitive (shared mental model and transactive memory system) and mixed states (trust and future), the explanatory power of the encompassing We Consciousness is confirmed via a second-order factor analysis, and its relation to team performance is evaluated with various regression analyses. The resulting conclusion is that, though the relation of We Consciousness does not accord with certain prior findings for underlying variables, it does show a significant linear relation to team performance. In conclusion, We Consciousness introduces a new method for measuring team performance, as it provides an instrument for assessing the strength of a team’s existing emergent states.