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Exploring the psychological safety of R&D teams: An empirical analysis in Taiwan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2015

Chi-Cheng Huang  and
Pin-Chen Jiang
Chi-Cheng Huang
Affiliation:
Department of Industrial and Business Management, Aletheia University, Taiwan
Pin-Chen Jiang
Affiliation:
Department of Asia-Pacific Industrial and Business Management, National University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC
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Abstract

R&D is uncertain work that involves the knowledge, skills, or perspectives of team members. When R&D teams develop new products or technologies, the need for psychological safety within the teams is increasingly emphasized. If R&D team members perceive that team psychological safety exists, they may be willing to offer knowledge or perspectives during the development process because they are not afraid of being rejected or embarrassed for speaking up. However, the application of the theory of team psychological safety to R&D teams is considerably limited. This study explores the antecedents and consequences of team psychological safety in R&D teams. Our research model is assessed using data from a sample of 245 team members from sixty technology R&D teams at a leading R&D institute and is analyzed using the partial least squares (PLS) method. The results of this study suggest that: (1) social capital exerts a positive and significant effect on team psychological safety; (2) team psychological safety has a positive and significant impact on team performance; (3) knowledge sharing and team learning positively and significantly mediate the relationship between team psychological safety and team performance; and (4) knowledge sharing exhibits a positive and significant effect on team learning. This study also discusses the implications of team psychological safety for R&D teams.

Keywords

team psychological safetysocial capitalteam performanceknowledge sharingteam learningpartial least squares
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , March 2012 , pp. 175 - 192
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2012

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