Date of Graduation
Summer 2016
Degree
Master of Science in Psychology
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair
Robert Jones
Abstract
Nepotism refers to the practice of giving preferential treatment to family members and is prohibited in some work organizations. Common anti-nepotism policies are often based on the unsubstantiated assumption that family relationships negatively affect performance. This study challenges this assumption with the hypothesis that family relationships improve team performance. The theoretical basis for this hypothesis is grounded in the literature examining team processes. Research suggests that coordination is an important team process, and that family members coordinate more effectively than non-family members. Thus, it is reasonable to suspect that familial relationships in teams will lead to better – rather than worse team performance. To test this hypothesis, over 100 years of performance data from 477 men's college basketball teams were analyzed. Results suggest that familial relationships in teams is positively related to better team performance.
Keywords
team performance, family relationships, coordination, nepotism, organizational policy, selection, basketball
Subject Categories
Psychology
Copyright
© Erick P. Briggs
Recommended Citation
Briggs, Erick P., "Do Family Relationships Affect Team Performance?" (2016). MSU Graduate Theses/Dissertations. 2954.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/2954
