Shared flow in teams: team vibration as emergent property, metaphor and surrogate measure

What is it about?

Flow is a classic concern in the psychology of teams and an important driver of performance at work. However, flow in teams has been conceived as an extension of flow in individuals, whereas we contend that this oversimplifies the phenomenon. A specific approach to shared flow in teams (SFT) is needed to account for the emergent properties typically found in complex systems, such as in the interaction of team members. With a definition for SFT and using an inductive method, we empirically identify an emergent team property (team vibration) associated with SFT, and we develop a scale to measure SFT by means of that property as a metaphor and surrogate measure. The empirical unit of analysis in this study is formed by teams of software development professionals, since those professionals are known to present high levels of flow at the individual level. However, we do not assume that flow in individuals is necessary for the emergence of SFT. This study contributes in defining SFT and showing how to identify and measure it by means of team vibration, with further insights on assembling and managing work teams towards improved performance.

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