Divergent Mental Models as a Trigger of Team Adaptation

Abstract: Due to the continuous implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs), members of one team often have a different understanding (i. e., mental models) about their ICT use. Consequently, the ability to adapt their ICT use and to converge their divergent mental models is an essential requirement for teams to remain effective. The results of a laboratory experiment examining 198 participants in 66 teams confirm the hypothesis that the higher the initial divergence of mental models about their ICT use, the more the teams engage in team adaptation processes (i. e., situation assessment, plan formulation, and plan execution). Furthermore, the divergent mental models of team members, mediated by sequential team adaptation processes (i. e., situation assessment, plan formulation, and plan execution) and convergence of mental models, lead to a positive change in ICT use. Our results underscore that theories and research on team adaptation should focus more on team members’ divergence of and convergence toward shared mental models.