THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF COOPERATIVE GOALS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEAM ORIENTATION AND TEAM MEMBER EXCHANGE

We examined the relationships among team orientation, team member exchange (TMX), and cooperative goals. We predicted that, at the group level, average team orientation would be positively associated with TMX, and that cooperative goals would mediate that relationship. Over a 6-week period we conducted a 2-wave survey among 540 Chinese college students who were living in 93 dormitories. Results showed that, at the group level, team orientation at Time 1 significantly predicted TMX at Time 2, through the mediation of cooperative goals at Time 2. Implications of this research and future directions are discussed.