Why am I here? The influence of group and relational attributes on member-initiated team selection

Many organizations have moved to adopt high performance work designs in an effort to enhance organizational flexibility while increasing efficiency, output, and product quality. As a result, the use of voluntary organization-sponsored teams such as task forces, project teams and quality improvement teams has become increasingly common. Relatively little research, however, has examined the process through which the membership of such groups is assembled. Even less is understood about the factors that encourage greater employee participation in these types of teams. Relying on social exchange theory, social identity theory, and the diversity literature, we explore the group creation process from the individual as perspective. Specifically, we explore the factors that motivate an individual to join a particular team. Propositions relating the influence of group and relational attributes to member-initiated team selection are then developed that further expand our understanding of the effects of group attractiveness, social categorization, relational demography and network processes on group creation. In closing, we discuss the implications of our model for managers and suggest some directions for future research.