Abstract

In a world where teamwork and performance are essential components of any organization, it is essential to understand the phenomena that lead to an effective and sustainable work environment. Organizations need to perform well to achieve their objectives. While most scholars agree that team cohesion is a precursor of team performance, this relationship has not been fully established. Furthermore, the antecedents of team cohesion are poorly understood. The main purpose of this thesis is to investigate the role of informal social interactions inside and outside the workplace in predicting team cohesion, and address gaps in the literature, in a quest for consensus on the relationship between team cohesion and team performance. Relying on the social identity theory, this paper develops eight hypotheses to shine light on the link between social interactions and team performance. Using survey data from 141 employees around the world, this empirical study obtains significant evidence of a positive relationship between informal interactions both inside and outside the workplace and team cohesion. The results of the analysis further confirm a positive relationship between team cohesion and team performance, and the mediating role of team cohesion. Managers should promote social interactions inside and outside the workplace amongst team members to increase team cohesion and performance. Focusing on the bigger picture, this thesis concludes with a presentation of the implications and limitations of the study. Specifically, the rise of virtual interactions in a post-pandemic society and the effects of national culture in the global landscape are discussed.