The relation between knowledge integration processes, team member sense of coherence and stress

With teamwork proliferating in modern organizations, it is surprising that research on work-related stress has to a large extent neglected how team processes affect individual perceived stress. The current study addresses this void by investigating the relationship between two team knowledge processes, bringing expertise to bear and learning behaviour, the salutogenic variable sense of coherence (SoC), and perceived stress. Based on a multi-level study of 344 individuals in 54 knowledge intensive work teams, we find that team knowledge processes are positively related to work SoC and that work SoC fully mediates the relationship between team knowledge processes and individual perceived stress. The study further investigates whether a team intervention (self-facilitated team debrief) can positively affect knowledge processes and thereby work SoC. Comparing before and after measures in 30 treatment teams with those in 24 control teams we find that the intervention improved the team knowledge process bringing expertise to bear and individual work SoC.