Happily Ever After

Toward a Theory of Late Stage Group Performance

1. Charles A. Funk1
2. Brian W. Kulik2

1. ¹Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago
2. ²Hawaii Pacific University, Honolulu, Hawaii

1. Charles A. Funk, Department of Management and Marketing, College of Business and Management, Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 North St. Louis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625-4699 Email: c-funk@neiu.edu

Abstract

This article develops a theory of late stage group performance based on the late stage group’s unique characteristics: a long shared history, an indefinite endpoint, a long member entry/exit history, and a long “parent” organization relationship. These characteristics are markedly different from those of earlier stage groups, suggesting that extant literature’s limited “maintenance” or “cyclical” prescriptions are insufficient for effective late stage group management. Six propositions are developed to model the relationship between late stage group characteristics and performance. Managerial implications are also discussed and a late stage group research agenda is proposed.

Happily Ever After