Using the stepladder technique to improve team performance

Abstract

Tests whether the stepladder technique, in which the entry of members to a group is structured and every member is forced to contribute, can improve team performance in managerial problem solving. After completing the problem (the NASA moon landing exercise) individually, 160 management students were randomly assigned to one of 40 four‐member groups in either the stepladder condition or the conventional group condition, where subjects entered their groups and worked on the problem simultaneously. The stepladder groups produced significantly better decisions than the conventional groups, as hypothesized, suggesting that managers can use the technique to improve team performance in appropriate circumstances.