Valuing Skill Differences: Perceived Skill Complementarity and Dyadic Helping Behavior in Teams

This article reports effects of perceived skill dissimilarity and perceived skill complementarity on dyadic helping behavior using a cross-lagged panel study. Specifically, the authors hypothesize that perceived skill dissimilarity is negatively related, whereas perceived skill complementarity is positively related, to self-rated and peer-rated dyadic helping behavior in teams. The authors compare the effects of both perceptions in a sample of 301 unilateral work relationships within 20 student research teams. The study shows that perceived skill dissimilarity is unrelated to self-rated and peer-rated dyadic helping behavior whereas perceived skill complementarity is positively related to both self-rated and peer-rated dyadic helping behavior.