Showing papers in "Team Performance Management in 2004"

The value of intercultural competence for performance of multicultural teams

Abstract: Managers working in multinational companies carry out their organizational goals through multicultural teams. Performance of multicultural teams can be examined from an intercultural communication perspective. Executives, managers, management consultants, and educators interested in improving multicultural team performance need to know about intercultural competence and how it affects team performance. This article provides a working definition of high‐performance multicultural teams and outlines the challenges multicultural teams face. These definitions along with extensive interview data and detailed self‐reports of American and Russian managers working in multicultural teams emphasize the high importance of intercultural competence in improving the performance of these teams. This article also serves to highlight the characteristics of high‐performance multicultural teams, the common challenges of multicultural teams, and the sources of these challenges.

Attitude toward teamwork and effective teaming

Abstract: The business sector has created a need for higher educational institutions to prepare students to be effective team players. Responding to this need, higher educational institutions have been using different forms of active learning as methods to promote teamwork among students and enhance their learning. Results from such initiatives have shown that students recognize that the teaming experience improves their interpersonal skills, yet they still prefer work individually. Attitude originated from negative team experiences. The purpose of this study was to determine what relationship exists between individual attitudes toward teaming and the presence of characteristics deemed essential for an effective team. The study suggests that when mature communication, accountable interdependence, psychological safety, common purpose, role clarity and clear goal are present during the process of teaming, the experience will have a positive effect on individuals' attitude toward teamwork.

Organizational culture, group diversity and intra-group conflict

Abstract: Past research on group diversity tends to overlook organizational contextual and group process variables. Although recent studies have revealed the main effects of group diversity on intra‐group conflict, it is important to examine the contextual factors reducing or facilitating those effects on intra‐group conflict. This paper presents a conceptual analysis and research proposals that build on past research on intra‐group conflict and organizational culture to examine the relationships between organizational culture, intra‐group conflict, and group diversity. The paper proposes that organizational cultural intensity and content have direct impact on intra‐group conflict and moderate the relationship between group diversity and intra‐group conflict, depending on the degree of value congruence and the value content shared among group members.

The challenge of virtual organisation: critical success factors in dealing with constant change

Abstract: The shift towards virtual organisation is related with a fundamental change in organising and managing daily operations. The success of collaborative work therefore relies not merely on the introduction of different technologies, but also on critically analysing the “human” aspects of organisation. Virtual teams bring people together across disciplines, departments, functions, and geographical locations. This paper draws on the literature with respect to organisational change, and particularly results from human and organisational research carried out in the OSMOS (IST‐1999‐10491) project. Within the context of the OSMOS project, interviews with senior managers of each of the participating industrial organisations were conducted. From the analysis of these interviews four major organisational issues emerged, which virtual teams or e‐businesses need to address before moving forward. These are: information sharing, organisational culture and teamworking, acceptance of change and training. The paper investigates the above issues and explores potential solutions in order to support virtual organisations and e‐businesses in dealing with continuous change. From this investigation the paper proposes critical success factors that the authors believe to be necessary in dealing with such change.

Project‐based action learning as learning approach in learning organisation: the theory and framework

Abstract: Concept of “organisational learning” has been widely advocated as one of the solutions for organisational development, especially for those companies requiring high level of technology and knowledge. While being applied to the entire organisation, the concept of organisational learning can also be applied to specific function or project teams, which can be named as “project” based organisations. This paper presents a new approach of learning for the project‐based teams, which integrates learning and project in one, towards organisational learning ideals. Performance evaluation mechanism is also developed. With the developed evaluation, three dimensions of team performance, within the scope of project action‐learning framework would be measured. It would tell the team where it stands at a particular point of time. In order to track the critical variables required to reach the goals, the developed measurement system framework will be adopted in the implementation phase.

Performance gains through diverse top management teams

Abstract: Emerging and future changes in workforce diversity have caused a need to examine the potential impact of these changes on all areas of the firm. One area of special interest is that of top management team (TMT) diversity. With more diverse TMTs on the horizon, there is potential for both conflict and performance gains as a result of increased diversity at the highest levels of organizations. This paper examines diversity in top management teams and the potential impact of TMT diversity upon firm performance. Issues surrounding TMTs, upper echelon theory, and team heterogeneity are examined and propositions are offered as potential avenues for empirical research. Managerial implications and future research directions are also discussed.

Improving the capabilities of project team management using the Gestalt cycle of experience

Abstract: Tools that project managers use while managing project teams are insufficient. This probably contributing to the large number of projects that fail to achieve their objectives within the desired time and budget to the full satisfication of the customer. An inovative approach for the identification of the main reasons for these failures and the ways to prevent them are described in this paper. The paper introduces several solutions for project team building and management, based on an interdisciplinary approach and theory known in the Gestalt cycle of experience. In spite of their differences, the humanistic process of need fulfillment and the project management approach have a lot in common. The present paper demonstrates that both team decision making and project management methods use similar processes. Hence, applying the well known mental barriers and solutions from the Gestalt cycle of experience may reduce the currently high percentage of project failures. The paper finally introduces several areas in which project managers can focus on when dealing with managing a project team.

Workspace technology's impact on individual privacy and team interaction

Abstract: One way organizations increase their competitive advantage is through innovative strategies that improve human performance. Human performance can be enhanced or constrained by situational factors that are introduced into the organization's work environment. One situational factor is the organization's workspace. This study examines the impact of a new workspace technology on individual privacy and on team interaction. The research found that the participants were generally satisfied with the visual privacy but not with the auditory privacy. The research also found that the participants were satisfied with the workspace's ability to facilitate team interaction. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Differences between on‐site and off‐site teams: manager perceptions

Abstract: This study investigated managers' perceptions of variables important to successful teams, emphasizing key differences between off‐site and on‐site teams. Changes in perceptions after exposure to a virtual team environment were examined. Key variables examined in this study included reporting procedures, importance of solid work structure, team hierarchy, team leadership, and communication. Findings as to pre‐ and post‐perceptions of the importance of these variables are reported. MBA students, already in managerial jobs, were the subjects, and were expected to duplicate general managerial attitudes. Two statistical tests were used to evaluate the data. First, a test of differences of means for paired observation, n=43, using t‐statistic; second, a test of association, rated on a Likert scale from 1 to 5, using Pierson's Chi‐square test, were used to evaluate the quantitative part of the study. Conclusions are drawn as to what managers need to focus on when employing virtual teams.

A delicate managerial challenge: how cooperation and integration affect the performance of NPD teams

Abstract: Multifunctional teams have become commonplace in new product development (NPD) endeavors. Knowledge on the functioning of such teams, however, remains little. In this article two major principles about how these teams function are investigated, team cooperation and team integration. A theoretical discussion indicates that there is not a clear‐cut way to manage team cooperation and team integration in order to achieve high performance. The management of these principles in NPD teams is rather a delicate managerial challenge. These theoretical considerations are statistically examined then. The results show that both team cooperation and team integration are inversely U‐shaped related to NPD team performance. In managerial terms the results imply that creating the right level of team cooperation and team integration managers have to balance their actions between two extremes. The article finishes by presenting opportunities how to do so.

What would Machiavelli think? An overview of the leadership challenges in team‐based structures

Abstract: The writings of Niccolo Machiavelli continue to resonate with today's business leaders. Current management literature still focuses on tactics to increase power as a means to ensure a leadership position. This attention to individual accomplishment and the building of power runs counter to what is happening structurally within organizations. The acceleration in the use of team‐based structures as a preferred method of organization and decision making reflects the need for timelier processing of information in a world of increased environmental uncertainty. This contrast between the behaviors needed to build individual power and the collaborative skills necessitated by team‐based structures creates a number of leadership challenges for individuals and organizations. This article discusses these challenges from both a theory‐based and a practitioner standpoint, assesses the implications for organizational managers and individual team members, and offers recommendations for leadership effectiveness in a work world dominated by team‐based design.

Leadership in teams: managerial responses

Abstract: This paper explores the real issues in team effectiveness as they relate to leadership, assessment and policies in any business organization Data are derived from a questionnaire that was given to 60 executives in different business organizations, creating a matrix of 1,020 answers which were then put into the three areas and examined for commonality of issues, trends and tentative conclusions

Goal orientation and supervisory behaviors: impacting SMWT effectiveness

Abstract: This paper explores the role of individual goal orientation on the self‐management work process and how individual goal orientation may impact self‐managed work team (SMWT) effectiveness. Supervisory encouragement, team member goal orientation, and work team behaviors are included in a conceptual model of work team effectiveness. Propositions addressing the relationships between goal orientation, encouraging supervisory behaviors, and self‐managed work team effectiveness are offered and practical implications addressing the usage of goal orientation as a selection tool for self‐managed work teams and the need for external supervisors to encourage certain work team behaviors to promote work team effectiveness are discussed.

High performance management of shared‐managed joint venture teams: contextual and socio‐dynamic factors

Abstract: Evidence from joint venture research points to the vital role of the group of individuals who manage the administration of the venture. Venture managers face challenges that may not be present in top management teams within the hierarchy of a firm. Despite substantial research on joint ventures, understanding of this unique management group remains rudimentary. This article focuses on management processes in shared‐managed joint ventures. It suggests that the evolution and effectiveness of the management team in joint ventures may be facilitated by certain key contextual and individual level factors. Looking at venture management as an inter‐organizational group of people composed of members representing parent organizations whose behavior is regulated by a common set of expectations can give clues to the special nature of joint venture management tasks. The individuals nominated to the team as well as some key performance‐facilitating contextual factors may affect team effectiveness. Research and practical implications are offered.

Team leadership at the 100‐foot level

Abstract: Since teams continue to be an important part of an organization's design, understanding how to enhance their success should be a primary objective. Research consistently shows that team leaders exert a disproportionate effect on the success or failure of organizational work teams, making leadership an area that managers cannot ignore. While creating an organizational vision or inspiring others to follow are important leadership traits when viewing leadership at a very high level, the reality is that most team leaders work at a demanding operational level, which requires specific knowledge and skills. This article presents the topic of team leadership by discussing why team leadership should be of interest to organizational managers, presenting various knowledge and skill areas where leaders should demonstrate proficiency, and providing an assessment tool that helps organizations evaluate leader effectiveness.

The high‐performance work system: is it worth using?

Abstract: Businesses worldwide are beginning to explore new areas of workplace change. Gone are the days of changing an element in one department and expecting results throughout the entire firm. The latest trend is the high performance work system. The implementation of such a system is not based around one department, but focuses on firm‐wide change. Key elements are workplace restructuring, retraining of workers and adding new technology. It has been found that by improving the flow of information through workplace redesign, using state of the art technology and empowering employees by training them to be daily decision makers, productivity and overall quality of production increases significantly. The implementation of a high performance work system can be risky and costly but the US Government is currently developing ways to aid companies so that they can take advantage of the benefits that can result from the implementation of such a successful system.

Managing a virtual team of newspaper journalists: a case study

Abstract: This paper deals with managing of the joint editorial office of three regional newspapers in Finland. Competition with new media has forced newspaper editorial offices to reorganize their activities to get new competitive assets to survive. Mergers and coalitions of media houses have become common in newspaper industry in Europe. For newspaper editorials, networking with other newspaper editorials is one way to meet challenges of media markets. This study was conducted in a joint editorial office that produces material for three newspapers. Results show that, in editorial work, a virtual team is a beneficial way of co‐operation. Journalists are used to work autonomously and independently, and therefore they adjusted to work in a virtual team, whose members worked de‐located. They found face‐to‐face meetings important, because in that way they could identify themselves as members of a specific team and bond relationship with other members.

Team‐based discipline: a theoretical framework

Abstract: This article examines the use of team‐based discipline in performance management, with a view toward incorporating literature on punishment and discipline in the context of team dynamics. Using the Arvey and Jones four‐stage model of discipline as the starting point, the article develops a set of propositions regarding differences between discipline in traditional work designs and team‐based discipline. Stage one involves member observation of the rule infraction. Stage two is team determination – whether to ignore or to punish the transgression. Stage three is the choice of discipline method, and stage four involves the employee's perception of the disciplinary action (as well as the perceptions of teammates). Finally, the article concludes with some suggestions for the effective use of team‐based discipline.

How far is too far? Lessons for business from ultra‐high‐performing military teams

Abstract: Management in organizations has a common focus on achieving goals in the most productive, efficient way. Many managers use teams as powerful tools in focusing on and achieving goals. It has been claimed that everyone in an organization belongs to one or more teams. In parallel to the development of business teams, the US military has developed high‐performance teams to achieve discreet goals in ultra‐stressful, dangerous circumstances. Teams in business and the military are focused on goals that require in‐depth training, high personal investment by team members, deep commitment to the team, complementary skills, and high performance under pressure. Can business leaders learn from military teams who have lives depending on their performance? The research and analysis points to the conclusion that some lessons from military teams can be valuable for managers in business organizations, but also suggests that high performance may not be as desirable as it seems.

Palliative care teams and management levers

Abstract: This paper is the third in a series that will examine the management of innovation by multidisciplinary patient care teams in palliative care in Australia and reports on the existence and use of organisational levers to enable and influence required characteristic behaviours in the teams. These levers work in concert with organisational capabilities to resource the required behaviours. Interviews with management teams in three Australian palliative care case study organisations confirm the existence and use of organisational levers. It appears that levers are available organisationally and utilised where necessary but fall into three distinct groups, those utilised by any person or group needing them, those utilised more specifically by management teams and those utilised by multidisciplinary patient care teams. It is noted that these groups are dependent on the existence of the levers for the optimisation of their efforts.

Team building and team working

Abstract: Presents an interview with Bob Stewart, an independent consultant specializing in courses and lectures on leadership, motivation, ethics, crisis management, negotiation, planning and tactics. Drawing on his military experience, covers such areas as the most significant attributes of an effective leader, the need for flexibility and the challenges posed in terms of leading and motivating teams. Finally, discusses his role within Hill & Knowlton Public Affairs Corporate Division and the Foundation of The Leadership Backbone.