Team Learning: A Theoretical Integration and Review

With the increasing emphasis on work teams as the primary architecture of organizational structure, scholars have begun to focus attention on team learning, the processes that support it, and the important outcomes that depend on it. Although the literature addressing learning in teams is broad, it is also messy and fraught with conceptual confusion. This chapter presents a theoretical integration and review. The goal is to organize theory and research on team learning, identify actionable frameworks and findings, and emphasize promising targets for future research. We emphasize three theoretical foci in our examination of team learning, treating it as multilevel (individual and team, not individual or team), dynamic (iterative and progressive; a process not an outcome), and emergent (outcomes of team learning can manifest in different ways over time). The integrative theoretical heuristic distinguishes team learning process theories, supporting emergent states, team knowledge representations, and respective influences on team performance and effectiveness. Promising directions for theory development and research are discussed

Team Learning, Development, and Adaptation

[Excerpt] Our purpose is to explore conceptually these themes centered on team learning, development, and adaptation. We note at the onset that this chapter is not a comprehensive review of the literature. Indeed, solid conceptual and empirical work on these themes are sparse relative to the vast amount of work on team effectiveness more generally, and therefore a thematic set of topics that are ripe for conceptual development and integration. We draw on an ongoing stream of theory development and research in these areas to integrate and sculpt a distinct perspective on team learning, development, and adaptation

Shared Leadership In Work Teams: A Social Network Approach

(WP10/02 Clave pdf) In the past few years, the concept of leadership has shifted from the solitary leader to the team as a potential source of leadership. This shift from a single person to a "shared leadership" model requires new concepts and methods to capture the nature and structure of leadership by teams (Yukl, 1998). In this chapter, we argue that a social network approach helps to provide the conceptual framework and methodological tools to support a shared leadership perspective.Leadership networks, Network centralization, Shared leadership, Social network analysis

Strategic Knowledge Measurement and Management

Knowledge and intellectual capital are now recognized as vital resources for organizational survival and competitive advantage. A vast array of knowledge measures has evolved, spanning many disciplines. This chapter reviews knowledge measures focusing on groups of individuals (such as teams, business and organizations), as they reflect the stock or flow of knowledge, as well as enabling processes that enhance knowledge stocks and flows. The chapter emphasizes the importance of organizational value chains, pivotal talent pools and the link between knowledge and competitive success, in understanding the significance of today’s knowledge measures, and opportunities for future research and practice to enhance them

Intellectual Capital Architectures and Bilateral Learning: A Framework For Human Resource Management

Both researchers and managers are increasingly interested in how firms can pursue bilateral learning; that is, simultaneously exploring new knowledge domains while exploiting current ones (cf., March, 1991). To address this issue, this paper introduces a framework of intellectual capital architectures that combine unique configurations of human, social, and organizational capital. These architectures support bilateral learning by helping to create supplementary alignment between human and social capital as well as complementary alignment between people-embodied knowledge (human and social capital) and organization-embodied knowledge (organizational capital). In order to establish the context for bilateral learning, the framework also identifies unique sets of HR practices that may influence the combinations of human, social, and organizational capital

Downsizing Survivors’ Communication Networks and Reactions: A Longitudinal Examination of Information Flow and Turnover Intentions

The pre- and postdownsizing information flow and postdownsizing turnover intentions of downsizing survivors were examined in the corporate office of an international hotel company. Using a combination of network analysis and path analysis, the relationship between changes in downsizing survivors’ betweenness centrality and perceptions of information adequacy relative to reported turnover intentions were examined across two postdownsizing time periods. Results of the path analyses provided general support for the model as hypothesized, indicating in postdownsizing periods that changes to network members’ network centrality positively influenced changes in their perceptions of information adequacy, which then negatively influenced their turnover intentions. The article concludes with a discussion of the support for the hypotheses and the study’s limitations and pragmatic implications

The Effect of Transactive Memory and Collective Efficacy on Aircrew Performance

The use of teams is becoming prevalent in American organizations. The United States Air Force for example, employs aircrew teams on the majority of their aircraft. This thesis focuses on system and motivational variables that influence the performance of aircraft teams. Two potentially important team variables are identified and examined in three research studies. Transactive memory is a system which combines the knowledge possessed by individual team members with a shared awareness of who knows what, who is good at what, and who does what. Collective efficacy is the group\u27s collective belief that it can perform a specific task. This research tests these two constructs as competing constructs in explaining team performance. A laboratory and two field studies are conducted to determine the effects of transactive memory and collective efficacy on team performance. The results indicate that transactive memory has a consistent and positive relationship with performance across studies. However, the relationship failed to reach statistical significance due to small sample sizes. Change in the composition of the team due to turnover is shown to be detrimental to transactive memory. In addition, transactive memory makes important contributions to the team\u27s collective efficacy. In operational environments. collective efficacy is significantly related to higher performance. A confident team is a more effective team. These results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical significance

The Influence of Management and Environment on Local Health Department Organizational Structure and Adaptation: A Longitudinal Network Analysis

Objective: The nation's 2862 local health departments (LHDs) are the primary means for assuring public health services for all populations. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of organizational network analysis on management decisions in LHDs and to demonstrate the technique's ability to detect organizational adaptation over time. Design and Setting: We conducted a longitudinal network analysis in a full-service LHD with 113 employees serving about 187 000 persons. Network survey data were collected from employees at 3 times: months 0, 8, and 34. At time 1 the initial analysis was presented to LHD managers as an intervention with information on evidence-based management strategies to address the findings. At times 2 and 3 interviews documented managers' decision making and events in the task environment. Results: Response rates for the 3 network analyses were 90%, 97%, and 83%. Postintervention (time 2) results showed beneficial changes in network measures of communication and integration. Screening and case identification increased for chlamydia and for gonorrhea. Outbreak mitigation was accelerated by cross-divisional teaming. Network measurements at time 3 showed LHD adaptation to H1N1 and budget constraints with increased centralization. Task redundancy increased dramatically after National Incident Management System training. Conclusions: Organizational network analysis supports LHD management with empirical evidence that can be translated into strategic decisions about communication, allocation of resources, and addressing knowledge gaps. Specific population health outcomes were traced directly to management decisions based on network evidence. The technique can help managers improve how LHDs function as organizations and contribute to our understanding of public health systems

Why some teams work better than others: An investigation of voice, TMS and leadership on team performance

Teams have become the standard way of working in organizations and therefore the question of what differentiates highly performing units from other teams has attracted much research attention. Especially the utilization of knowledge such as team members sharing their knowledge and the awareness of other members’ expertise can be decisive for team performance. Looking into the relationship between team member’s behaviors, team cognition and self-management encouraged by the leader, this study connects three streams of literature, namely voice, TMS and leadership, to reach a better understanding how these interact and impact team performance. Specifically, in this study, we investigate the mediation role of TMS in the relationship between voice and team performance, and whether the leadership function of promoting team self-management moderates this relationship. A sample of 46 consulting teams has been analyzed through a moderated mediation model without finding support for the full model. However, this multi-level research showed that voice is positively related with performance but that the relationship between TMS and performance is less clear and depends on the extent to which leaders encourage the team to manage itself. In light of findings on both the individual and organizational level indicating that voice can have positive effects, this research extends the literature in terms of the applicability at the meso level. Also, further light is shed on the interaction between team cognition and team leadership warranting further research. Practical and theoretical implications of the findings and potential questions for future research are discussed.O trabalho em equipa tornou-se padrão no trabalho nas organizações, portanto, a questão do que diferencia unidades de alto desempenho de outras equipas atraiu muita atenção para o seu estudo. Especialmente a utilização de conhecimento, como, a partilha de conhecimento de membros de equipa e a consciencialização da perícia de outros membros, como fator decisivo para o desempenho de equipa. Analisando o relacionamento entre comportamentos de membros de equipas, a noção e a auto-gestão de equipa incentivados pelo líder, três fontes de literatura, nomeadamente a voz, TMS e liderança, estão relacionadas com uma melhor compreensão de como interagem e afetam o desempenho da equipa. Especificamente, o efeito da voz no TMS e no desempenho de equipa foi estudado com o moderador gestão de equipa autónoma. Uma amostra de 46 equipas de consultoria foi analisada por meio de um modelo de mediação moderada sem encontrar suporte para o modelo completo. Todavia, a pesquisa em diferentes níveis mostrou que a voz está positivamente relacionada com o desempenho, mas a relação entre o TMS e o desempenho é menos clara, dependendo da extensão em que os líderes incentivam as suas equipas a gerirem-se independentemente. À luz dos resultados, a nível individual e organizacional, é indicado que a voz pode ter efeitos positivos, aplicando-se à literatura em termos de nível meso. Adicionalmente , contribuições feitas para melhor entendimento da interação entre noção e liderança de equipa que merecem mais pesquisa. São discutidas implicações práticas e teóricas dos resultados e possíveis perguntas para futuras pesquisas

The Effects of IT, Task, Workgroup, and Knowledge Factors on Workgroup Outcomes: A Longitudinal Investigation

In order to successfully manage the knowledge-related processes occurring in their workgroups, organizations need to understand how different contingency factors affect the knowledge-related processes of a workgroup, ultimately affecting the workgroup\u27s knowledge outcomes and performance. To obtain a deeper understanding of the longitudinal effects of different contingency factors on knowledge outcomes and performance of workgroups, this dissertation was guided by the research question: Which factors, from the five categories of factors (a) characteristics of the workgroup; (b) characteristics of the tasks assigned to the workgroup; (c) the interface between the workgroup and the tasks; (d) characteristics of the knowledge required to complete the tasks; and (e) characteristics of the information technologies, affect workgroup outcomes, including (i) average consensus among a workgroup\u27s members about each other\u27s areas of knowledge; (ii) average accuracy of knowledge; and (iii) performance of the workgroup, over time, and in what way? Workgroup processes considered were categorized into three groups: processes related to scheduling of tasks, processes related to completion of tasks and processes accompanying those related to completion of tasks. Results indicate that only a subset of contingency factors from each category affect each of the workgroup outcomes. Specifically, average task priority, average knowledge-intensity of subtasks, average propensity to share, time in training phase, probability of non-specific exchange, number of agents, number of locations and average project intensity were found to have a positive effect on average consensus, while average task intensity, average self-knowledge and average number of tasks per agent had negative effect on average consensus. In the case of average accuracy of knowledge, average knowledge level and number of agents were found to have a positive significant effect. Finally, in the case of percentage of project completed, average propensity to share, average knowledge level, average self-knowledge, and time in training phase were found to have a positive significant effect, while average knowledge intensity of subtasks, richness of email, and average direction time were found to have a negative significant effect. Average number of tasks per agent was found to have a significant negative effect between workgroups and positive significant effect within workgroups