Advancing Research on Team Learning by Taking into Account Complexity, Dynamics and Context

Abstract

AbstractWork teams are crucial entities in all kinds of organizations for their contribution to the delivery and quality of products and services. Because of changes in society, such as demands of clients and digitization, work teams need to always further develop. Team learning is essential for the quality of performance, and the development of organizations.The amount of research on team learning at work has increased in the past years, but it does not provide consistent research outcomes. Nor does it give a complete, holistic picture of all relevant aspects of team learning, the outcomes and the antecedents.This contribution provides insight into what is needed in future team learning research in order to enhance understanding of its processes and be able to sustainably foster team learning and improve the outcomes of team learning. A conceptual framework is developed by starting with analyzing definitions on work teams and team learning, and providing, analyzing and integrating evidence on team learning at work, their effects and the antecedents. The results of the analysis of current approaches, definitions, theories, and empirical results, are taken into account in this conceptual framework which contains aspects of team learning itself in the context of the team , the organization and the society with their antecedents, the outcomes of team learning and the interventions that can foster team learning.Three specific issues are identified as major challenges for research which are discussed, namely the (characteristics of) the dynamics, the complexity and the context . Concrete implications are provided, challenges for research identified with respect to the objectives and content of future research taking into account the three challenges, the methodological issues, the need for clarity, consistency and coherence in research, and the decisions to make to increase insight into team learning processes and how they can sustainably be fostered.KeywordsTeam learningWork teamsDynamicsComplexityContext