Improving team performance

Abstract

Purpose – To investigate whether implementing Belbin’s ideas on team balance and role diversity result in enhanced team performance. Design/methodology/approach – Compares the performance of teams engaged in a computer-simulated management game, analyzing team composition and individuals’ preferred Belbin roles. Findings – Teamwork: highly valued by so many organizations – and often so very hard to achieve! As a result, many job specifications state that the role requires “a good team player”. What is harder to find is evidence of whether “good” teams deliver superior performance. Practical implications – Observes that team role diversity does not lead to better financial performance. Adds that the Belbin role of the team leader does not appear to predict performance either. Social implications – Points out that awareness of their preferred Belbin team roles can help team members to become aware of their strengths and weaknesses and influence their behavior. Originality/value – Provides an empirical evaluation of Belbin’s work in terms of team performance rather than team behavior.