Development Of Teamwork Research Articles

Practice development units: a study of teamwork.

In this report of a study using the Team Climate Inventory (TCI) tool, the researchers explain how the tool can be used in preparation for creating a practice development unit (PDU). The TCI provides a picture of the level and quality of teamwork in a unit using a series of Likert scales. The ward in this study was found to lack the necessary level of teamwork for successful PDU development and the researchers show how this information shaped trust plans. They recommend that units contemplating PDU accreditation should assess their level of teamwork prior to proceeding with bids.

Teamwork in community mental health care

The policy and practice context of community mental health service delivery has been subject to continuous change, particularly in the last decade. This has had implications for the development and direction of community multidisciplinary team working. Problems of role overlap and lack of role clarity can occur if teams are not established with clearly defined operational policies. A framework of role adequacy, legitimacy and support is discussed in relation to 'theory of' and 'theory for' the disciplines involved in the delivery of community mental health care. It is suggested here that 'theory for' disciplines (contributing to role adequacy) constitutes common ground, whilst 'theory of' the various disciplines, though often not easily articulated, more clearly delineates the defining differences between disciplines (contributing to role legitimacy). When applied at both individual and team levels, the framework can be useful in exploring and clarifying issues of role overlap.

Important Skills and Knowledge to Include in Corporate Systems Engineering Training Programs

ABSTRACTThis study identifies the skills and knowledge that companies consider important for systems engineers to have and determines the amount of training offered by the companies to develop the same skills and knowledge. A survey of companies with training programs for systems engineers was administered and identified critical skills and knowledge to be basic problem solving, development and management of requirements, teamwork and communication, and system optimization. The amount of training offered to develop these skills and knowledge varies considerably from company to company and does not correlate with the emphasis the company places on the same skills and knowledge.

The Student Social System Within Sport Education

This paper examines student participation in units of sport education from the perspective of those students’ social agenda. Using a combination of fieldnotes, interview, and videotape data, four major themes emerged: (a) a change in the way students socialized during class (with a particular emphasis on the development of teamwork and cooperation), (b) a change in the opportunities for personal and social development (including leadership skills and cooperation), (c) a change in the nature of competition (where winning became more important and led to greater student effort), and (d) a change in how students viewed their learning within their physical education class. While in regular physical education contexts, the student social system often conflicts with the teacher’s agenda, in this study, data suggested that because students were placed in both instructional and managerial leadership roles, these typically teacher-driven task systems became an integral part of the student social system.

An interactive learning and course development environment: Context, theoretical and empirical considerations

In this contribution, a theoretical and empirical framework based on work carried out at the Open universiteit (Ou) for a new approach towards the design, production and delivery of flexible, interactive learning materials for distance education is presented. In the Research and Development centre of the Ou, a project has concentrated on the innovation of current approaches. This framework can also be considered as an advance organizer to reading the remaining articles from the Open universiteit in this issue of Distance Education. A key feature of the innovation is that during the design phase, course developers have to define ‘models’ of the materials to be developed: a content model, a support model, a student model and the learning path. From a flexibility point of view especially, the ‘student model’ is of importance since it defines the student variables that will be taken into account when developing/ presenting alternative materials (basic content and/or embedded support). A computer‐based system, the ‘Interactive Learning and Course Development Environment (ILCE)’, was developed to support the work of course development teams and tutors on the one hand, and students on the other hand. The development system supports the work of the developers; the delivery system supports the study process of students. The delivery is realised as an on‐line course, on the World Wide Web. Students start working with the ILCE‐system by following an intake procedure. They can make choices in relation to student variables that have been defined in the student model (profession, study intentions, context, etc.). Next, they can ‘on the fly’ generate a course. Rom the large repository of learning materials only those materials are selected and compiled that are in line with the student model of this specific student Furthermore, they can choose to study the materials on screen and/or make prints of the materials. Of course, in printing the materials they lose the interactive and dynamic possibilities of the computer learning environment

Developing a lean production organization: an Australian case study

Describes the experience of an Australian automotive parts manufacturer over the ten‐year period from 1984‐1994 as it adopted lean production methods and new work organization structures. Outlines the activities undertaken as part of a just‐in‐time programme during the second half of the 1980s and discusses the benefits achieved. Describes the company’s current initiative called TRIP (Trico Restructuring Improvement Programme) which has involved the development of work teams based on the sociotechnical system. Describes the implementation of work teams and the benefits achieved. Discusses the lessons learned from the company’s experience.

The Quality Journey in a Comprehensive Mental Health Center: A Case Study

In early 1992 the chief executive officer (CEO) and consequently the senior leadership of Shawnee Hills, a mental health care organization comprising more than 65 facilities in West Virginia, decided to begin the journey toward total quality management (TQM). TQM provided guidance for establishing an infrastructure for planned organizational change and continuous improvement while maintaining the CEO's responsibility to set the vision and provide direction. TQM'S IMPACT: Absenteeism and turnover rates have decreased, which are felt to reflect increasingly high levels of staff satisfaction. The tripling of the operating budget from 1993 to 1995 is also considered a byproduct of TQM. TQM has increased the potential for this organization's success in the new health care environment by providing an infrastructure for "managing" managed care. Setting forth the vision, purpose, mission, and goals required a focus on customer satisfaction and the development of partnerships, empowerment, and teamwork. The leadership identified strategic indicators for critical success factors--customer satisfaction, positioning for future success, financial viability, and safe and professional environments--and teams were formed to address how improvements can be made. If a problem is minimal or average, processes are improved. If it is severe, reengineering is indicated. For example, each program at Shawnee Hills had its own intake procedure. To simplify access to service, it was determined that a single point of entry was needed, requiring a total redesign of current operations. Although not a panacea for all the problems an organization might be experiencing, TQM does provide guidance and direction to organizations in an ever-changing environment.

Team work in research and development organizations: The characteristics of successful teams

Team work has become a central issue for many corporations, and self-managing teams are often viewed as the goal of team work development programs. The increased pressure on professionals to perform their tasks with fewer employees, at faster speeds, and with more quality and customer responsiveness creates the need for team work. This is especially apparent in research and development organizations where the complexity of new products and reduced life cycle of new products makes team work a necessity. Research and development activities, however, have unique characteristics which might facilitate or inhibit the effectiveness of self-managing teams. This research project examined professional level teams in research and development facilities at three corporations. All of these corporations were attempting to introduce self-managing teams in their R & D projects. The research examined the role of management in promoting team work, the effects of organizational and human resources practices on team performance, and the effects of the transition to self-managing teams. Although these organizations were using different strategies to develop teams and create self-managing teams among their R & D professionals, they encountered similar problems in their attempts to promote team work.

Competency-based Orientation for Perioperative Cardiovascular Nurses

Nurses working in cardiovascular surgery must be responsible and highly competent to meet the demands of their profession. Hospitals that hire nurses for cardiovascular surgery also must assume responsibility for the competency of nurses hired. The Virginia Heart Center at Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, uses a competency-based orientation plan to train newly hired cardiovascular surgery nurses in providing quality care. Competency-based orientation is an effective approach to incorporating new members of the team into the work environment. The benefits of this appraoch include the development of teamwork and esprit de corps, skill and knowledge enhancement, and possible increased staff retention.

Personal Care and Teamwork: Implications for the General Practice-Based Primary Health Care Team

Teamwork in general practice-based primary care (PHCT) is high on the agenda of many countries but exceptionally well developed in the UK. Nevertheless there are problems associated with the optimum development of teamwork. Continuity of care, out-of-hours care, communication needs and team size are chosen as focal issues in this paper. A case is made to support the concept of a generic ‘Core PHCT’ surrounded by specialised agencies holding a clear referral relationship with the Core PHCT. Size limitation on the Core PHCT is also proposed.

Effective multidisciplinary teamwork in primary health care

The nature and development of teamwork in primary health care is discussed and some barriers to effective teamwork identified. Theories of team effectiveness are outlined and methods of applying these to primary health care teams are explored. The 'constituency approach' and the theory of team innovation are examined in more detail. Team-building interventions are described as one way of improving team effectiveness but their limitations are also acknowledged. The Health Education Authority primary health care team workshops are used as an example of a team-building intervention. Research at the MRC/ESRC Social and Applied Psychology Unit, Sheffield University, is described. This is evaluating the outcomes of the primary health care team workshops in terms of team effectiveness. The research will measure viability (the extent to which the team sufficiently sustains good relationships to continue working together) and team performance (achievement of desired outcomes) pre and post workshop. Team effectiveness will be measured through team self-assessment, patient satisfaction and family health service authority designated targets for health promotion. The overall aim is to develop a model of team effectiveness for primary health care teams, which can then be used to diagnose and guide teams in their work.

Strategic planning for increased profit in the small business

This article examines the problems facing the owner-managers of small businesses, and details the investment required in strategic process development which would guarantee the critical 5 per cent difference to ensure the successful growth and adaptability of the company. Formal strategic planning needs to blend with team development to create the concept of ‘strategy-in-use’ and the development of effective management teamwork out of a planning process.

Competition Leads to Losing

A crucial consideration of businesses that wish to remain competitive in world markets is how to develop the skills of cooperation. This cooperative stance affects how a business relates to its customers, its suppliers, its employees, all concerned government agencies, and its neighbors. Internally, a company needs to develop systems that will reward team work and team development, rather than individual performance and intergroup competition. Most of us have been in educational systems that are based upon assumptions of competition as they track to success. Fortunately, the skills of cooperation can be identified and developed in each of us. Three such skills that are useful in work group settings are highlighted here. They will aid anyone who is concerned about becoming a good team member and team developer. The broader questions must be asked to begin to change organizational systems of what behaviors receive recognition and what behaviors are generally punished. In any organization, when teamwork begins to operate well, even a small group can affect the overall corporate culture and produce longterm change.

A Problem-based Approach to Learning Economics: An Experiment in Progress at the Ngee Ann Polytechnic

ABSTRACT Employers want workers with the skills of life-long learning and problem-solving. Recent efforts emphasize the value of having learning skills embedded within the total curriculum. The problem-based approach to learning has been found to encourage the development of these skills in students as well as to foster in them a deep (as opposed to the surface) approach to learning. The problem bared approach is also seen to foster confidence and initiative, and in some instances the development of teamwork and communication skills. This paper briefly describes the problem-based approach and the attempt currently being made to introduce the approach to business studies students at Ngee Ann Polytechnic in the context of an Economics course. Preliminary results indicate that students had been stimulated to show initiative, and that a large majority found self-learning, communication skills to be a major benefit of the course.

AVOIDING A COMMON PITFALL IN COMPULSORY SCHOOL REFERRALS

When a family is compulsorily referred by the school for therapy, treatment failure often ensues if the family therapist, ignoring the probability of a powerful conflict between family and school, focuses prematurely on family dynamics. An alternative approach to such cases is proposed, based on questioning the “function of the symptom” notion, acknowledging the parents' predicament vis‐à‐vis the school problem, and conceptualizing therapy as the development of better teamwork.

The Evolution and Maturation of Operational Teams in a Training Environment

Several models of team development were synthesized from the team performance/team training literature as the basis for a working model of Team Evolution And Maturation (TEAM). The TEAM methodology is designed to investigate the development of teamwork during training of operational teams. The TEAM model suggests that the life cycle of a team consists of as many as seven developmental stages. The theoretical foundations and description of the model are discussed as well as its relevance to team training.

Effective Team Building Develops Individuality

In the field of human resource development, one of the most frequently discussed and used methods is the development of effective group action and teamwork. Such an emphasis is understandable when we remind ourselves of the complexity, size, and pressures on today's organizations.

The patient care team in the hospital ward: the place of the nursing student

Patient care can be regarded as a complex activity, which is the outcome of negotiation amongst a large number of different health care professionals who may, at times, hold conflicting views on goals and priorities. If a high standard of care is to be achieved and limited staff resources are to be used efficiently, a strategy of ‘integrated team working’ should be adopted. For the nurse to play her part in the patient care team, in coordinating ward work, carrying out nursing care, monitoring patients' conditions, helping the patient to make sense of what is happening to him, making the most of the ward's opportunities for learning, and so on, she needs to understand the part played in patient care by other health professionals. The study reported here found that amongst the 46 nursing staff of three wards of different specialties, the majority of trained staff did see themselves as having regular working links with other health care professionals‐specifically doctors, physiotherapists and social workers. Only a tiny minority of the 31 student and nursing auxiliaries felt that they had any working links with other health professionals. Most students believed that for the sake of good patient care and effective learning, they should be part of a multidisciplinary team rather than an exclusively nursing team. Whilst the ward manager can do much to foster the development of a multidisciplinary perspective, it is suggested that structuring the workflow along the lines of patient‐centred rather than task‐centred allocation, automatically builds in face‐to‐face interactions between nurses of all levels and other health professionals. This facilitates the development of mutual role knowledge and effective integrated team working. The ward manager is in the best position to initiate change in work organization, but, if she is to succeed in this complex endeavour, the active cooperation of others is imperative. In particular, medical staff, nursing management and schools of nursing.

The Adolescent and the Hospital

Adolescents bring to the hospital questions and anxieties that differ from those of younger children, adults, or the aged. The unique physical and emotional needs of adolescents are best served in a setting where all those working with them are specifically attuned to the characteristics of teenagers. Grouping adolescents together in a unit has proved to be supportive to these patients and also helps in the planning of a multidisciplinary program for health care. Fragmentation of care is minimized, and the development of an effective health team working in an integrated therapeutic community is facilitated.

From Being Sedentary to Being Active: Shifting Patterns of Idleness Among Children

Physical activity is defined as body movement produced by muscle action that increases energy expenditure. The lifestyle of hominids/humans included physical activity. The way of life associated with hunting, gathering, and agriculture. During the Hellenic Age (336-30 B.C.), Sports were considered “physical training for health”, and agonal (competitive) gymnastics were highly regarded. For Romans, some body movements served the purpose as preparation for war and the military. Our young people live in a social and physical environment that makes it easy to be sedentary. The benefits of physical activity for children, though seemingly obvious. Physical activity can reduce anxiety, feelings of stress. A reduction in sedentary behavior can be achieved with minimal financial or time requirements. Positive experiences with physical activity at a young age help lay the basis for being regularly active throughout early and later adulthood. Recommended physical activity guidelines differ according to age group. Performance of a wide variety of physical activities is important for refining already learned motor skills. Sport participation, appropriately directed, could be involved in the development of character, work discipline, teamwork, fair play, and other socially approved characteristics.