Heterogeneous Teams Research Articles

Research on Differences in Knowledge Demand of Sustainability Learning of Teams in Mega Engineering Construction Project in China

Knowledge plays a vital role in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) in construction industry. According to the view of organization learning, heterogeneous teams have heterogeneous core knowledge. The main aim of this study is to explore the differences in demand for sustainability learning knowledge (SLK) among the mega engineering construction project (MECP) teams, which has important implications for improving the performance of team learning and achieving SDGs in MECPs. This study followed a research design that included identifying SLK and the stakeholder teams that needed SLK and investigating the respondents’ perception of the level of demands for SLK through semistructured interviews and survey questionnaires executed in China. The statistical test results indicated that there were some significant differences in demands for some SLK among the MECP teams and MECPs. All types of MECP teams had a common high demand for SLK on environment, safety, and health in China. This study contributes to research on sustainable construction in MECPs in two main ways: (1) it reveals novel insights related to the integration of SL into the MECPs sustainable construction practices for developing countries and (2) it offers the possibility for practitioners to identify the most crucial knowledge and focus their efforts and resources efficiently.

Top Management Team Heterogeneity and Team behavior Integration Effects on Private Higher Education Institutional Performance in China

Top Management Team Heterogeneity and Team behavior Integration Effects on Private Higher Education Institutional Performance in China

Cultural Heterogeneity of Top Management Teams, Cross-Border Acquisitions, and Financial Performance of Chinese Publicly Listed Companies

ABSTRACT Using data from Chinese publicly listed companies (PLCs) over the 2010–2017 period, this paper examines the impact of cultural heterogeneity within the top management team (TMT) on the post-acquisition performance of cross-border acquisitions (CBAs). TMT cultural heterogeneity is measured as the cultural distance between the board chairperson and chief executive officer (CEO), based on the south-rice-north-wheat cultural dichotomy in traditional China in 1916. Overall, we find that TMT cultural heterogeneity can increase the likelihood of CBAs. However, it also has a significantly negative impact on both the market performance and profitability of privately-owned Chinese PLCs after the CBAs. To provide a comprehensive analysis, we also explore the moderating effects of state ownership and high-tech industries. The results reveal that TMT cultural heterogeneity can actually improve the market performance of CBAs conducted by state-owned PLCs, and it can enhance the profitability performance of CBAs within the high-tech industry. Our analysis highlights the significance of TMT cultural heterogeneity during the post-acquisition integration process following CBAs.

Pandemic-related challenges for team leadership in ECEC centres in Germany

This article investigates Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus is on ECEC leaders’ perceptions of team leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. The purpose of the study is to increase understanding of the team-related challenges ECEC leaders have been confronted with, how they have been experienced and mastered. Therefore, two qualitative studies were designed (Hamburg, Leipzig). A total of 55 ECEC leaders from different federal states were surveyed in guideline-based qualitative interviews (Leipzig study: n = 20 ECEC leaders; Hamburg study: n = 35 ECEC leaders) and analysed with a qualitative content analysis. The results show how teamwork changed under the pandemic conditions and what challenges the leaders faced, including a lack of staff (due to e. g. quarantine, disease), structural separation of teams, lack of communication, additional tasks (political regulations), and missing collaboration with parents. The results indicate that not only ECEC leaders are required to organise team development activities on a regular basis or to reflect on the experiences of the pandemic within heterogeneous teams but also setting providers and sectoral policies are called upon to support ECEC centres in crisis according to their needs.

Why do firms fail? A new view on bankruptcy from the angle of top management team heterogeneity

Avoiding bankruptcy is a crucial task for any firm’s top management team (TMT), and reasons for the failure to accomplish it have long been studied. While financial metrics can predict near-term bankruptcy, governance characteristics increase precision in the long term. With TMT heterogeneity, we introduce a powerful predictor for the critical time frame in between. Grounded in upper echelons theory, we argue that TMT age heterogeneity increases while heterogeneity in TMT pay and TMT functional backgrounds decreases the bankruptcy probability. We test our hypotheses using a unique dataset of large, public U.S. firms, about half of which filed for bankruptcy between 2001 and 2020. Our results support our research model and show how TMT heterogeneity significantly predicts bankruptcy. We contribute to both bankruptcy and strategic management research by underscoring the importance of TMT heterogeneity as a level of analysis when predicting bankruptcy and add to the ongoing discussion on the impact of TMT pay differences on firm performance. Additionally, we offer valuable insights to practitioners navigating their firms in times of crisis and to regulators shaping the insolvency statutes of the future.

Cooperative behavior of a heterogeneous robot team for planetary exploration using deep reinforcement learning

As we continue exploration of the Lunar and Martian surfaces and push farther into unknown and unstructured environments, employing a team of distributed heterogeneous robots will increase the odds of success by enabling more complex task planning that utilizes the complementary capabilities and synergy of the team members. A requirement to reap these potential benefits is effective cooperation and collaboration between the members of a robot team. Defining a metric for effective cooperation is a difficult task that will depend on the composition of the team, the task to be performed, and the working environment. This paper establishes a method for determining the reward criteria (figures of merit) that can be used for training the robot swarm through reinforcement learning techniques. A hierarchical framework of rewards is used which, at the lowest level, measures the success of an individual robot in performing its task. The success of all robots performing different subtasks is then measured using the Quantified Cooperation Assessment (QCA) metric which was introduced in our previous research of multi-robot collaboration. Finally, the mission-level success and overall reward is determined by weighting each task using its priority within the overall mission context. A common reward for each of the robotic teammates is then applied within the learning process, which emphasizes group performance over that of an individual and encourages cooperative behavior. This cooperation framework is trained in a grid-based environment representing an exploration mission on a planetary surface by a heterogenous team of robots consisting of a landing craft, a traditional rover, and several small agile robots. The robots are trained concurrently, but with individual policies developed for each agent resulting in a decentralized control scheme. Once trained, the control policies were evaluated in several test environments consisting of novel terrain maps and regions of interest. An average success rate of 90 % was seen in the test environments demonstrating the robustness of the trained policies. The robots have been trained to not only complete the mission but also perform it in a cooperative manner as well as show the scalable and resilient behavior.

The matroid team surviving orienteers problem and its variants: Constrained routing of heterogeneous teams with risky traversal

Consider deploying a team of robots in order to visit sites in a risky environment (i.e., where a robot might be lost during a traversal), subject to team-based operational constraints such as limits on team composition, traffic throughputs, and launch constraints. We formalize this problem using a graph to represent the environment, enforcing probabilistic survival constraints for each robot, and using a matroid (which generalizes linear independence to sets) to capture the team-based operational constraints. The resulting “Matroid Team Surviving Orienteers” (MTSO) problem has broad applications for robotics such as informative path planning, resource delivery, and search and rescue. We demonstrate that the objective for the MTSO problem has submodular structure, which leads us to develop two polynomial time algorithms which are guaranteed to find a solution with value within a constant factor of the optimum. The second of our algorithms is an extension of the accelerated continuous greedy algorithm, and can be applied to much broader classes of constraints while maintaining bounds on suboptimality. In addition to in-depth analysis, we demonstrate the efficiency of our approaches by applying them to a scenario where a team of robots must gather information while avoiding dangers in the Coral Triangle and characterize scaling and parameter selection using a synthetic dataset.

How does TMT heterogeneity affect breakthrough innovation? The moderating effect of strategic decision-making logics

PurposeDrawing on the upper echelons theory, this study focuses on how top management team (TMT) heterogeneity affects breakthrough innovations and examines how strategic decision-making logic (including causation and effectuation) moderates the relationship between TMT heterogeneity and breakthrough innovation.Design/methodology/approachBy conducting an empirical test of 227 sample firms in China, the authors applied linear hierarchical regression analysis to test the hypotheses on the TMT heterogeneityinnovation relationship and the moderating roles of causation and effectuation.FindingsThe empirical tests show that TMT heterogeneity positively affects breakthrough innovation, and both causation and effectuation positively moderate the positive relationship between TMT heterogeneity and breakthrough innovation. In addition, effectuation has a stronger moderating effect on the positive correlation between TMT heterogeneity and breakthrough innovation than causation.Originality/valueThis study extends the upper echelons theory to explain how the characteristics of TMTs affect firm innovation. Specifically, the authors explore the TMT heterogeneity–breakthrough innovation relationship from the perspectives of information processing and core competence and reveal the boundary condition of strategic decision-making logic in the correlation between TMT heterogeneity and breakthrough innovation. In this vein, the authors contribute to the literature by untangling the internal mechanisms between TMT heterogeneity and breakthrough innovation and extending the discussion on effectuation theory from the entrepreneurship domain to the innovation field. Furthermore, the research findings can provide helpful implications for TMTs to manage breakthrough innovation effectively.

Patronizing behavior in heterogeneous teams: A laboratory experiment

Collaboration among group members in organizations is highly prevalent and often encouraged. Yet, inefficient task assignment and patronizing may weaken the self-regulated learning process of an inexperienced group member. In a laboratory experiment, we exogenously vary the environment in which cooperative, heterogeneous groups interact. First, we introduce a time budget for task completion that is shared by both team members, and second, asymmetric information about the inexperienced group member’s scope for learning. Our results show that patronizing increases significantly with higher uncertainty and perceived time pressure, decreases team performance in the long run, and correlates with time and risk preferences.

Managing Cooperation in Multipartner Project Teams with Heterogeneous Team Members

Managing Cooperation in Multipartner Project Teams with Heterogeneous Team Members

Embracing team heterogeneity: a case study of the collaborative teaching practice in an international kindergarten in Hong Kong

International kindergartens, which offer an immersive dual-language (English and Chinese) environment, are popular among middle-class families in Hong Kong. The international learning and teaching environment is cultivated primarily by developing a diverse workforce, in which Chinese-speaking (Putonghua and/or Cantonese) teachers with local training or from mainland China generally work with their English-speaking counterparts from overseas in the same classroom. Such heterogeneity has complicated the already challenging concept of collaborative teaching. This article presents a case study of the collaborative teaching practice in a trilingual international kindergarten which had been established for over 50 years. Through in-depth interviews, questionnaires, text messaging, document analysis, site visits, and observations, the study examined the collaborative teaching practices among international colleagues in the kindergarten. The findings revealed that collaboration among international colleagues was made successful by (1) senior management and teachers sharing a common goal; (2) a dynamic whole-school supportive structure that embraced heterogeneity; and (3) the development of a shared culture of professional learning. The implications of these findings for management, practice, and research are discussed, including the need to foster a culture of collaboration, the importance of professional development, and the need for further research on collaborative teaching practices in diverse educational settings.

Breakdowns in team resilience during aircraft landing due to mental model disconnects as identified through machine learning

Landing system in aviation is a representative sociotechnical system; such systems often require seamless teamwork among experts. Resilience is critical for the ability of a team to adapt to sudden changes, overcome challenges, and return to normalcy. However, team heterogeneity can result in cognitive misalignment, known as mental model disconnects (MMDs). MMDs can cause interaction conflcits, which compromise team resilience. This study aimed to use machine learning to identify breakdowns in team resilience during aircraft landing. The results showed that the MMDs in the terminal area had the greatest influence on missed approaches; in particular, the late intervention of air traffic controllers’ (ATCOs) in an improper landing state was the major breakdown identified. This result highlights the importance of ATCO initiative in preventing landing incidents. The mechanism was determined to be ineffective information dissemination in nonroutine scenarios, which unravels the necessity for improving future information systems.

A Upaya Meningkatkan Prestasi Belajar PKn Melalui Metode Pembelajaran Kooperatif Model STAD (Student Teams Achievement Division) Pada Siswa Kelas IX C Tahun Pelajaran 2019-2020

This paper aims to illustrate efforts to enhance learning achievement in the subject of Civic Education (PKN) through the implementation of the cooperative learning method using the Student Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD) model. This method emphasizes collaboration, interaction, and active participation of students in the PKN learning process. The study outlines the steps of implementing the STAD model and its impact on PKN learning achievement. The STAD model combines team cooperation and individual responsibility aspects in the learning process. Students are grouped into heterogeneous teams, encouraging cross-ability interaction and mutual assistance among team members. Each team member plays a crucial role in understanding the subject matter and mastering PKN content. The learning process involves specific cycles, including content delivery, group work, intra-team quizzes, and recognition of individual and group achievements. In this research, the STAD method yielded positive results in enhancing PKN learning achievement. Students displayed an increased understanding of citizenship values, government structures, and relevant social issues. Additionally, students developed social skills such as cooperation, communication, and leadership through team interactions. Overall, the implementation of the cooperative learning method using the STAD model proves effective in enhancing PKN learning achievement. This approach fosters an inclusive, collaborative, and responsive learning environment tailored to diverse student needs. By promoting active participation, social interaction, and individual responsibility, the STAD model positively contributes to improved understanding and student engagement in the PKN subject.

How Technological, Organizational, and Environmental Factors Drive Enterprise Digital Innovation: Analysis Based on the Dynamic FsQCA Approach

Improving the level of digital industry innovation is of great significance to enhance the competitiveness of China’s digital industry and improve the sustainable development advantages of the digital economy. Based on the technology–organization–environment framework (TOE framework), this paper establishes a multi-stage configuration analysis model of factors affecting enterprises’ digital innovation, selects six antecedent variables from technology, organization, and environment, including R&D investment, high-level talents, organizational size, top management team heterogeneity, industrial development speed, and regional digitalization level, and explores the driving path for improving enterprise digital innovation intention and digital innovation performance under the influence of multi-factor combinations. The results are presented that single factors or single dimensions struggle to stimulate high digital innovation, and the combination configuration of multiple factors has a significant impact. The configuration paths that drive high digital innovation intention include the technology–environment type (TE type) driven by technological and environmental factors, organization–environment type (OE type) driven by organizational and environmental factors and technology–organization–environment type (TOE type) driven by technological, organizational, and environmental factors; the configuration paths that drive high digital innovation performance include the technology–organization type (TO type) driven by technological and organizational factors, organization–environment type (OE type) driven by organizational and environmental factors. With the evolution of time, there are configuration solutions with relatively high stability, such as the TE type and OE type that drive high digital innovation intention, and the TO type that drives high digital innovation performance. The results provide a reference for revealing the key influencing factors and driving paths of enterprise digital innovation, and improving the vitality and output level of enterprise digital innovation.

Managerial inclusiveness and corporate innovation in China

AbstractThis study explores how managerial inclusiveness affects corporate innovation. Using an annual dataset of A‐share Chinese listed companies from 2008 to 2021, we find that managerial inclusiveness is positively related to corporate innovation. Market competition and team heterogeneity positively moderate the relationship between managerial inclusiveness and innovation. In addition, managerial inclusiveness in state‐owned enterprises plays a more significant role in promoting corporate innovation than it does in non‐state‐owned enterprises. By investigating the mechanism of influence, we found that inclusive managers can promote corporate innovation by relaxing internal controls and increasing corporate risk‐taking.

Cluster Space Control Method of Manned-Unmanned Aerial Team for Target Search Task

This brief proposed a cluster space control method to help the operator of manned aerial vehicles (MAVs) to coordinate with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) more efficiently. The operator of the MAV could change the states of the whole heterogeneous team only by issuing a single command. To verify its application performance, the method is employed to conduct search tasks under a complex environment with static and dynamic unknown targets. The receding horizon control (RHC) and backstepping control methods are utilized to complete the search task. Simulation results show the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed method and give a strong foundation for man-machine coordination in related fields.

Entrepreneurial team heterogeneity and female entrepreneurial performance: A multiple mediation model

Presently, there is no clarity on the complex relationship between entrepreneurial team heterogeneity and female entrepreneurial performance. Based on social cognition theory, this study reveals a multiple mediating model of female entrepreneur (FE) experiential learning and female entrepreneur (FE) opportunity recognition and development on the relationship between entrepreneurial team heterogeneity and female entrepreneurial performance. By analyzing the sample data of 558 Chinese female entrepreneurs through structural equation modeling, the results show that entrepreneurial team heterogeneity has a significant positive impact on female entrepreneurial performance; FE opportunity recognition and development play a partial mediating role in the relationship between entrepreneurial team heterogeneity and female entrepreneurial performance; FE experiential learning does not play a mediating role between entrepreneurial team heterogeneity and female entrepreneurial performance; FE experiential learning and FE opportunity recognition and development play a serial mediating role between entrepreneurial team heterogeneity and female entrepreneurial performance. The study provides theoretical and practical reference for the improvement of the entrepreneurial performance of female entrepreneurs' teams.

Fielded Human-Robot Interaction for a Heterogeneous Team in the DARPA Subterranean Challenge

Human supervision of multiple fielded robots is a challenging task which requires a thoughtful design and implementation of both the underlying infrastructure and the human interface. It also requires a skilled human able to manage the workload and understand when to trust the autonomy, or manually intervene. We present an end-to-end system for human-robot interaction with a heterogeneous team of robots in complex, communication-limited environments. The system includes the communication infrastructure, autonomy interaction, and human interface elements. Results of the DARPA Subterranean Challenge Final Systems Competition are presented as a case study of the design and analyze the shortcomings of the system.

Team Members’ Value Heterogeneity and Innovation Performance: Research Based on Behavioral Science

In order to cope with the increasingly diverse and severe challenges, more and more enterprises adopt the strategy of building efficient and responsive teams to cope with the challenges, and the team gradually becomes the basic unit to carry out various social activities, including innovation, rather than individuals. From the perspective of implicit cognition of team heterogeneity, this study uses behavioral coding and analysis methods to integrate online innovation into the context of post-epidemic and Internet era to study the role of innovation behavior in the innovation process from a micro level. Based on the summary of previous research in the field of behavior observation, this paper proposes and improves the online team innovation experiment, and supplements and validates the coding scheme of "Analyzing Idea Finding Interactions (AIFI)". Furthermore, empirical research and experimental research are combined to analyze the relationship between team heterogeneity and innovation performance and the role of innovation behavior in the process of innovation. The results of the empirical study found that: value heterogeneity of online innovation team members negatively affects team innovation performance. idea facilitation behavior and idea inhibition behavior weaken the negative correlation between team members’ value heterogeneity and team innovation performance; team spirit facilitation behavior and process organization behavior strengthen the relationship between team members’ value heterogeneity and team innovation performance. Theoretically, this study deepens the research of the team innovation process and expands the research methods. In practice, it provides decision-making reference for innovation process control of enterprise innovation team.

Antecedent configurations and performance of business models of intelligent manufacturing enterprises

Tackling climate change crises needs intelligent manufacturing and effective business models. This paper uses the adaptive structuration theory (AST) and configuration perspective to investigate the effects of digital infrastructure, digital orientation, top management team heterogeneity, servitization, government support, and customer demand uncertainty on the business model of intelligent manufacturing enterprises in China. The fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was employed to analyze the data. The study found that there were five configurations of business model formation, which classified business models into five types: executive-led enhanced, digital leadership-enhanced, adaptive, extended, and complex business models. There was an intrinsic relationship between the five models with respect to the dimensions of digitalization and servitization. Further analysis revealed that executive-led, digital leadership-enhanced, and adaptive business models were positively associated with enterprise performance. The paper discusses the potential implications of these findings.