Teamwork Experience Research Articles

Cenamps: Adding Value to The North East Region

Cenamps' highly talented and commercially experienced team work closely with business leaders to stimulate and manage market-led innovation, enabling businesses to develop new products and services as well as strengthen the regional economic foundation, R&D capabilities and performance. Cenamps achieves this by establishing new state-of-the-art R&D facilities and applied research projects for developing new technologies that will yield significant societal, economic and commercial benefits.

Goal attainment, satisfaction and learning from teamwork

PurposeBusinesses have increasingly relied on educators to train students on teamwork skills that are valuable in a highly competitive marketplace. But what are students actually getting from these initiatives? Are they seeing the linkage between teamwork skills and goal accomplishment? Are they developing positive attitudes toward teamwork? What skills are they learning from their teamwork experiences?Design/methodology/approachThis study investigated the relationship between student team member outcomes and the team activities that they engage into achieve these outcomes. Students were surveyed using items developed from a taxonomy of team processes found in the management literature, and measures of goal attainment, satisfaction and learning.FindingsResults show that students derived different outcomes when practicing specific team process activities. Students who engaged in transition and action processes perceived that their goals were accomplished through teamwork. Those who engaged in transition and interpersonal tasks developed a more positive attitude toward teamwork and felt that they learned significantly from their teamwork experience.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is meant to help educators fine‐tune their understanding of the linkages between teamwork skills and team performance outcomes in student team projects so that they can structure the teamwork experience more effectively. The reader, however, is reminded that the findings were obtained in the context of student team projects.Originality/valueUnlike most of the past research on team processes and outcomes, this study examined which team processes are linked to each of several team performance dimensions.

Symposium: Thyroid‐associated orbitopathy (TAO), teamwork experiences

Symposium: Thyroid‐associated orbitopathy (TAO), teamwork experiences

The Development of Appropriate Generic Skills in Research Intensive Higher Degree Students

There is significant evidence that an increasing proportion of chemical engineering graduates are continuing on to complete a research-based Masters or PhD programme. In this paper, we firstly present data collected over a 10-year period regarding the work placement of such research-based graduates within Australia at the completion of their higher level degree. While two-thirds of our graduates are placed in research positions, the remaining one third enter positions in engineering, management or the legal and financial professions. Around one half of Australian research-based graduates enter the private sector, a proportion slightly lower than that of comparable American graduates. Given this broad range of career destinations, it is imperative that universities provide research students with the opportunity to gain a broad range of generic skills. While intellectual rigour must remain the cornerstone of a research intensive degree, students should also gain experience in teamwork and leadership roles. They must develop effective oral and written communications skills and they must be capable of thinking outside the square. An understanding of sustain-ability issues, as well as environmental, health and safety regulations is also important. Finally, the proportion of females undertaking research-based postgraduate study is low. Improving the gender balance will require the postgraduate programme to foster a more collaborative environment and one in which feedback, both oral and written, is provided on a regular basis.

Predictors of Team Work Satisfaction

Introduction Employees in most jobs will be required to work as part of a team (DEST, 2002), and experience in a team is usually an important criterion in the selection process carried out by employment agencies or human resource departments. Often a key question asked of the candidate is whether they have played team sports, or been in committees, or been in the debating team. What the interviewer is trying to find out is not (a) sporting prowess; (b) political savvy, or (c) public speaking skills (although these are usually important). The point is to see if the candidate can work effectively within a group of peers. Modern university courses attempt to foster team skills, usually by setting team assignments or projects. Training in interpersonal relationships is minimal and the assumption is that if a student has sufficient experience in working within a team, they will be good at working in a team. The effectiveness of this strategy is rarely measured. Recently it has been demonstrated that many students do not want to work in teams, and actively resent being forced to work with each other (Drury, Kay & Losberg, 2003; Waite & Leonardi, 2004). Sometimes team-based assignments have been set for tasks which would not normally be done by teams, possibly to reduce the marking burden for the academics. This behavior by the academics has been interpreted cynically by the students, who may be less than willing to undertake team-based assessment for tasks where team work is appropriate (Waite & Leonardi, 2004). This work attempted to determine the extent of satisfaction of students with their team work experiences in two Information Technology (IT) subjects, and to determine some of the factors which may be used as predictors of satisfaction with team work. Literature Review Previous research has identified a number of factors that are thought to impact on student satisfaction with team work. In particular, the duration of the project and the composition of the team appear to be important. While some aspects of these issues will be addressed in this paper, our main goal is to determine the factors influencing team work satisfaction within self-selected teams. To achieve this goal, the authors had to identify an instrument for measuring team work satisfaction, and in consequence--effectiveness (Hacker, 1997). The terminology used in the literature when referring to people working together on a common goal is inconsistent. Many authors use the term teams, while others use the term groups. We have chosen to define a team as group of people who are * working towards a common goal; * cohesive-i.e. knowledgeable of each other and each other's abilities and tasks; * cooperating to obtain a common goal; * sharing resources. This definition serves well for describing student teams bound by a common assessable task. We define groups as collections of people with common attributes (e.g. cohorts of students) but no common goal requiring cooperation. Where authors have referred to research on groups, but where the situation of the 'group' is consistent with our definition of 'team', we interpret the term 'group' to mean 'team' in our context. Ways of Measuring the Effectiveness of Team Work A brief review of the literature reveals different ways of measuring the effectiveness of team work. Performance measures may take the form of a summative assessment which involves comparing a team's design with a model solution (Porter & Lilly, 1996; Sargent & Sue-Chan, 2001). While many researchers have associated the measurement of team performance with the quality of a product or the achievement of some goal, other researchers have considered the socio-psychological aspects such as using Member Satisfaction as a measure of 'Group Performance' (Hacker, 1997). …

Evaluation of a model for maximizing interprofessional education in an acute hospital

SummaryA one-year planning phase established a rolling programme of bi-monthly interprofessional clinical teaching workshops derived directly from patient experiences in an acute hospital. Pre-registration healthcare students from 8 professions spent an afternoon in the hospital training centre, randomly allocated to one of 6 – 8 small working groups. Using a problem-based methodology they analysed a ward case with patient consent, chosen to reflect the input of a wide range of health professionals. Students worked through a prepared workbook facilitated by a range of tutors from all disciplines. Each small group reported back on one aspect of team working to the entire cohort entering into debate and discussion with the support of clinical and academic tutors. Post course patient details were found on a website enabling students to progress their uni-professional knowledge, e.g., on anatomy, physiology, pharmacology etc. The questionnaire evaluation on over 126 students and 11 tutors identified that interprofessional competencies were understood and valued. Students related principles of team working and collaborative practice to their placement experiences of team work. Interactive learning enables further appreciation of professions roles and responsibilities and the importance of teamwork to optimize patient care (82.0 – 90.5%). The half-day learning model can be easily supported by busy clinical staff, led by hospital educators and accessed by students on hospital placements, at a mid-point in training, with learning supported by consenting in-patients or recent admissions prepared to share their experiences.

An innovative use of the web to build graduate team skills

Successful graduates in today's competitive business environments must possess sound interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in team situations within, and across, disciplines. However, developing these skills within the higher education curriculum is fraught with organisational and pedagogical difficulties, with many teachers not having the skills, time or resources to facilitate productive group processes. Furthermore, many students find their teamwork experiences frustrating, demanding, conflict-ridden and unproductive. This paper brings together the perspectives and experiences of an engineer and a social scientist in a cross-disciplinary examination of the characteristics of effective teamwork skills and processes. A focus is the development and operation of ‘TeamWorker’, an innovative online system that helps students and staff manage their team activities and assessment. TeamWorker was created to enhance team teaching and learning processes and outcomes including team creation, administration, development and evaluation. Importantly, TeamWorker can facilitate the early identification of problematic group dynamics, thereby enabling early intervention.

Komandinis darbas švietimo organizacijoje: pedagogų požiūris

Straipsnyje aptariami komandinio darbo ypatumai švietimo organizacijoje, remiantis pedagogų požiūrio empirinio tyrimo rezultatais. Pateikiamos remiantis įvairiais kintamųjų ryšiais išryškėjusios švietimo organizacijų komandinio darbo tendencijos ir problemos. Pagrindinės sąvokos: komandinis darbas, švietimo organizacija, vadovavimo stilius.

The paper beam: hands-on design for team work experience of freshman in engineering

The present research refers to the assigning of a hands-on group project to freshman engineering students, evaluating their performance, and deriving conclusions on student benefits and educational advances. The research procedure included action plans for the instructor and the students, instructions to the students on performing the work, organizational instructions to the teams and reporting guidelines, and evaluation of the success of the project. The main outcomes refer to the team co-operation, the performance of tasks, the quality of results and the reporting effectiveness. The ‘paper beam’ project benefited the student’s learning and proved the need of complementary learning styles in teams, of the appreciation of quality performance and results, as well as of the accuracy in project details.

Effective Health Care Teams: A model of six characteristics developed from shared perceptions

This study into understanding health care teams began with listening to participants' teamwork experiences. It unfolded through a dialectic of iterations, analyses and critique towards a simplified model comprising six key characteristics of effective teams. Using the complementary theoretical perspectives of personal construct theory and inductive theory building, three research methods were used to collect a range of participant perspectives. A purposive sample of 39 strategic informants participated in repertory grid interviews and clarification questionnaires. A further 202 health care practitioners completed a purpose designed Teamwork in Healthcare Inventory. All responses were transformed through three iterations of interactive data collection, analysis, reflection and interpretation. Unstructured participant perspectives were qualitatively categorised and analysed into hierarchies to determine comparative contributions to effective teamwork. Complex inter-relationships between conceptual categories were investigated to identify four interdependent emerging themes. Finally, a dynamic model of teamwork in health care organisations emerged that has functional utility for health care practitioners. This Healthy Teams Model can be utilised in conjunction with a Reflective Analysis and Team Building Guide to facilitate team members to critically evaluate and enhance their team functioning.

Active-learning activities that introduce students to software engineering fundamentals

First-year students select a program of study for a variety of reasons. As a result, many students are not familiar with the basic concepts and career opportunities that exist. At the Rochester Institute of Technology, first-year Software Engineering students participate in a seminar to orient them to the discipline. The course has been redesigned from a lecture format to an active-learning format. The new format uses a set of hands-on and community-building activities to demonstrate basic concepts, with little programming. The more engaging format enables students to explore concepts, gain experience working in teams, and have ownership over their own learning. The seminar structure and activities will be discussed, along with an analysis of student feedback, and lessons learned. The value of the seminar's approach can be used to introduce computing students to fundamental software engineering concepts in a variety of contexts.

Teamwork: Therapist and Cotherapist in the Nordoff-Robbins Approach to Music Therapy

Abstract This article will attempt to give the reader/listener a sense of the experience of teamwork that is central to the Nordoff-Robbins approach. This way of working considers the team holistically, as an integrated unit that is greater than the mere sum of its individual functions, exploring the ways in which a team shares and communicates perception, responds to musical and creative impulses, and realizes clinical intentions. The discussion that follows will emphasize the contribution of the co-therapist to the therapeutic process. It explores the formation and function of the initial Nordoff-Robbins therapy team, and the evolution of team roles and training. Through the presentation of an audio example with commentary giving moment-by-moment insight, the clinical experience of a particular pair of therapists conducting group music therapy will be explicated.

Teamwork and Total Quality Management: A Durable Partnership

This paper examines the durability of teamwork within firms by looking at the relationship between the evolution of quality management programmes and the development of teamwork. Four case studies of Australian manufacturing firms with a long experience of teamwork are presented. The paper reports that firms use a great variety of teamwork practices and that they develop ensembles of teamwork practices, which become institutionalised within the firm. The paper advances the proposition that the observed durability of teamwork is underpinned by the institutional stretch of ensembles of teamwork practices. The ability of management to rearrange ensembles to accommodate new management initiatives and new management practices is critical to the durability of teamwork.

The complexity of team training: what we have learned from aviation and its applications to medicine.

Errors in health care that compromise patient safety are tied to latent failures in the structure and function of systems. Teams of people perform most care delivered today, yet training often remains focused on individual responsibilities. Training programmes for all healthcare workers need to increase the educational experience of working in interdisciplinary teams. The complexities of team training require a multifunctional (systems) approach, which crosses organisational divisions to allow communication, accountability, and creation and maintenance of interdisciplinary teams. This report identifies challenges for medical education in performing the research, identifying performance measurements, and modifying educational curricula for the advancement of interdisciplinary teams, based on the complexity of team training identified in commercial aviation.

The Effects of Sex Composition on Small-Group Performance in a Business School Case Competition

We found group sex composition to be positively related to team performance (β = .27; p < .001) in a business school case competition by analyzing data from 34 practitioner judges' ratings of 37 student teams. In several multiple regression equations, we investigated the effects of sex composition, controlling for such variables as average team GPA, aggregate team work experience, team size, and team coaching received, among others. In addition, we conducted factor and other psychometric analyses of the dependent variable (e.g., coefficient alpha reliability of .92). The sex-composition findings are congruent with the small-group literature on diversity and with the assumption of sex differences in cognition and communication (i.e., evolutionary theory). As a secondary objective, we present a self-developed, generic performance-rating instrument as a useful assessment tool for case competitions.

Does It Matter if I Hate Teamwork? What Impacts Student Attitudes toward Teamwork

The ability to work in teams is a skill that is often taught in universities to be applied in the business world. This study of junior and senior college students shows that project grades, perceived workload, time in class for project work, use of peer evaluations, and absence of a “free-rider” problem were significant predictors of attitudes toward teamwork. On the basis of their results, the authors suggest assigning a reasonable workload, allowing class time to work on projects, and using peer evaluations as strategies for improving student teamwork experiences.

EVALUATING AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM TRAINING INSTITUTE IN GERIATRICS: IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHING TEAMWORK THEORY AND PRACTICE

Changes occurring in both health care and higher education systems in the U.S. suggest the need for the development of innovative model programs for interdisciplinary team training. This article reports on the development and evaluation of one such program: an interdisciplinary team training institute in geriatrics and primary care sponsored by the Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center in 1999. Key principles underlying the design of program content are summarized. Evaluation data analyzed include information on attendees' backgrounds and teamwork experience, and an assessment of the most important and least important insights gained from participation. Specific ratings for each session include relevance and knowledge attainment. Major observations and recommendations include the combination of theory and practice, a focus on current and cutting edge issues, the importance of educational marketing research, and implications for program evaluation.

A Web‐based and Group Learning Environment for Introductory Environmental Engineering

AbstractThe use of computer‐based technology is becoming more prevalent in the classroom. As a part of an educational research project sponsored by the GE Foundation, strategies for augmenting a course, Introduction to Environmental Engineering (CE 280), were investigated including cross‐disciplinary experiences in teamwork, design, and the use of advanced teaching technologies such as the web. Interactive tools to assist student learning were developed and refined. Efforts have focused on developing an extensive website, web‐based quizzes and homework assignments, and tutorials. Base groups were used to provide both intellectual and emotional support to students. This paper summarizes the development of this course and the impact of rapid feedback on the progression of student understanding.

The Effectiveness of the E‐Team Approach to Invention and Innovation*

AbstractWithin the last decade, teamwork has become a well‐known phenomenon in U.S. industry. Effective teamwork has led to an increase in productivity, a reduction in costs, a rise in employee involvement, and flattening of the organizational structure.1This study examines students' attitudes and experiences towards working in teams, with particular attention paid to engineering students participating in entrepreneurial teams. The results of the study suggest that the students' attitudes and experiences were positive about working in teams. The majority of the students felt they were able to perform effectively in teams and thought that working in teams will be beneficial for preparing them for the workplace. Although students responded positively about their teamwork experience, only half of the students received team training. Some of the students felt indifferent about the usefulness of the team training sessions, which suggests that teamwork training needs to be improved.

HydroWeb: ‘WWW based collaborative engineering in hydroscience’—a European education experiment in the Internet

Modern information and communication technology enables new technical solutions to support collaboration in engineering over distance. The application of Web based project platforms and collaboration methods requires new kinds of soft skills, knowledge and experience—a task for education and training in hydroinformatics. This technical note describes a pan-European education experiment, where students from five European universities have solved a given engineering task in distributed teams in the Internet. The collaboration was based on the principle of ‘information sharing’ using a Web based project platform. In this course the students acquired experience in interdisciplinary teamwork, net based project co-ordination and Web based reporting. They strengthened their social competence to collaborate in heterogeneous teams with different habits, nationalities, ages and educational backgrounds. The described experiment might be the basis for introducing Web based collaborative engineering in the regular course programme of water related curricula.