Teams

This research, conducted by the author when a Senior Researcher at Newcastle University, UK, was funded by a UK governance organisation to help them assess, integrate and improve their understanding of the governed population.

ABSTRACT: Governance organisations have been urged to develop more holistic evidence-based approaches with partners to better deal with issues affecting the governed population. This presupposes an understanding of the population, yet there has been little research work addressing how governance organisations come to understand their governed population, nor how this understanding can be improved upon within such organisations.

This case study examined in-depth how understanding of a governed population was developed within one UK local governance organisation and it explored how such understanding might be developed and improved through more holistic and evidence-based organisational learning within the organisation and its governance partnerships.

The research methodology involved placement within the governance organisation, participant observations on several projects and innovative initiatives, observations within, across, and outside the organisation, and also interviews with varied key stakeholders.

The study examined:

- stakeholder engagement and networks
- current and varied understandings of the population
- mechanisms actually used for developing understandings
- the influence of context on organisational learning

and analysed these to arrive at a recommendations to improve organisational understanding of the governed population.

In the case studied, significant strengths were found: including innovative past learning trials for development, extensive ongoing networking activities, and many varied and accumulating quantitative datasets available across partnerships.

However, entrenched organisational approaches and practices constrained the development of holistic evidence-based understanding, for instance: the absence of systematic maintained collective learning processes; weak recording and forgetting of understandings; methodological exclusion of stakeholders from the development of understanding; the relative neglect of qualitative data, explanations, investigations, interpretations, and reflexivity; and also implicit organisational acceptance of such limitations and low aspirations.

Nonetheless, untapped opportunities existed to enable change including: latent practitioner knowledge and innovative management champions, the desire for improvement and raised aspirations within learning networks, and the development potential of alterative learning approaches.

It was concluded that more holistic evidence-based understanding was possible, but required new learning approaches beyond those then in use in both local government or academia.   

Recommendations are made to utilise and develop improved organisational learning approaches trialed and reported in the case study.

It is argued that the case study findings, conclusions, and recommendations may be applicable to other similar local governance organisations and partnerships that seek to better understand local populations, services and interventions.

The work was also submitted for, and awarded, an MPhil (at Newcastle University, supervised by Prof. Patsy Healy)

Despite of the importance of trust across multiple levels in organizations, extant reviews have focused predominantly on trust at the individual level. A systematic review of trust research across levels and trust referents is sorely needed to synthesize the growing number of both micro and macro studies on this topic. Moreover, as trust is a linchpin for divergent areas, such as negotiation, leadership, team processes, human resource management, organizational change, entrepreneurship, and strategic alliances, a multilevel-multireferent review of trust can facilitate integration in the field of organizational sciences. In this review, we adopt a levels of analysis approach to organize the research on trust between 2000 and 2011 in multiple referents that include interpersonal, teams, and organizations at the individual, team, and organizational levels and analyze the similarities and differences in antecedents, consequences, and theoretical perspectives dominant at each level. Building on this foundation, we further identify the current strengths, weaknesses, and research gaps, offer recommendations for integration across levels and referents, and discuss lingering questions that research so far has overlooked. In doing so, our review offers a systematic and comprehensive view of the current state of the trust literature in organizational sciences and provides a blueprint for future research.

This report aims to analyze and review issues that arise in the management of culturally diverse and geographically dispersed virtual teams. Real world examples will be assessed based on theoretical frameworks surrounding cross cultural management and virtual team dynamics. Practical solutions to the most critical issues will be proposed based on best practices and theoretical frameworks. Ethical implications related to the management of cross-cultural virtual teams will be examined and identified.

Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the systematic role played by Six Sigma methodology in improving the quality of healthcare. The literature review identifies the relevant opportunities for successful introduction and development of Six Sigma approach in healthcare sector. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic methodology to identifying literature on Six Sigma in healthcare is presented. Web of Science, Medline, Emerald Insight, ASQ and ProQuest databases (1998-2016) were searched, and 68 papers of fair methodological quality were identified.
Findings – The findings of the systematic review reveal a growing interest in research on Six Sigma adoption in healthcare. The findings indicate that Six Sigma applications in healthcare have been focused on the entire hospital with no real focus on a particular department or function. The key findings on benefits, success factors, challenges and common tools of Six Sigma from the existing literature are also presented in the paper. Research limitations/implications – The papers included in the systematic review were peer-reviewed papers available in English. Due to these limitations, relevant papers may have been excluded. Moreover, the authors have excluded all conference and white papers for their inclusion in this study. Originality/value – This paper can serve as a guide on how Six Sigma approach can be applied to improve the quality of healthcare. The authors also believe that this is possibly the most comprehensive systematic literature review on the topic and will set the foundation for various research avenues based on the key findings of this study.

The study of negative relationships in teams has primarily focused on the impact of negative relationships on individual team member attitudes and performance in teams. The mechanisms and contingencies that can buffer against the damaging effects of negative relationships on team performance have received limited attention. Building on social interdependence theory and the multilevel model of team motivation, we examine in a sample of 73 work teams the team-level attributes that foster the promotive social interaction that can neutralize the adverse effect of negative relationships on team cohesion and, consequently, on team performance. The results indicate that high levels of team–member exchange as well as high task-interdependence attenuate how team cohesion and team performance suffer from negative relationships. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

The main aim of this conceptual paper is to provide an overview of effective strategies to support pre-service teachers to adequately integrate ICT in teaching and learning activities. Specifically, the focus is on the strategies included in the SQD (Synthesis of Qualitative Evidence) model: 1) using teacher educators as role models, 2) reflecting on the role of technology in education, 3) learning how to use technology by design, 4) collaboration with peers, 5) scaffolding authentic technology experiences, and 6) providing continuous feedback. To turn this model into practice, the approach of teacher design teams is adopted. A teacher design team can be described as a group of two or more (pre-service) teachers who design (ICT-rich) curriculum materials. Based on the SQD model – theory-and the implementation of the key themes emerging from this model via teacher design teams – practice-, this conceptual paper provides recommendations to improve the potential of pre-service training to enhance future teachers use of ICT in their educational practice.

In reaction to the growing attention to connecting individual-level and unit-level constructs, we first briefly
review emergence terminology and theories that address the dynamic process by which a higher-level phenomenon
emerges from lower-level elements. Next, we review the extant theory and research on emergence
and convergence in organization science using an organizing framework that simultaneously considers the
content area of lower-level elements, the emergent factors, and the target of the emergent property. In addition
to organizing and bridging current literature on emergence and convergence, gaps of existing research and
new directions for future research, including compilation and divergence, are identified.

This research aims to examine football fans’ awareness of their team sponsors and to compare sponsorship awareness  between season ticket holders and casual spectators. Data was collected from among fans of a professional football team and results revealed that spectators recall ‘top of mind’ those sponsors with their logo displayed on the team shirts. Thus, being visible from the stadium stands is important to ensure recall rates. Fans are typically able to properly recognise sponsors and non-sponsors of their team. However, some competitor brands engaged in football sponsorship are incorrectly recognised as sponsors of a team. Finally, the number of brands recalled and recognised correctly by season ticket holders is significantly higher than for casual spectators. The research findings, managerial implications, limitations and future research directions are discussed.

This article presents an integrative review of the rapidly growing body of research on trust in work teams. We start by analyzing prominent definitions of trust and their theoretical foundations , followed by different conceptualizations of trust in teams emphasizing its multilevel, dynamic, and emergent nature. We then review the empirical research and its underlying theoretical perspectives concerning the emergence and development of trust in teams. On the basis of this review, we propose an integrated conceptual framework that organizes the field and can advance knowledge of the multilevel nature of trust in teams. Our conclusion is that trust in teams resides at multiple levels of analysis simultaneously, is subject to factors across levels in organizations, and impacts performance and other relevant outcomes both at the individual and team levels. We argue that research should not only differentiate between interpersonal trust between members from collective trust at the team level but also emphasize the interplay within and between these levels by considering cross‐level influences and dynamics. We conclude by proposing 4 major directions for future research and 3 critical methodological recommendations for study designs derived from our review and framework.

Research has shown that work engagement, both at the individual and team levels, is relevant to understand employee performance and well-being. Nonetheless, there is no theoretical model that explains the development of work engagement in teams that takes into consideration what is already known about team dynamics and processes. This study addresses this gap in the literature, presenting a model for the emergence of team work engagement. The model proposes team inputs, outputs, and mediators as predictors of team work engagement and highlights their recursive influences over time. This conceptual work provides a starting point for further research on team work engagement, allowing for distinguishing individual and team constructs.

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The healthcare system has an inconsistent record of ensuring reliable and safe patient outcomes. One of the main factors contributing to this poor record is inadequate and unreliable interdisciplinary team behavior. Learning how to function within an interdisciplinary team must begin early in medical training. Simulation based medical education (SBME) is an essential part of graduate medical education (GME) training, the acquisition of core com-petencies and their assessment. In this paper, we describe SBME as it relates to learning and professional maturation. We describe the use of simulation in GME training, link simulation to the ACGME professional core competencies, present examples of simulation assessment methods, and explore simulation as part of board certification and professional life long learning. We discuss the important benefits of simulation for hospitals and patient safety. We summarize the literature on cost effectiveness of simulation in education and the growing evidence that SBME translates to improvements in communication, teamwork and clinical care and the overall improvement of healthcare. We discuss the challenges and costs required to develop a successful simulation and training center, lab or in-situ program. We discuss the return on investment of SBME as it relates to patient safety, cost savings, and improved patient care. Hospitals should embrace simulation based medical education and support the development of simulation centers so that SBME becomes an integral part of the hospitals' mission to provide patients with the best care possible.

Purpose -

This article explores the ethical impact of leadership and the ramifications of unethical leadership. Design/methodology/approach - This article explains how leaders can improve ethical behavior and identify unethical behavior through various methods. Findings -

Successful leaders must focus on being ethical leaders. Leaders will rationalize their own behavior due to lack of objectivity. Leaders should focus on improving their own character through reflection, external analysis of actions, and understanding their own beliefs and values. Originality/Value

- This article identifies the necessary leadership components and pitfalls for ethical and unethical behavior. Modern society is in a character crisis and this paper will explore one approach to fixing the problem

Changing established behaviour of any kind is difficult. It is particularly challenging in complex critical healthcare settings because of the varied relationships between a wide range of organisations, professionals, patients, and carers. Barriers to change can take a long time to overcome when discussing guidance for implementation in clinical practice; a clinical guideline can take up to 3–5 years to be fully implemented. One may need to consider the scale of change that can be achieved realistically when seeking to implement behavioural change in intensive care units (ICUs); even small changes require trust-building measures and can have a positive impact, especially if the change involves an action that is repeated often. Certain trust-building factors may help to foster an environment that is conducive to behaviour change. An organisation where there is strong leadership, authentic communication, and transparent governance has a much greater chance for success. No matter how necessary change seems to upper management, the barriers must be authentically acknowledged and not swept under the carpet if a strategic change is to be implemented successfully. The key to successful change is in the planning, messaging, and implementation. However, barriers to changing established practice may prevent or impede progress in all organisations, whatever the culture.

The three greatest barriers to organisational change are most often the following:
�� inadequate culture-shift planning,
�� lack of employee involvement,
�� flawed communication and leadership strategies.

Organisations also need a clear system in place to support ongoing measurement, implementation, and assessment, and effective ways to address the normalised deviance. This chapter aims to provide practical advice to intensive care providers and administrators on how to encourage and support healthcare professionals and managers to change their clinical practices

Barach P. Addressing barriers for change in clinical practice. In Quality Management in Intensive Care: A Practical Guide. (Eds) Bertrand Guidet, Andreas Valentin and Hans Flaatten, Cambridge University Press, 2016.
978-1-107-50386-1.

This chapter is about managing sociotechnological risks. It is in the 70s that the notion of ‘high-risk’ (or ‘safety critical’) systems started to be distinguished and grouped into an independent category including industries such as the nuclear, aviation, marine, petrochemical or the railways. Any attempt such as this one to introduce this background in a few pages is necessarily restrictive, partly unfair but also a simplified account. And, there are of course many different strategies to do so. One option is to consider the field through the scientific disciplines involved, say sociology, engineering, psychology, ergonomics, management, etc. A second one, quite related to the first, is to introduce pioneers who, from different disciplinary backgrounds, produced seminal contributions used as shared references among various research communities interested in the safety of complex sociotechnological systems. A third one is to look into industry (aviation, nuclear or petrochemical) in order to illustrate and to differentiate the diversity of problems related to sociotechnological risks and how they materialise. Another option is to identify core concepts that sometimes cut across a range of disciplines, authors and industry which offers also good insights into the issues involved with sociotechnological risks. In any case, it is a very challenging task. The intention in this chapter is to combine a bit of these strategies in order to offer the reader a broad vision, and to follow editors’ guidelines specifying the following structure: first, key concepts, second, major debates and third open questions/perspectives.

This article reports the effects of a team-building intervention on team process and team performance of hospitality student teams, compared to a control group. Effects on process were positive and significant on all criteria. Effects on performance were all positive, though not all differences were significant. Implications for hospitality teams and teambuilding are discussed. Downloaded from process and performance relative to the process and performance of teams that did not have the intervention. The article begins with a review of groups and teambuilding literature, from both general management and hospitality sources. Then, the study sample, measures, and intervention are described. Finally, research results are presented, implications are discussed, and suggestions for further study are proposed.

Multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) are conventionally recommended in mental health
care literature as an important way to offer holistic treatment provision to patients. This
study aims to explore multidisciplinary teamwork in contemporary mental health
settings, particularly what aids and hinders the process of multidisciplinary teamworking,
and the social work contribution in such teams. In order to attain an in-depth
exploration of these phenomena, a single case study design was employed. Within this
design, data were generated through semi-structured interviews and structured
observation of a mental health MDT in Ireland. These data were analysed using
interpretative phenomenological analysis. The research highlights how the concept of
mental illness is contested within this MDT, with the medical model dominant within
an environment of fluid working arrangements. Professional role blurring and
stereotyping were found to impact the division of labour on this team, with role
negotiation found to be an integral part of retaining a professional’s practice identity.
This research raises concerns for social work’s capacity to function within mental
health MDTs in Ireland, and highlights ways in which social work educators might
respond in order to empower Irish social workers to meet the challenges of mental
health multidisciplinary teamworking.

The importance of leading by personal example or role modeling for effective leadership has been recognized in many leadership theories. However, leaders' ability to influence group behavior through exemplary behavior has received little attention in empirical work. This study explores leading by example through theoretical development and empirical testing of a moderated mediation model of the potential effects of leader organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). This model suggests that a leader's OCB may promote group OCB directly and indirectly by enhancing the group's belief that OCB is worthy. It also specifies the moderators of the direct and indirect effects of leader OCB on group OCB. Data from 683 members of 67 intact work groups, 67 group managers, and their supervisors support the hypothesized model. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

This study investigated the effects of team-skills training on collaborative learning in a university setting. Groups worked under one of three conditions: (1) groups received team-skill training as a group and remained in that group (Trained-Together), (2) groups received team-skills training, but were then reassigned into new groups (Trained-Reassigned), and (3) groups received no training (Untrained). Each group completed a collaborative task and then group members were tested on the material learned. Scores were highest in the Trained-Together and lowest in the Untrained condition. Results are explained in terms of levels of planning, time management, distribution of effort and strategies adopted.

New product development (NPD) projects are costly, and fragile against failures as compared to other structures. This study has a holistic view of team factors to examine their relationship with team communication. Communication contributes to technical and practical processes such as learning, new idea development, and creativity. Trust has become prominent by affecting outcomes and processes indirectly, and changing relationships within team. This paper attempted to offer a contribution to the technology and innovation management (TIM) literature by presenting a model for researchers and project managers to understand potential interrelationships among team level factors (team autonomy, stability, member experience, and empowerment), team trust, and team formal and informal communication in NPD teams.

The home environment is a resource of opportunities that can be conducive to stimulating motor development, especially at an early age. The aim of this study was (1) to validate the use of the AHEMD-IS and investigate its reliability in the context of Lebanon. The English version was translated into Arabic and French language (both official languages in Lebanon), and a sample of 230 families with children between the ages of 3-18 months were selected (150 Arabic and 80 French speaking). Lebanese data was examined using a confirmatory factor analysis; with the AHEMD-SI original structure. Families were asked to complete the AHEMD-IS inventory containing 48 items, which represent 3 factors: physical space (outside and inside), daily activities and play materials. Our findings provided preliminary evidence that the AHEMD-IS is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the quality and quantity of motor development opportunities provided in the home environment for infants ages 3 to 18 months. In a previous study, the validation of the AHEMD-SR (18-43 months) has been validated in a similar study in the context of Lebanon. Further research is required to assess the implications of such measures to motor development. Answers could be provided by comparing AHMED-IS to AIMS. This constitutes a first step towards building robust instruments with strong motor development implications for researchers and practitioners in Lebanon.

This study examines linkages between business strategy and human resource management (HRM) strategy in Japanese subsidiaries in the U.S. It investigates whether or not fit between a subsidiary's business strategy and its HRM strategy is associated with higher performance. The data show that subsidiaries with matched strategies performed better than unmatched ones in terms of HRM-related performance measures such as rates of promotion and turnover. Japanese subsidiaries with a business strategy/HRM strategy match were also more likely to experience better business performance versus competitors than were unmatched ones.

The move to teamworking and the accompanying changes in job boundaries and responsibilities have been viewed as exerting a positive impact on levels of employee
knowledge and skills, particularly where there is also increased training and regular job rotation. However, given the diverse positions of different occupational groups prior to
teamworking, in practice a more differentiated relationship between teamworking and skills may be anticipated, with some groups experiencing a much more favourable
outcome in terms of their knowledge and skills than others. The study reported here considers the impact of a move to teamworking across an entire manufacturing
workforce, incorporating former craft and production grades and different levels in the former job classification hierarchy. Longitudinal findings are reported, with entire
workforce surveys undertaken prior to and following the introduction of teamworking. The result is a more finely grained account of the impact of teamworking on skills that
also highlights the need to differentiate the effects of workplace change on different groups of employees.

This study investigates the crossover of burnout and work engagement among 2,229 Royal Dutch constabulary officers, working in one of 85 teams. The authors hypothesized that both states may transfer from teams to individual team members. The results of multilevel analyses confirm this crossover phenomenon by showing that team-level burnout and work engagement are related to individual team members' burnout (i.e., exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy) and work engagement (vigor, dedication, and absorption), after controlling for individual members' job demands and resources. The implications of these findings for interventions aimed at the promotion of employee well-being are discussed.

Why is there strategy, not just brute force, in cycling competitions? What are the recurring strategic interactions amongst riders? And what can economists learn from riders’ behaviors? Cycling may be one of the most strategically interesting sports, hence its nickname “chess on wheels.” Professional riders’ performances crucially depend on their interactions with other riders, which may not be the case in most sports in athletics, swimming, or skiing. Most interactions between riders are not pure confrontation, zero-sum games, as is the case in boxing, fencing, martial arts, or tennis. In cycling, two rival riders may lawfully ally against some third rider, while such three-player interactions do not exist in football, basketball, or soccer. And cycling being an individual sport run amongst teams, it opens up opportunities of strategic behavior both within and between teams. This chapter provides an overview on (1) the main reasons why bicycle races are strategic, and it then presents several game theory analyses of strategic interactions between riders: (2) attack timing strategy, (3) cooperation and noncooperation in breakaways and in the peloton, (4) sprint strategy and (5) three-player interactions. It is founded on examples of strategic interactions between riders that occurred in the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, the Vuelta a España, and other races.

Multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) are conventionally recommended in mental health
care literature as an important way to offer holistic treatment provision to patients. This
study aims to explore multidisciplinary teamwork in contemporary mental health
settings, particularly what aids and hinders the process of multidisciplinary teamworking,
and the social work contribution in such teams. In order to attain an in-depth
exploration of these phenomena, a single case study design was employed. Within this
design, data were generated through semi-structured interviews and structured
observation of a mental health MDT in Ireland. These data were analysed using
interpretative phenomenological analysis. The research highlights how the concept of
mental illness is contested within this MDT, with the medical model dominant within
an environment of fluid working arrangements. Professional role blurring and
stereotyping were found to impact the division of labour on this team, with role
negotiation found to be an integral part of retaining a professional’s practice identity.
This research raises concerns for social work’s capacity to function within mental
health MDTs in Ireland, and highlights ways in which social work educators might
respond in order to empower Irish social workers to meet the challenges of mental
health multidisciplinary teamworking.

Purpose- Intelligence can make or break the effectiveness of a leader. Cognitive intelligence is no longer the only intelligence that must be achieved and maintained, but leaders that are serious about success must also develop in the areas of emotional and social intelligence. Developing these three areas of intelligence will give leaders an edge in communication and assist in creating an environment that has clarity of vision as well as avoiding detrimental results that can arise when these areas are ignored.

Проведено е изследване сред новостартиращи компании в България с цел идентифициране на организационно-културния им профил и в търсене на взаимовръзки с груповата им ефективност. За установяване на доминиращата дименсия организационна култура се използва моделът на конкуриращи се ценности, който разграничава четири основни културни типа (кланова, адхократична, пазарна, йерархична). Резултатите идентифицират, че водеща е дименсията кланова (семейна) култура, следвана от адхократичната. Установена е отрицателна и вероятно контрапродуктивна връзка между клановата дименсия на организационна култура и груповата ефективност. С нарастване възрастта на компаниите се наблюдава засилване на дименсията пазарна култура.

EN:
A research among Bulgarian startups has been conducted aiming at identifying the organizational cultural profile of newly started ventures and looking for interrelationship between organizational culture and group effectiveness. The Competing Values framework is used to establish the dominant dimension between the four types of organizational culture - clan, market, adhocracy, and hierarchy. The results show that leading dimension among Bulgarian startup organizational cultures is the clan (“family”) followed by the ad-hoc culture type. It has also been proven that the clan dimension has a negative (perhaps also counterproductive) correlation with the group effectiveness. As startups mature, the research shows that their organizational culture type changes and the market dimension becomes stronger.

Rationale The aim of the research that we report here was to empirically assess the cohesiveness of the multidisciplinary operating theatre (OT) team. Method We used concepts from the team performance and team mental models literature to assess OT professionals' perceptions of their teamwork, the structure of their teams and their respective roles within them and their teams' performance. Results Team structure : OT professionals would welcome a change from the current structure of the team, although there was no agreement on what that structure is. Nurses perceived the team as unitary, surgeons and anaesthetists perceived it as comprising multiple subteams. Team roles : OT professionals tended to overrate their own understanding of their colleagues' role in the OT relative to the role understanding that the colleagues attributed to them. This tendency was especially marked for the surgeons. Team communication and team performance : OT professionals agreed on the relative importance of the various communicating pairs in the OT. Moreover, they were satisfied with the quality of communication among them, except for the communication between the surgeon and the anaesthetist, which received lower ratings. Finally, the quality of the teamwork in the OT was deemed acceptable, although there is room for improvement. Conclusions The OT environment need not be as cohesive as previously assumed -a finding that carries implications for the effectiveness of team training interventions. Further research is needed in order to fully comprehend the dynamics of the OT as a working environment and, most importantly, their relation to patient safety.

Transdisciplinary research is increasingly used in projects dealing with transitions to sustainable, resilient and low-carbon societies. Transdisciplinary research projects require collaboration and coordination between researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds. Academic literature provides valuable insights on designing, facilitating, leading and evaluating transdisciplinary projects. While a substantial body of literature explores the challenges associated with transdisciplinary research, there is a scarcity of case studies exploring the challenges faced during different phases of project execution. In this paper we present a reflective account and analysis of our experiences during the first fifteen months of a transdisciplinary research project. The project is used as a case study, following a participatory action research methodology. Our findings verified the three types of challenge mentioned in the literature - inherent, institutional and teamwork related. This paper identifies a fourth type – emergent - that has not been discussed in the literature. Emergent challenges introduce uncertainty into TDR projects and are uncontrollable. Such challenges require research consortium leaders to develop adaptive strategies, and to take a mediation and leadership role in dealing with them. The article makes the following recommendations: emergent challenges require emergent strategies; funding should be more flexible to account for the nature of TDR research; TDR could be evaluated on the basis of its overall impact rather than on inflexible ‘deliverables’; academic publishing strategies must be incorporated into TDR projects; team development and co-location should be facilitated; and academic institutions should include performance and promotion criteria encouraging researchers to undertake roles in TDR projects.

We study authentic leadership as a prominent but problematic example of positive leadership that we use as a more general “warning” against the current fashion of excessive positivity in leadership studies. Without trying to cover “everything”, we critically examine the principal tenets of mainstream authentic leadership theory and reveal a number of fundamental flaws: shaky philosophical and theoretical foundations, tautological reasoning, weak empirical studies, nonsensical measurement tools, unsupported knowledge claims and a generally simplistic and out of date view of corporate life. Even though our study focuses on authentic leadership, much of our criticism is also applicable to other popular positive leadership theories, such as transformational, servant, ethical and spiritual leadership.

Innovation scholars have long touted the value of cross-functional teams, and though firms have embraced a crossfunctional design in their new product development (NPD) teams, these teams continue to face challenges. Stability in an NPD team may offer important advantages for decision making; however, its effectiveness as a structural coordination mechanism remains largely unexplored. Therefore, to offer insight into the value of NPD team stability, the authors develop a process-based model that examines the extent to which stability influences certain decisionmaking processes, which in turn influence new product advantage. They examine these relationships with a sample of cross-functional NPD project teams from 208 high-technology firms. The results reveal that the degree of stability in an NPD project team has a curvilinear relationship to team-level debate and decision-making comprehensiveness. In turn, whereas debate is positively related to decision comprehensiveness, decision comprehensiveness is positively related to new product advantage only at high levels. These curvilinear patterns shed light on anecdotal evidence that currently attributes success to both stable and unstable project teams.

The main goal of the thesis is to analyze the effects of shared mental models and shared temporal cognitions on team processes and effectiveness over time. The thesis includes five empirical studies. The findings of the study reported in chapter 2 suggest that relationship conflict mediates the relationship between team mental model similarity at the beginning of the team lifecycle and team effectiveness. Chapter 3 describes a study that reveals that team creativity positively mediates the relationship between shared mental models and team effectiveness; and that intragroup conflict and creativity sequentially mediate the relationship between shared mental models and team effectiveness. Chapter 4 describes a study that suggests that shared temporal cognitions function as a substitute of temporal leadership in reducing temporal conflict. Further, this study provides evidence for the mediating role of temporal conflict between temporal leadership and team performance, and between shared temporal cognitions and team performance. The findings of the study reported in chapter 5 indicate that when accuracy is low, the more similar team members’ temporal mental models are, the less they engage in learning behaviors; and that team adaptation mediates the relationship between team learning and performance. Finally, the findings of the study reported in chapter 6 show that temporal and task mental models are crucial for the translation of team learning behaviors into performance improvement. The thesis contributes to the understanding of teamwork, in particular to the important role of shared mental models and shared temporal cognitions for managing teams in organizational contexts.

In this paper, we seek to account for modest and inconsistent empirical support for a positive relationship between team autonomy and team performance by proposing that team task uncertainty impacts on team performance and moderates the impact of increased autonomy. Task uncertainty is defined in terms of a team's lack of prior knowledge about which operational problems will arise when, and the best way of dealing with them. Results from a longitudinal field study of 17 wastewater treatment teams showed that higher levels of task uncertainty were initially associated with reduced performance, assessed in terms of the quality of treated effluent produced by the teams. An intervention designed to enhance team autonomy led to general improvements in team performance, though moderated by team task uncertainty. Under conditions of enhanced team autonomy, a positive relationship emerged between task uncertainty and team performance. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The agreement trap occurs when negotiators reach deals that are inferior to their best alternative agreements. This article extends prior negotiation research by investigating whether teams display greater wisdom than solos in knowing when to walk away from the negotiating table and thereby avoid the agreement trap. Two experiments compared teams and solos in a negotiation in which reaching agreement was unwise because of misaligned interests. The negotiation involved a real estate transaction in which the optimal solution was for the  parties to declare an impasse. Study 1 found that two- and three-person teams were significantly more likely than solos to impasse. Study 2 found that the party faced with the greater need to make accurate judgments about the alignment between their own and their counterpart’s interests benefited most from the addition of a teammate. These findings offer insight into why the agreement trap occurs and how it can be
reduced.

Organizations often focus on their employees' abilities to effectively communicate and share knowledge in online collaborative activities. Social media technologies facilitate that process in organizations, where they are known as Enterprise Social Networks (ESN). To increase potential benefits, organizations may run an implementation process to increase the ESN's acceptance and use. This study focused on one such platform, Yammer, which is making inroads into numerous industries. Specifically, we addressed Yammer's impact on communication and knowledge-sharing among organizational units in a multinational organization. This study unobtrusively assessed communication patterns before and after an ESN implementation process to measure impact. Data analysis performed on message interactions between employees on the Yammer platform suggested the implementation process had a positive impact on the number of messages, number of users, and weighted-degree SNA metric. This study also revealed that the implementation process positively impacted inter-and intra-organizational unit interactions.