Ep.27 What Makes Teams Effective?

We use the paper, Embracing Complexity, to frame our discussion. Tune in to hear our chat about this important issue. Topics:The definition of a team.What unit to study when researching teams.Compositional and structural features.Mediating mechanisms.Average member attributes and how they contribute to performance.How diversity affects teams.Fault lines.How to measure a team’s success.The positive effect of innovation. Quotes:“A topic that comes up a lot in the research is virtual teams. Who would have guessed that teams meeting over Zoom was going to be a topical and relevant hot-button topic?”“...The research suggests that functional diversity, as well as individual educational diversity have positive relationships with team performance.”“There were some studies that said if there is a general climate in the organization around innovation, then the team will display more innovative characteristics and things like that.” Resources:Mathieu, J. E., Gallagher, P. T., Domingo, M. A., & Klock, E. A. (2019). Embracing Complexity: Reviewing the past decade of team effectiveness research. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 6, 17-46.Feedback@safetyofwork.com