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1 – 10 of 128Farshid Rahmani, Christina Scott-Young, Allen Tadayon and Jacobus Daniel van der Walt
The aim of this study is to broaden the understanding of the set of knowledge, skills, attributes and experience (KSAE) that teams should demonstrate and the necessary roles they…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to broaden the understanding of the set of knowledge, skills, attributes and experience (KSAE) that teams should demonstrate and the necessary roles they need to play within the team in Relational Contracting (RC). This research seeks to answer three questions: first, what KSAEs are required in a team operating under RC, second, which of the identified KSAEs are more important to enable an integrated team to perform effectively and third, how do these required KSAEs correspond to the major role clusters identified in Belbin’s team role model?
Design/methodology/approach
In-depth interviews with 25 experts and key management representatives in infrastructure construction in Australia were conducted to enable detailed discussion of the research questions.
Findings
Sixteen behavioural traits and four knowledge and experience areas were identified. The findings highlight that in RC, team members and especially leaders and managers need to be competent in people-oriented roles, above all others.
Research limitations/implications
This research mainly captured the perspectives of personnel working in state government infrastructure departments. Further research is recommended to explore the perceptions of employees in private construction companies.
Practical implications
By aligning the roles required for RC with the team role clusters of the Belbin’s team roles assessment tool, this study will be useful for identifying suitable members to form high-performance project teams.
Originality/value
The findings of this paper can inform government infrastructure organisations and construction companies as to which roles are more critical when selecting fit-for-purpose teams to successfully deliver large infrastructure projects procured under the RC method.
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Steven G. Fisher, K W.D. and John H. Semple
Consideration of Belbin’s team role model led to the view that some of the roles proposed might require the exercise of control, but others much less so. A hypothesis which…
Abstract
Consideration of Belbin’s team role model led to the view that some of the roles proposed might require the exercise of control, but others much less so. A hypothesis which indicated which roles might be expected to manifest expressed and wanted control was developed and then tested using Schutz’s FIRO‐B questionnaire. A mixture of graduates in employment and undergraduates still at university were utilised as subjects for the investigation. After consideration of the validity of Schutz’s constructs, the data obtained were construed as supporting the hypothesis and adding weight to the claims for the validity of the Belbin team role model.
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Martin F. Davies and Eleftheria Kanaki
The purpose of this study is to investigate interpersonal characteristics associated with Belbin's team roles in work groups.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate interpersonal characteristics associated with Belbin's team roles in work groups.
Design/methodology/approach
The SYMLOG Interpersonal Effectiveness Profile (an interpersonal measure of personality), the EPQ (an intrapsychic measure of personality) and a revised version of Belbin's behavioural checklist measure of team roles were administered to 145 UK managers.
Findings
Canonical correlation analysis showed that SYMLOG personality dimensions were much more clearly and strongly related to team roles than were EPQ personality dimensions. The dominance (upward) SYMLOG dimension was positively associated with the roles of implementer, coordinator and resource investigator, and this was the most important canonical variate. The accepting authority (forward) SYMLOG dimension was positively associated with the roles of completer finisher, monitor evaluator and negatively associated with plant and shaper, and this was the next most important canonical variate. The friendly (positive) SYMLOG dimension was positively associated with the roles of team worker and plant and this was the least important canonical variate. Only the extraversion dimension of the EPQ was clearly associated with team roles (implementer, coordinator, resource investigator and team worker).
Research limitations/implications
The present findings are too dependent on self‐report questionnaires which are prone to biases such as positivity, leniency and halo effects. Research using observational analysis of behaviour in groups would be useful for extending the present findings.
Practical implications
Organizations might improve the functioning of their teams by analysing the sorts of interpersonal characteristics that are duplicated or lacking in their personnel so that a balanced mix of personalities can be established across different roles.
Originality/value
There has been little research on the interpersonal as opposed to the intrapsychic personality characteristics of different social roles in small groups.
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S.G. Fisher, T.A. Hunter and W.D.K. Macrosson
Ascertains the preferred team roles of a substantial sample of UK managers using Belbin’s model. Finds that co‐ordinators and resource investigators are present in great numbers…
Abstract
Ascertains the preferred team roles of a substantial sample of UK managers using Belbin’s model. Finds that co‐ordinators and resource investigators are present in great numbers, but few completers, monitor evaluators, plants and shapers are encountered. Highlights the significance of this finding for firms seeking to create balanced and, hopefully, optimally‐structured teams. Adduces some evidence for the validity of the Belbin team role construct.
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Neil Blenkinsop and Annie Maddison
The purpose of this research is to examine the extent to which Belbin's team role theories are relevant and can be used to predict performance in the context of the Integrated…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to examine the extent to which Belbin's team role theories are relevant and can be used to predict performance in the context of the Integrated Project Teams (IPTs) responsible for acquisition within the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of seven IPTs across the Defence Procurement Agency (DPA) and the Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) completed Belbin's (1981) manual 8 Role Self Perception Inventory in order to determine their team role preferences. A team performance survey, developed by Barbara Senior in 2005, was then used to determine perceived process performance. The relationship between these two variables was examined in detail.
Findings
The results provide support to the proposition that Belbin's Team Role Theory is relevant in MoD acquisition. Certain team roles are more predominant in certain functional roles within IPTs and this duplication could have a negative impact on performance, given Belbin's assertion that “balanced” teams will perform better than “unbalanced”. The difficulties in objectively assessing team role balance (both narratively and statistically) are discussed in detail.
Research limitations/implications
Whilst a representative sample of IPTs was investigated, a longitudinal study of a more extensive sample is required to substantiate these initial findings.
Practical implications
Belbin's Team Role Theory provides a cost effective means of potentially improving performance in defence acquisition.
Originality/value
While there have been some unpublished studies into functional roles in MoD teams, there is a research lacuna with regard to the examination of team roles as a factor influencing performance in defence acquisition.
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This paper determines the effectiveness of a learning process model in the prediction of team performance. The team performance of 19 teams was objectively measured by using a…
Abstract
This paper determines the effectiveness of a learning process model in the prediction of team performance. The team performance of 19 teams was objectively measured by using a “first past the post” criterion after completion of a demanding exercise. Performance scores were predicted by means of Honey and Mumford’s learning styles questionnaire. Results indicated that a model based on team learning is predictive of team success and that team members’ scores should be averaged to best predict performance. In comparison, Belbin’s team role questionnaire was not predictive of team performance.
Aitor Aritzeta, Sabino Ayestaran and Stephen Swailes
In the context of the widespread and extensive use of team work in organizations this study analyses the relationship between individual team role preference and styles of…
Abstract
In the context of the widespread and extensive use of team work in organizations this study analyses the relationship between individual team role preference and styles of managing interpersonal conflict. Data were collected from 26 work teams containing 169 individuals at two times four months apart. Results show that team role preference is related to Dominating, Integrating, Avoiding, Compromising and Obliging conflict management styles. Moreover, two different effects were observed over time. Firstly, at Time 2 an increase in the role clarity (reduction of role ambiguity) of team members was observed. Secondly, time pressure and team learning processes moderated the relationship between team roles and conflict managing style. Results have theoretical as well as practical implications for team building programmes in search of integrative solutions to conflict.
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David Partington and Hilary Harris
Accompanying the growing use of teams in the workplace, Belbin’s diagnostic instrument for team role self‐perception is now widely used for a variety of practical management…
Abstract
Accompanying the growing use of teams in the workplace, Belbin’s diagnostic instrument for team role self‐perception is now widely used for a variety of practical management development purposes, including putting together “balanced” teams. Despite the claims of some purists that Belbin’s instrument lacks a strong theoretical underpinning, it fills an apparent void in practical teamworking literature, even though its applicability is not well understood. This study uses data from 43 teams of MBA students performing a project management simulation exercise, and finds no significant relationship between team role balance and team performance. Nevertheless, the study shows that the presence or absence of some individual roles can have a positive or negative effect on performance.
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Stephen G. Fisher, W.D.K. Macrosson and Gillian Sharp
Against the background of a recent investigation into the internal reliability and the validity of the Belbin Team Role Self‐perception Inventory, two linked studies were…
Abstract
Against the background of a recent investigation into the internal reliability and the validity of the Belbin Team Role Self‐perception Inventory, two linked studies were undertaken. In the first, test‐retest reliabilities of the Belbin self‐perception inventory were measured and found to be unsatisfactory; in the second, correlations with team roles forecast on the basis of 16PF data were attempted and, with the exception of one team role, no substantial correlations were established. Provides support for the use of 16PF as the preferred method for estimating team role preferences rather than the Belbin self‐perception inventory data.
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André de Waal, Erjen van Nierop and Laurens M. Sloot
One of the most important factors for the success of an organization is the quality of its managers. However, this is a rather general statement, because there are many different…
Abstract
Purpose
One of the most important factors for the success of an organization is the quality of its managers. However, this is a rather general statement, because there are many different types of managers with different work styles. This begs the question: are all types of managers, regardless of their work styles, important to organizational success or only managers with specific work styles? This study aims to investigate the answer to this question by examining the relationship between two specific elements of managers' work styles – the role a manager plays in the work team and the preferred manner of change management a manager applies – and their effect on the level of performance of their organization, as measured by the high-performance organization (HPO) framework.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was part of a larger study into the drivers of success of franchise supermarkets in The Netherlands. A questionnaire was constructed, in which, among others, the following were explored: the level of performance (according to the HPO Framework), the preferred team role of the franchiser (using the Belbin team role model) and the change management approach of the franchiser (using De Caluwe and Vermaak's color theory). The questionnaire was sent to 400 Dutch supermarket franchisers, and the data received were subject to statistical analysis.
Findings
The study results clearly indicated that certain types of managers are important to organizational success in the supermarket sector. There are specific types of managers – in the sense that these managers have specific roles they play and specific change styles they apply – that seem to be more effective in creating and maintaining an HPO. These roles, as described by Belbin, are chairman and plant; the change style is De Caluwe and Vermaak's color red.
Research limitations/implications
The study results add to the literature on high performance and HPOs, because team roles and color change styles have not been related to the factors for high performance to date.
Originality/value
Although the fact that certain types of managers, in certain contexts, are more effective than others is not a new finding, this is the first time specific team roles and a specific change style have been found that would enable managers to create and maintain an HPO.
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