Search results

Collaborative systems are particular cases of multi-team systems in which several groups representing various interests meet to debate and generate solutions on complex societal issues. Stakeholder diversity in such systems often triggers power differences and disparity and the study explores the dual role of power disparity in collaborative settings. The purpose of this paper is to extend the power approach-inhibition model (Keltner et al., 2003) to the group level of analysis and argue that, on the positive side, power disparity increases the cognitive activity of the interacting groups (i.e. task-related debates), while on the other hand it generates a negative affective climate.

The authors collected data at two time points across nine behavioral simulations (54 teams, 239 participants) designed to explore the cognitive and affective dynamics between six parties interacting in a collaborative decision task.

The results show that power disparity increases cognitive activity in collaborative multi-party systems, while it hinders the affective climate, by increasing relationship conflict and decreasing psychological safety among the stakeholders.

This study provides important theoretical and practical contributions mostly for the consultation processes, as interventions might be directed at fostering the positive effects of power disparity in collaborative setting, while mitigating its drawbacks.

By extending the approach-inhibition model to the group level, this is one of the first empirical studies to examine the dual nature of the impact that power disparity has on the cognitive (i.e. positive effect) and affective (i.e. negative effect) dynamics of multi-party collaborative systems (i.e. multi-team systems).

The aim of this paper is to test the moderating role of emotion regulation in the transformation of both task and process conflict into relationship conflict.

A field study of multi-teams systems, in which (94) respondents are engaged in interpersonal and inter-team interactions, was conducted to test the effects of the interaction of emotion regulation and task and process conflict on the emergence of relationship conflict in 23 multi-team client/supplier systems.

The findings show that when collective emotion regulation strategies are effective, process conflict is less likely to transform into relationship conflict. An emerging finding of this study shows that process conflict mediates the interaction between task conflict and emotion regulation on relationship conflict in multi-team systems.

This study uses a relatively small number of projects and participants: further studies with larger samples are recommended; in addition, longitudinal studies would allow for further testing the effect of team longevity in the emergence of effective emotion regulation strategies.ct transforming into relationship conflicts.

The findings imply that managers of multi-team systems should actively try to stimulate their teams to develop effective emotion regulation strategies as effective emotion regulation mechanisms minimize the risk of process conflict transforming into relationship conflicts.

The paper looks at a real-world (as opposed to lab-situation) environment; it addresses a contingency model of intra-group conflict and tests the transformation of task and process conflicts into relationship conflict taking into account the moderating effect of emotion regulation.

Multi-team systems (MTSs) are expected to respond effectively to complex challenges while remaining responsive and adaptable and preserving inter-team linking mechanisms. The leadership team of an MTS is expected to configure and reconfigure component teams to meet the unique needs of each situation and perform. How do they learn to do this? This paper, using a recent MTS learning theory as a basis, aims to begin to understand how MTSs learn and stimulate ideas for future research.

The authors use two case studies to address research questions. The first case was a snapshot in time, while the second case occurred over several months. Interviews, documents and participant observation were the data sources.

As suggested by theory, findings support the idea that learning triggers, the timing of the triggers and readiness to learn (RtL) affect the type of learning process that emerges. The cases showed examples of adaptive and generative team learning. Strong and clear triggers, occurring during performance episodes, led to adaptive learning. When RtL was high and triggers occurred during hiatus periods, the associated learning process was generative.

Using an available theoretical model and case studies, the research describes how MTS readiness to learn and triggers for learning affect MTS learning processes and how learning outcomes became codified in the knowledge base or structure of the MTS. This provides a framework for subsequent qualitative and quantitative research.

For many of the current leadership theories, models, and approaches, the answer to the question posed in the title, “Is leadership more than ‘I like my boss’?,” is “no,” as there appears to be a hierarchy of leadership concepts with Liking of the leader as the primary dimension or general factor foundation. There are then secondary dimensions or specific sub-factors of liking of Relationship Leadership and Task Leadership; and subsequently, tertiary dimensions or actual sub-sub-factors that comprise the numerous leadership views as well as their operationalizations (e.g., via surveys). There are, however, some leadership views that go beyond simply liking of the leader and liking of relationship leadership and task leadership. For these, which involve explicit levels of analysis formulations, often beyond the leader, or are multi-level in nature, the answer to the title question is “yes.” We clarify and discuss these various “no” and “yes” leadership views and implications of our work for future research and personnel and human resources management practice.

An enterprise system (ES) implementation proceeds as a multi-team system (MTS), with multiple project teams spanning time and business functions to meet organization-wide goals. Thus, the focus shifts from the output of a single project team to the outcomes of all ES project teams as part of the larger MTS. This study extends concepts of shared mental models (SMMs) in aspects of goals and plans in both MTS level and project team level and further examines SMMs' interactive impact on the MTS-based project performance.

This study tests the model with survey data from 140 MTS-based ES implementations in China. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS SEM) served to test the hypothesized relationships.

SMMs of project team-level goals and plans contribute to the cooperation and coordination in the ES implementation and thereby improve final implementation efficiency either directly or in combination. However, SMMs of MTS-level goal and plans contribute integration only when considered with achievements at the project level.

Prior literature suggests a critical role of integration among ES project teams but finds challenges in achieving such integration. By leveraging shared mental model theory, the authors' results show that both common goal and plan understandings in the integration team critically influence integration in ES implementation and, thus, the final ES implementation efficiency, though not in a strictly linear relationship.

This paper aims to explore the dynamics of critical problem-solving (CPS) project teams and creativity throughout a project’s duration, in a multiple-project environment with consideration of the project’s external factors, such as customer situations. In addition, behavioural elements of the CPS project – multiple team memberships, cross-understanding and the transactive memory system – will be investigated in a multiple-project environment.

This paper investigates the dynamics of a CPS project team and creativity in a global software support organisation by conducting semi-structured interviews in Japan and Germany. There were 53 interviewees in Japan and 51 in Germany. The results presented in this paper show the outcomes of a qualitative study, specifically focusing on the processes of CPS projects using thematic analysis. In the discussion section, propositions are given based on this research’s findings as well as existing literature to denote future research possibilities.

The results of this study suggest that creativity to resolve critical problems in a project team occurs by integrating diverse information and knowledge at multi-level organisational units. They suggest that managerial functions are crucial to determining project composition, and appropriate project environments are created by facilitating multiple team memberships at multi-level organisational units.

For the academic domain, the findings have contributed to the fields of project and human resource management, and team management in a multiple-project environment. To practitioners, this study shows the importance of managing multiple projects by considering human behaviour perspectives when solving critical problems.

Extending a model of how teams learn, this paper aims to present a model of multiteam system (MTS) learning, comparing similarities and differences between how MTSs learn and how component teams learn. The paper describes the value of adaptive, generative and transformative learning for increasing MTS development over time.

The model proposes that environmental demands trigger adaptive, generative and transformative MTS learning, which is further increased by the MTS’s readiness to learn. Learning can happen during performance episodes and during hiatus periods between performance episodes.

Learning triggers coupled with readiness to learn and the cycle and phase of MTS process influence the learning process (adaptive, generative or transformative), which in turn influences the learning outcomes.

The study offers a number of research propositions with the idea that the model and propositions will stimulate research in this area.

This model allows MTS and component team leaders and facilitators to recognize that MTS learning is a process that is needed to help component teams work together and help the MTS as a whole perform in current and future situations, thereby improving MTS effectiveness.

Little attention has been given to the notion that MTSs learn and develop. This manuscript is the first to emphasize that MTSs learn and identify processes that can improve learning. Adaptive, generative and transformative processes describe how MTSs learn and produce changes in MTS structure and actions.

Long-duration spaceflight missions require many hours of pre-mission and inflight training to develop and maintain team skills. Current training flows rely heavily on expert instructors, while current inflight mission operations are supported by a complex series of support teams at Mission Control. However, future exploration space missions will not have real-time communications with ground-based experts at Mission Control. Portable intelligent tutoring systems may help streamline future training, reducing the burden on expert instructors and crew training time, and allowing for inflight support to mitigate negative effects of the loss of real-time communications. In this chapter, we discuss the challenges of long-duration exploration missions, and outline the myriad possibilities in which intelligent tutoring systems will enhance the crew performance and functioning.

Unobtrusive measurement methodologies are critical to implementing intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) for teams. Such methodologies allow for continuous measurement of team states and processes while avoiding disruption of mission or training performance, and do not rely on post hoc feedback (including for the aggregation of data into measures or to develop insights from these real-time metrics). This chapter summarizes advances in unobtrusive measurement developed within Army research programs to illustrate the variety and potential that unobtrusive measurement approaches can provide for building ITS for teams. Challenges regarding the real-time aggregation of data and applications to current and future ITS for teams are also discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of an integrated approach for performance improvement of virtual teams (VTs) in third-party logistics (3PL) through the integration of performance management (PM), visual management (VM) and continuous improvement (CI) initiatives into one coherent system. The paper will also propose a methodological framework to establish such a system. The intended integrated system is called as integrated visual management (IVM) throughout this paper.

This research is based on a case study that took place in a 3PL context with 19 VTs of different sizes spread across Australia. Many major 3PL companies provide their services either internationally or nationwide and therefore use VTs on a regular basis. The selected company does the same. This case was picked as representative of the many complexities which VTs face in 3PL settings, e.g. geographical and temporal separations; different skill levels within the team and between different team bases; multi-teaming system; high staff turnover; recurring performance problems and firefighting approach to problem-solving; and highly demanding performance requirements from clients. Further, this case study, being of a newly established contract and team, enabled the observation of the team dynamic and complexities from the earliest stages. In addition, as the main author of the paper was part of the managerial layer of the studied VT, this provided it a unique opportunity to escape the usual bureaucracy and rather focus on the research. This study also includes a literature review on VTs along with PM, VM and CI, which comprises IVM.

It was found that an integrated approach to PM, VM and CI was effective in systematically improving the VT performance. The framework for implementing IVM was productive and enabled to successfully plan and deploy the improvement intentions. Even though the team was highly virtual and encompassed a range of situational challenges, including different skill levels, a multi-teaming system and a high staff turnover, nevertheless, through IVM, the results met and exceeded performance targets on a sustainable base. Inventory record accuracy, dispatch on time, delivery in full on time and dock to stock were improved by 45, 62, 22 and 25 per cent on average, respectively.

The originality of the paper comes from its methodological approach to performance improvement for VTs in 3PL contexts through integrating PM, VM and CI systems into one coherent system, IVM.