View source for Teamwork

{{Short description|Collaborative effort of a team to achieve a common goal}}
{{Other uses}}
[[File:Pushing van together.jpg|thumb|6 people pushing a van]]
[[File:Defense.gov News Photo 100930-N-2855B-251 - U.S. Navy sailors aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Bainbridge DDG 96 haul in a mooring line while mooring the ship in Faslane Scotland on.jpg|thumb|[[U.S. Navy]] sailors hauling in a mooring line]]
[[File:US Navy 070425-N-4198C-002 Personnel Specialist 1st Class Omar Saliba and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Ryan De La Cruz lead the men^rsquo,s Navy rowing team.jpg|thumb|A U.S. Navy rowing team]]
[[File:Hemlock Overlook - Peanut Butter Pit - 01.jpg|thumb|A group of people forming a strategy]]
[[File:Hemlock Overlook - Peanut Butter Pit - 04.jpg|thumb|A group of people collaborating]]
'''Teamwork''' is the collaborative effort of a [[Social group|group]] to achieve a common goal or to complete a [[Task (project management)|task]] in an effective and efficient way.<ref name=":12">{{Cite journal|url=https://www.questia.com/magazine/1G1-13770774/work-teams-that-work|url-status=dead|title=Work Teams That Work|journal=Training & Development|volume=47|issue=3|last1=Montebello|first1=Anthony R.|last2=Buzzotta|first2=Victor R.|date=March 1993|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226092201/https://www.questia.com/magazine/1G1-13770774/work-teams-that-work|archive-date=2018-02-26}}</ref><ref name="SalasCookeRosen20083">{{cite journal|last1=Salas|first1=Eduardo|first2=Nancy J.|last2=Cooke|first3=Michael A.|last3=Rosen|year=2008|title=On Teams, Teamwork, as well as Team Performance: Discoveries and Developments|journal=Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society|volume=50|issue=3|pages=540–547|doi=10.1518/001872008X288457|pmid=18689065|s2cid=17017793}}</ref> Teamwork is seen within the framework of a [[team]], which is a group of [[interdependent]] individuals who work together towards a common [[goal]].<ref name=":22">{{Cite book|title=Team Players and Teamwork: New Strategies for Developing Successful Collaboration|last=Parker|first=Glenn|publisher=Jossey-Bass|year=2008|isbn=978-0-787-99811-0|location=San Francisco|pages=[https://archive.org/details/teamplayersteamw00park_1/page/1 1]–68|url=https://archive.org/details/teamplayersteamw00park_1|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=":12" />

The {{clarify|reason=I count at least six|text=four|date=August 2023}} key characteristics of a team include a shared goal, interdependence, boundedness, stability, the ability to manage their own work and internal process, and operate in a bigger [[social system]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=Leigh |url=https://archive.org/details/makingteamguidef00thom |url-access=registration|title=Making the Team: A Guide for Managers |year=2011 |publisher=Prentice Hall |isbn=978-0-13-014363-1 |edition=4th |location=Upper Saddle River, New Jersey}}</ref>

Teams need to be able to leverage [[Resource (project management)|resources]] to be productive (i.e. playing fields or meeting spaces, scheduled times for [[planning]], guidance from coaches or supervisors, support from the organization, etc.), and clearly defined [[role]]s within the team in order for everyone to have a clear purpose.<ref>{{multiref2
|1={{Cite journal|last1=Chang|first1=Artemis|last2=Bordia|first2=Prashanti|last3=Duck|first3=Julie|year=2003|title=Punctuated Equilibrium and Linear Progression: Toward a New Understanding of Group Development|journal=Academy of Management Journal|volume=46|issue=1|pages=106–117|doi=10.2307/30040680|jstor=30040680}}|2={{Cite journal|last=Gersick|first=Connie|year=1991|title=Revolutionary Change Theories: A Multilevel Exploration of the Punctuated Equilibrium Paradigm|journal=Academy of Management Review|volume=16|pages=10–16|doi=10.5465/amr.1991.4278988|s2cid=13960681}}
|3={{Cite book|title=Effective Teamwork: Practical Lessons from Organizational Research|last=West|first=Michael|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|year=2012|isbn=978-0-470-97498-8}}
|4={{Cite book|title=The Psychology of Work and Organizations|last1=Woods|first1=Stephen|last2=West|first2=Michael|publisher=Cengage Learning EMEA|year=2014|isbn=9781408072455|location=Andover}} }}</ref> Teamwork is present in contexts including an industrial organization (formal work teams), [[Athletics (physical culture)|athletics]] (sports teams), a school (classmates working on a [[project]]), and the healthcare system (operating room teams). In each of these settings, the level of teamwork and interdependence can vary from low (e.g. [[golf]], track and field), to intermediate (e.g. [[baseball]], [[football]]), to high (e.g. [[basketball]], [[Association football|soccer]]), depending on the amount of [[Human communication|communication]], [[Social interaction|interaction]], and collaboration present between team members.

Among the requirements for effective teamwork are an adequate team size. The context is important, and team sizes can vary depending upon the objective. A team must include at least two members, and most teams range in size from two to 100. [[Sports team]]s generally have fixed sizes based upon set rules, and work teams may change in size depending upon the phase and [[Project complexity|complexity]] of the objective.

== History ==
The ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' records the use of "team-work" in the context of a team of draught animals as early as 1800.<ref>{{oed | teamwork}} – "How is the ploughing, the drawing, and all kind of team-work to be performed without horses?"</ref>

Even though collaborative work among groups of individuals is very prominent today, that was not the case over half a century ago.{{Clarify timeframe|date=June 2021}} The shift from the typical [[assembly line]] to organizational models that contained increasing amounts of teamwork first came about during [[World War I]] and [[World War II]], in an effort{{by whom|date=June 2021}} for countries to unite their people.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} The movement towards teamwork was mostly due to the [[Hawthorne studies]], a set of studies conducted in the 1920s and 1930s that suggested positive aspects of teamwork in an organizational setting. After organizations recognized the value of teamwork and the positive effects it had on companies, entire fields of work shifted from the typical assembly line to the contemporary [[High performance organization|High Performance Organizational Model]].<ref name="Hoegl20012">{{cite journal|last1= Hoegl|first1= Martin|first2= Hans Georg |last2=Gemuenden|year=2001|title= Teamwork Quality and the Success of Innovative Projects: a Theoretical Concept and Empirical Evidence|journal=Organization Science|volume=12|issue= 4|pages= 435–449|doi=10.1287/orsc.12.4.435.10635|jstor=3085981}}</ref>{{qn|date=June 2021}}

==Effective teamwork characteristics==
A team must have certain interrelated characteristics to work effectively.

Among these is strong [[Group cohesiveness|<em>group cohesion</em>]]. There is a positive relationship between group cohesion and performance.{{cn|reason=|date=August 2023}}

<em>Communication</em> is another vital characteristic for effective teamwork. Members must be able to effectively communicate with each other to overcome obstacles, [[Conflict resolution|resolve conflict]], and avoid confusion. Communication increases cohesion.{{cn|reason=|date=August 2023}}

Communication helps to clearly define the team's purpose so that there is a <em>common goal</em>. Having a common goal increases cohesion because all members are striving for the same objective and will help each other achieve their goals.{{cn|reason=|date=August 2023}}

<em>Commitment</em> occurs when members are focused on achieving the team's common goal.

<em>[[Accountability]]</em> is necessary to ensure milestones are reached and that all members are participating. Holding members accountable increases commitment within team relations.{{cn|reason=|date=August 2023}}

==Basic team dynamics==
Basic team dynamics include:<ref>{{Cite book|title=Groups That Work (and Those That Don't): Creating Conditions for Effective Teamwork|last=Hackman|first=Richard|publisher=Jossey-Bass|year=1990|isbn=978-1555421878|pages=[https://archive.org/details/groupsthatworkan0000unse/page/1 1]–13; 479–504]|url=https://archive.org/details/groupsthatworkan0000unse|url-access=registration}}</ref>
* Open <em>communication</em> to avoid conflicts.
* Effective <em>coordination</em> to avoid confusion and the overstepping of boundaries.
* Efficient <em>cooperation</em> to perform the tasks in a timely manner and produce the required results, especially in the form of workload sharing.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Ilgen|first1=Daniel|last2=Hollenbeck|first2=John|date=October 5, 2004|title=Teams in Organizations: From Input-Process-Output Models to IMOI Models|journal=Annual Review of Psychology|volume=56|pages=517–543|doi=10.1146/annurev.psych.56.091103.070250|pmid=15709945|s2cid=15290229 }}</ref>
* High levels of <em>interdependence</em> to maintain trust, risk-taking, and performance.
These teamwork conditions lead to the team turning in a finished product. To measure if the teamwork was effective, the organization must examine the quality of the output, the process, and the members' experience. The teamwork can be deemed efficient if the output met or exceeded the organization's standard, the process the team chose to take helped them reach their goals, and the members report high levels of satisfaction with the team members as well as the processes that the team followed.{{cn|reason=|date=August 2023}}

== Processes ==
{{See also|Team development}}
Teamwork processes fall into three categories:<ref name="Marks2001">{{cite journal|last1=Marks|first1=Michelle A.|first2=John E.|last2=Mathieu|first3=Stephen J.|last3=Zaccaro|year=2001|title=A Temporally Based Framework and Taxonomy of Team Processes|journal=Academy of Management Review|volume=26|issue=3|pages=356–376|doi=10.2307/259182|jstor=259182}}</ref><ref name="LePine2008">{{cite journal|last1=LePine|first1=Jeffery A.|first2=Ronald F.|last2=Piccolo|first3=Christine L.|last3=Jackson|first4=John E.|last4=Mathieu|first5=Jessica R.|last5=Saul|year=2008|title=A Meta-Analysis of Teamwork Processes: Tests of a Multidimensional Model and Relationships with Team Effectiveness Criteria|journal=Personnel Psychology|volume=61|issue=2|pages=273–307|doi=10.1111/j.1744-6570.2008.00114.x|issn=0031-5826|citeseerx=10.1.1.468.6198}}</ref>

===Transition processes===
These processes occur between periods of action. Team members can evaluate their overall performance as a team and on an individual level, give feedback to each other, make clarifications about the upcoming tasks, and make any changes that would improve the process of collaborating.{{clarify|reason=explain what the following list is for|date=August 2023}}
* Task Analysis
* Goal Specification
* Strategy Formulation
* Result oriented group

===Action processes===
These processes take place when the team takes steps to accomplish its goals and objectives. Team members keep each other informed about their progress and their responsibilities, while helping one another with tasks. Feedback and collaborative work continues in high levels throughout this process.{{clarify|reason=explain what the following list is for|date=August 2023}}
* Monitoring progress toward goals
* Systems Monitoring
* Team Monitoring and Backup Behavior
* Coordination

===Interpersonal processes===
These processes are present in both action periods and transition periods, and occur between team members. This is a continuous process, in which team members communicate thoughts and/or feelings concerning either another team member or a manner in which a task is being performed. Furthermore, team members encourage and support each other on their individual tasks.{{clarify|reason=explain what the following list is for|date=August 2023}}
* Conflict management
* Motivation and Confidence building
* Affect Management
Teamwork performance generally improves when a team passes through these processes, since processes like these enhance coordination and communication between the team members and therefore increase teamwork and collaborative work.<ref name="Cattani2013">{{cite journal|last1=Cattani|first1=G.|last2=Ferriani|first2=S.|last3=Mariani|first3=M.|first4=S.|last4=Mengoli|year=2013|title=Tackling the 'Galácticos' Effect: Team Familiarity and the Performance of Star-Studded Projects|journal=Industrial and Corporate Change|volume=22|number=6|pages=1629–62|doi=10.1093/icc/dtt001 |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByE7rCUuloTlVEF2UFBjMURmX2s/edit?usp=sharing|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

== Training to improve teamwork ==
Teamwork and performance can be enhanced through specific training that targets individual team members and the team as a whole.<ref name="SalasCookeRosen20083" /> Bruce Tuckman proposed a team developmental model that separated the stages of a team's lifespan and the level of teamwork for each stage:<ref>{{multiref2
|1={{Cite journal|last=Tuckman|first=Bruce|year=1965|title=Developmental Sequence in Small Groups|journal=Psychological Bulletin|volume=63|issue=6|pages=384–399|doi=10.1037/h0022100|pmid=14314073|s2cid=10356275 }}
|2={{Cite book|title=The High Performance Enterprise: Reinventing the People Side of Your Business|last1=Neusch|first1=Donna|last2=Siebenaler|first2=Alan|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|year=1998|isbn=978-0939246298|pages=[https://archive.org/details/highperformancee00neus/page/135 135]–177|url=https://archive.org/details/highperformancee00neus|url-access=registration}} }}</ref>
# '''Forming'''
#* This stage is described by approach/avoidance issues, as well as internal conflicts about being independent vs. wanting to be a part of the team.
#* Team members usually tend to 'play it safe' and minimize their risk-taking in case something goes wrong.
#* Teamwork in this stage is at its lowest levels.
# '''Storming'''
#* The second stage is characterized by a competition for power and authority, which is the source of most of the conflicts and doubts about the success of the team.
#* If teamwork is low in this stage, it is very unlikely that the team will get past their conflicts. If there is a high degree of teamwork and willingness to collaborate, then the team might have a brighter future.
# '''Norming'''
#* The third stage is characterized by increasing levels of [[solidarity]], interdependence, and cohesiveness, while simultaneously making an effort to adjust to the team environment.
#* This stage shows much higher levels of teamwork that make it easier for the above characteristics to occur.
# '''Performing'''
#* This final stage of team development includes a comfortable environment in which team members are effectively completing tasks in an interdependent and cohesive manner.
#* This stage is characterized by the highest levels of comfort, success, interdependence, and maturity, and therefore includes the highest levels of teamwork.

===Enhancing teamwork===
One way organizational psychologists measure teamwork is through the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) Teamwork Test.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Stevens|first1=Michael|last2=Campion|first2=Michael|year=1994|title=The Knowledge, Skill, and Ability Requirements for Teamwork: Implications of Human Resource Management|journal=Journal of Management|volume=20|issue=2|pages=503–530|doi=10.1177/014920639402000210|s2cid=220584820}}</ref> This test was developed by Michael Stevens and Michael Campion in 1994. It assesses people who want to join a team by measuring 14 KSA requirements for teamwork, especially within formal teams. The test has two main categories: Interpersonal KSAs that contain items such as Conflict Resolution and Communication, and Self-Management KSAs that include items such as Goal Setting and Task Coordination.

== Drawbacks and benefits ==
Utilizing teamwork is sometimes unnecessary and can lead to teams not reaching their performance peak. Some of those disadvantages include:<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|title=Self-Directed Work Teams: The New American Challenge|last1=Osbrun|first1=Jack|last2=Moran|first2=Linda|last3=Musselwhite|first3=Ed|publisher=McGraw-Hill|year=1990|isbn=978-1556233418|location=Homewood, IL|pages=[https://archive.org/details/selfdirectedwor00orsb/page/1 1]–26|url=https://archive.org/details/selfdirectedwor00orsb|url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite book|title=The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization|last1=Katzenbach|first1=Jon|last2=Smith|first2=Douglas|publisher=Harvard Business School Press|year=2015|pages=1–26}}</ref>
* '''[[Social Loafing|Social loafing]]''': This phenomenon appears when a person working in a group puts in less effort than they can towards a task. If other members of the team are exerting comparatively more effort, this can create conflict and lead to lower levels of performance.
* '''Behavioral conflicts''' or '''ingrained individualism''': Employees at higher organizational levels have adapted to positions that require more individual initiative, and therefore have trouble engaging in collaborative work. This creates a more competitive environment with less communication and more conflict. This disadvantage is mostly seen in organizations that utilize teamwork in an extremely hierarchical environment.
* '''Individual tasks''': Certain tasks do not require teamwork, and are more appropriate for individual work. By assigning a team to complete an 'individual task', there can be high levels of conflict between members which can damage the team's dynamic and weaken their overall performance.
* '''[[Groupthink]]''': This is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people when, from a desire for conflict-avoidance, the desire for cohesiveness is greater than the desire for the best decisions. When a team experiences groupthink, alternative solutions will not be suggested due to fear of rejection or disagreement within the group. Group members will measure success based on the harmony of their group and not by the outcome of their decisions. One way to counteract groupthink is to have members of a group be from [[Diversity ideologies|diverse backgrounds]] and have different characteristics ([[gender]], [[Ageing|age]], [[nationality]]). Another way to avoid groupthink is to require each member to suggest different ideas.

Working in teams has also shown to be very beneficial. Some advantages of teamwork include:<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" />
* '''[[Problem solving]]''': A group of people can bring together various perspectives and combine views and opinions to rapidly and effectively solve an issue. Due to the team's culture, each team member has a responsibility to contribute equally and offer their unique perspective on a problem to arrive at the best possible solution.<ref name="Chin 2015">{{Cite journal|title = Examining teamwork and leadership in the fields of public administration, leadership, and management|last = Chin|first = Roger|year = 2015|journal = Team Performance Management|doi = 10.1108/TPM-07-2014-0037|volume=21|issue = 3/4|pages=199–216}}</ref> Teamwork can lead to better decisions, products, or services. The effectiveness of teamwork depends on the following six components of [[collaboration]] among team members: communication, coordination, balance of member contributions, mutual support, effort, and cohesion.<ref name=Hoegl2001>{{cite journal |title=Teamwork Quality and the Success of Innovative Projects: a Theoretical Concept and Empirical Evidence |last1=Hoegl|first1= Martin |first2=Hans Georg |last2=Gemuenden |journal=Organization Science |volume=12 |issue=4 |year=2001 |pages=435–449 |jstor=3085981 |doi=10.1287/orsc.12.4.435.10635}}</ref>
* '''Healthy competition''': This can motivate people and help the team excel.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}
* '''[[Interpersonal relationship|Relationship development]]''': A team that continues to work together will eventually develop an increased level of bonding. This can help members avoid unnecessary conflicts since they have become well acquainted with each other through teamwork.<ref name="Chin 2015" /> By building strong relationships between members, team members' satisfaction with their team increases, therefore improving both teamwork and performance.<ref name=LePine2008 />
* '''[[Social quality|Individual qualities]]''': Every team member can offer their unique knowledge and ability to help improve other team members. Through teamwork the sharing of these qualities allows team members to be more productive in the future.<ref name=":0" />
* '''[[Motivation]]''': Working collaboratively can lead to increased motivation levels within a team due to increasing accountability for individual performance. When groups are being compared, members tend to become more ambitious to perform better. Providing groups with a comparison standard increases their performance level thus encouraging members to work collaboratively.

Paulus describes additional benefits of teamwork:<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Paulus|first1=P.|title=Groups, teams, and creativity: the creative potential of idea-generating groups|journal=Applied Psychology|volume=49|issue=2|pages=237–262|doi=10.1111/1464-0597.00013|year=2000}}</ref>
* shared [[workload]]
* [[Opportunism|opportunity]] to achieve [[leadership]] and social [[Contenement|satisfaction]]
* sense of belonging to a successful team
* ability to accomplish more than if team members worked individually

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Baker|first1=David P.|last2=Day|first2=Rachel|last3=Salas|first3=Eduardo|title=Teamwork as an Essential Component of High-Reliability Organizations|journal=Health Services Research|volume=41|issue=4p2|year=2006|pages=1576–1598|doi=10.1111/j.1475-6773.2006.00566.x|pmid=16898980|pmc=1955345}}
* {{cite journal|last1=DeChurch|first1=Leslie A.|last2=Mesmer-Magnus|first2=Jessica R.|title=The Cognitive Underpinnings of Effective Teamwork: a Meta-Analysis|journal=Journal of Applied Psychology|volume=95|issue=1|year=2010|pages=32–53|doi=10.1037/a0017328|pmid=20085405|s2cid=15188731 |url=http://www.delta.gatech.edu/papers/underpinningsTeamwork.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929144536/http://www.delta.gatech.edu/papers/underpinningsTeamwork.pdf|archive-date=2020-09-29}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Hall|first1=P.|last2=Weaver|first2=L.|title=Interdisciplinary Education and Teamwork: a Long and Winding Road|journal=Medical Education|volume=35|issue=9|year=2001|pages=867–875|doi=10.1046/j.1365-2923.2001.00919.x|pmid=11555225|s2cid=25811610 |doi-access=}}
* {{cite book | last1 = Larson|first1=Carl E. | first2 = Frank M.|last2= LaFasto | title = Teamwork: What Must Go Right, What Can Go Wrong | year = 1989 | publisher = SAGE | location = Newbury Park, CA | isbn = 978-0-8039-3289-0 | url = https://archive.org/details/teamworkwhatmust00lars |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Leonard|first1=M. | last2= Graham | first2=S. | last3=Bonacum | first3=D.| title=The Human Factor: the Critical Importance of Effective Teamwork and Communication in Providing Safe Care|journal=Quality and Safety in Health Care|volume=13|issue=Supplement 1|year=2004|pages=i85–i90|doi=10.1136/qshc.2004.010033|pmid=15465961 |pmc=1765783}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Jones|first1=Gareth R.|last2=George|first2=Jennifer M.|title=The Experience and Evolution of Trust: Implications for Cooperation and Teamwork|journal=The Academy of Management Review|volume=23|issue=3|year=1998|pages=531–546|doi=10.2307/259293|jstor=259293}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Sexton|first1= J. Bryan|first2=Eric J. |last2=Thomas|first3=Robert L. |last3=Helmreich|title=Error, Stress, and Teamwork in Medicine and Aviation: Cross Sectional Surveys|journal=BMJ|volume=320|issue=7237|year=2000|pages=745–749|doi=10.1136/bmj.320.7237.745|pmid=10720356|pmc=27316}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Sheard|first1= A. G. |first2=A. P.|last2= Kakabadse |title=A Process Perspective on Leadership and Team Development|journal=The Journal of Management Development|year=2004|volume=23|issue=1|pages=7–11, 13–41, 43–79, 81–106|doi=10.1108/02621710410511027}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Thomas|first1=Eric J.|last2=Sexton|first2=J. Bryan|last3=Helmreich|first3=Robert L.|title=Discrepant Attitudes about Teamwork Among Critical Care Nurses and Physicians|journal=Critical Care Medicine|volume=31|issue=3|year=2003|pages=956–959|doi=10.1097/01.CCM.0000056183.89175.76|pmid=12627011|s2cid=42102070}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Xyrichis |first1=Andreas |last2=Ream |first2=Emma |title=Teamwork: a concept analysis |journal=Journal of Advanced Nursing |date=2008 |volume=61 |issue=2 |pages=232–241 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04496.x|pmid=18186914 |doi-access=free }}

{{Virtues}}

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[[Category:Collaboration]]
[[Category:Group processes]]
[[Category:Industrial and organizational psychology]]
[[Category:Organizational culture]]
[[Category:Social groups]]
[[Category:Teams]]

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