Mark Twain, the great American writer, once stated that synergy is the bonus achieved when things work together harmoniously. Organizations in the twenty-first century are driven by a need to achieve synergy for all of their various processes, and organizational structures such as teams have become one of the major ways to do so. Thus, the fourth volume of Research in Management is devoted to highlighting conceptual frameworks and research investigations which elucidate factors related to effective team processes and those which may, in fact, hinder effectiveness.

Development projects that span different disciplines and groups often face problems in establishing a shared understanding of the project’s purpose, deliverables, and direction. Creating Shared Understanding in Product Development Teams: How to ‘Build the Beginning’ uses research-based cases from TC Electronic, The Red Cross, Daimler AG, and Copenhagen Living Lab to demonstrate one approach to this problem complex. It shows how prototyping specific physical artifacts can function as drivers and focal points for creating the much needed shared understanding. Encompassing both the participant’s and the facilitator’s point of view, Creating Shared Understanding in Product Development Teams: How to ‘Build the Beginning’ provides both practical examples and theoretical explanation for the process of creating shared understanding. This book provides a toolbox and a practical guide for planning, executing, and facilitating workshops. The result is a clear outline of how to facilitate the creation of physical artifacts that enables and stimulates communication between team members, users, and stakeholders in order to create shared understanding of projects

Researchers from across the world and in a variety of disciplines have become interested in describing and understanding the phenomenon of distributed projects and teams. This study aims to measure the extent to which some dimensions of the decision-making process are valued and used by distributed teams, as well as the influence of certain contextual variables. The proliferation of geographically dispersed teams is, of course, related to the explosive development of information and communication technologies (ICT), and particularly technologies related to the Internet. Now that these technologies are performing better and becoming more accessible, companies no longer seem to be challenged by the barrier of distance.

While modern project management systems support teams during planning and development activities, primarily through performance-related process information, the equally relevant human factors are often insufficiently considered for explaining team dynamics (e.g., the affect of moods in teams). However, understanding team behavioral patterns are crucial for the accurate planning and steady execution of development tasks throughout an ongoing project. A computer-aided feedback concept is described, unifying interdisciplinary foundations and methods from the software engineering, data science, organizational, and social psychology fields for disclosing team dynamics in agile software projects. The concept covers the systematic capture of sociotechnical data combined with descriptive, predictive, and exploratory model-based methods that support understanding behavioural changes during the development process. Design science from information systems research is used in academic and industrial case studies to conceptualize and operationalize the feedback methods into a practical Jira plugin. A concluding evaluation through an action research method in two industrial software projects results in quantitative and qualitative findings regarding the feedback utilization and utility during agile development processes (e.g., team communication changes related to accomplished performances). The case studies underscore the practical relevance for systematic feedback and the need to better understand human factors in software projects.

In many areas of human life, people perform in teams. These teams’ performances depend, at least partly, on team members’ abilities to coordinate their contributions effectively. This includes the making of decisions and the regulation of behavior in reference to the framework provided by the social group- and task-context. Given the high relevance of a deepened and integrated understanding about the mechanisms underlying coordinated team behavior, the aim of this research topic is to provide a platform for different theoretical and methodological approaches to researching and understanding coordinated team behavior in different task contexts. The articles published in this edition offer a multifaceted insight into current work on the topic.

“This book takes the reader through the challenges of working with teams, the various contexts and understanding of what team effectiveness means. It provides support for team leaders, managers, supervisors and practitioners alike and therefore it is a ‘must read’ for all those in these roles.” Professor Bob Garvey, Leeds Business School, UK “This book confirms to me that great team leaders and team managers have a coaching mindset, coaching skills and coaching behaviours at their core. This book demonstrates how best to be ‘coach-minded’ and gives lots of advice on how to be an excellent manager as coach (MAC) in terms of fostering confidence, humility, learning and exchange within a team.” Dr Jenni Jones, Associate Professor in Coaching and Mentoring, University of Wolverhampton, UK In today’s ever-changing workplace, it is important for managers and team leadersto be able to navigate challenges arising from unproductive or dysfunctional behaviour among team members. A Coach’s Guide to Team Building applies a unique coaching perspective to tackle the complex issues facing teams and their leaders. Applying psychology principles in coaching and coaching leadership has the potential to help managers adapt to hybrid teams, flexible working and portfolio careers. With insightful case studies and the utilisation of interview data throughout, this book contains practical tools, offers solutions to real team problems and shares key learnings from coaching, psychology and professional practice. The interviewees spanned multiple sectors, with insights into industries such as banking, education and engineering, readers can benefit from the flexible, effective approach to successfully creating and leading teams. The book: - Provides a range of practical tools, from ‘how-to’ guides to checklists - Explores the challenges of building diversity and inclusivity into any team - Covers a range of industries and team dynamics The unique blend of expertise and insight from the authors will benefit academics, coaching practitioners, and team leaders alike. Whether you are an experienced team leader or novice manager, this book offers solutions to problems facing real teams. Helen Smith is Faculty Head of Coaching and Mentoring in the Department of People and Performance at Manchester Metropolitan University. UK. Helen previously served as a Board Member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) UK for over two years and is a founding member of The Greater Manchester Coaching Hub (GMCH). Tony Wall is Professor at Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University, UK and holds visiting roles in Sweden and Vietnam. Tony has published 200+ works, including global policy reports for EMCC Global. He has received numerous accolades including the Advance-HE National Teaching Fellowship and Santander International Research Excellence Awards.

"Employee-organization relationship" is an overarching term that describes the relationship between the employee and the organization. It encompasses psychological contracts, perceived organizational support, and the employment relationship. Remarkable progress has been made in the last 30 years in the study of EOR. This volume, by a stellar list of international contributors, offers perspectives on EOR that will be of interest to scholars, practitioners and graduate students in IO psychology, business and human resource management.

Teams can be a driving force for organizational performance--and managers can play a key role in teams' ultimate success or failure. Highlighting the latest research on team development and dynamics--and including hands-on tools for improving communication, resolving conflicts, promoting interdependence, and more--this guide helps managers at all levels to motivate teams to achieve higher performance.

The research of the last decade has demonstrated that ecosystems and human systems are influenced by multiple factors, including climate, land use, and the by-products of resource use. Understanding the net impact of a suite of simultaneously occurring environmental changes is essential for developing effective response strategies. Using case studies on drought and a wide range of atmosphere-ecosystem interactions, a workshop was held in September 2005 to gather different perspectives on multiple stress scenarios. The overarching lesson of the workshop is that society will require new and improved strategies for coping with multiple stresses and their impacts on natural socioeconomic systems. Improved communication among stakeholders; increased observations (especially at regional scales); improved model and information systems; and increased infrastructure to provide better environmental monitoring, vulnerability assessment, and response analysis are all important parts of moving toward better understanding of and response to situations involving multiple stresses. During the workshop, seven near-term opportunities for research and infrastructure that could help advance understanding of multiple stresses were also identified.

Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product. The experts agree: Understanding Teamwork in Health Care is a true must-read A Doody's Core Title for 2017! "This is a much-needed addition to the training curriculum of anyone involved in the healthcare industry." -- James Townsend, DHSc., MBA, MIS (A. T. Still University) and Doody's Review Service "Our health care can be magnificently effective, but, without constant coordination and cooperation, its technologies and specialization can be the front doors to confusing complexity and risky fragmentation. Better teamwork improves every aspect of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's 'Triple Aim'--patients' experience of health care, the health of our populations,and the cost of providing care. In this book, Dr. Mosser and Professor Begun have given us a superb guide for better teamwork. Their account is based on sound evidence and compelling concepts, but it is also eminently practical. Nearly 100 stories of teamwork—mostly exemplary,sometimes cautionary—illustrate what it means for patients, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and others to work together in effective harmony." -- Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP, President Emeritus and Senior Fellow,Institute for Healthcare Improvement "Best health outcomes are often the result of an extremely competent, completely connected team of caregivers, working with an empowered patient who is the absolute central focus and sometimes the team quarterback. Drs. Mosser and Begun grasp the critical importance ofhealthcare team members working as equals despite titles or disciplines of practice. This is an engaging, enlightening, entertaining must-read for clinicians currently working in the field of health care, those considering the profession, people teaching potential caregivers, and anyone interested in the future of how we can deliver best health care at lowest cost throughcohesive teams." -- George C. Halvorson, Chairman and CEO, Kaiser Permanente "Dr. Mosser and Dr. Begun blend clinical vignettes and science in a highly readable book to help us understand the importance and diversity of health care teams. The authors' conceptual frameworks are intellectually compelling, and their vignettes capture those concepts in action. Members of every type of health care team will find this book to be a valuable resource. Read the first three chapters. You won’t be able to resist the pleasure of reading the rest of the book." -- Linda Cronenwett, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor and Dean Emeritus, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill "The team-based models developing in progressive health care call for a comprehensive and insightful guidebook. Understanding Teamwork in Health Care meets this need. It provides pharmacists and other health care professionals with the foundational knowledge necessaryto be members of effective clinical teams." -- Joseph DiPiro, Pharm D, Professor and Executive Dean, South Carolina College of Pharmacy This important guide focuses on the core skills necessary to effectively implement teamwork in a complex hospital or primary care setting. The book's mission is to make often-overlooked perspectives about teamwork more widely known and used. No matter what your prior level of team involvement may be, this is the one resource that will help you adeptly participate in, lead, or manage teams. Unlike other texts that rely heavily on theory and healthcare policy, this indispensable reference offers a realistic, practical look at the challenges and many opportunities