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.

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