This dissertation introduces and illuminates the phenomenon of cultural brokerage-- the act of managing cross-cultural interactions in multicultural teams. Across four studies, I develop and test a theoretical model of cultural brokerage, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. I find that members of multicultural teams who have relatively more cross-cultural experience actively engage in cultural brokerage, even without being appointed to do so. Specifically, cultural insiders (those who have deep knowledge of the culture of the other members on the team) and cultural outsiders (those who have deep knowledge of multiple cultures other than the ones represented in the rest of the team) both engage in cultural brokerage, albeit in different ways. Insiders are more likely than outsiders to broker by directly resolving cultural issues; outsiders are more likely to broker by facilitating interactions. Both types of brokerage enhance team effectiveness. A key insight of this dissertation is that while cultural outsiders are generally perceived as being far less valuable than cultural insiders, they are actually equally effective in improving team performance, and even outperform insiders when it comes to enhancing certain aspects of team viability. This work contributes to the literatures on global teams, multicultural individuals, and creativity. In addition, it provides practical implications for effectively composing and managing multicultural teams.

We provide a framework for understanding managerial implications of multinational teams. In addition to context, four major categories of variables have a determining influence on multinational team performance: universal values, norms of behavior, perceptions of others and self, and personality traits. Size of teams, kind of task, learning opportunities, power and interests change the effects of these variables. Of particular importance is the team implementation process, which can neutralize adverse effects of wrong perceptions, helps to establish team norms and, thus, contributes to success of multinational teams. (author's abstract) / Series: EI Working Papers / Europainstitut

Technological developments and the modern economy have changed the way teams operate. Most professionals today are mobile and equipped with everything they need to work from anywhere at any time, including blackberries, laptop computers, email, video conferencing and other personal productivity devices. Doing work this way, allows for a wide range of benefits such as flexibility, diversity and an increase in productivity. However, these virtual teams require specific conditions to help them reach their full potential. This paper will identify the four major characteristics of virtual teams (geographic dispersion, electronic dependence, dynamic structure and national diversity) and use a model of virtual team effectiveness to examine the three team processes (transactive memory, work engagement and collective efficacy) that are most strongly affected by these characteristics. It will further suggest ways in which leadership can help to overcome these process losses through the establishment of trust, psychological safety and conflict management. / text

In 1999, the Institute of Medicine estimated as many as 98,000 patients died each year in US hospitals as the result of medical errors. Five years later, another report estimated 195,000 people died unnecessarily. A recent study of patient safety in American hospitals concluded that 87% of Medicare deaths identified over a three-year period were "potentially preventable." The rapid response team (RRT) has been recommended as an effective strategy for reducing avoidable patient deaths as measured by patient safety indicator #4 (PSI#4), Death among surgical inpatients with treatable serious complications [formerly failure to rescue]. There is no research evidence to support the recommendation. The purpose of this exploratory research study was to describe RRT characteristics, determine RRT penetration, and measure PSI#4 (Death among surgical inpatients) rates among hospitals in a large metropolitan area hospital council. A retrospective, descriptive design was used during analysis of survey data collected from members of the hospital council and secondary analysis of administrative data submitted by the same hospitals to a regional data warehouse. All of the hospitals represented by survey submissions had implemented RRTs. The majority of teams was nurse-led and could be activated by a wide range of hospital staff and family members. The hospitals used evidence-based criteria for RRT activation. There was a downward trend in the regional PSI#4 rate from 2003 to 2008, which was not statistically significant, but may be considered clinically significant. Nurse administrators viewed RRTs as effectively supporting nursing care. This study provided a first look at RRTs in relation to an untested patient safety indicator that measured avoidable patient deaths. More research with a larger sample size with adequate power to support statistical analysis of differences in PSI #4 rates over time will provide evidence regarding relationships among hospital characteristics, RRT characteristics, and avoidable deaths among surgical inpatients. / text

This dissertation evaluates a model linking intraunit justice climate to outcome variables (team performance, unit-level citizenship behavior, and satisfaction with teammates) through the mediating role of teamwork quality. Intraunit justice climate (IJC) is defined as the shared perception that team members treat each other fairly. IJC includes three dimensions: distributive, procedural, and interactional justice. Distributive IJC refers to the extent to which team members receive what they deserve based on their contribution. Procedural IJC refers to the extent to which team members use fair procedures in the decision making process in the team. Interactional IJC refers to the extent to which team members treat each other fairly interpersonally. In this dissertation, I argue that a high level of IJC may influence the pattern and quality of interaction among team members (teamwork quality), which in turn may influence team outcomes. This model was tested in a longitudinal study using 164 undergraduate project teams (N = 570). Participants responded to three surveys (each separated by four weeks) which assessed IJC (Time I), teamwork quality (Time II), unit-level citizenship behavior, and satisfaction with teammates (Time III). I also obtained team project grades as an indicator of team performance. Results of the study indicate that teamwork quality mediated the relationship between two dimensions of intraunit justice climate: distributive and procedural IJC, and indicators of team effectiveness: unit-level citizenship behavior and satisfaction with teammates. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

No description available.

Darbe atlikta teorinė komandinio darbo ypatumai statybinėje organizacijoje „Žemda“ analizė. Iškelta hipotezė, kad komandinio darbo rezultatai žymiai lenkia atskirai dirbančių individų darbo rezultatus. Anketinės apklausos metodu buvo atliktas tyrimas, kurio tikslas išanalizuoti komandinio darbo ypatumus statybinėje organizacijoje UAB „Žemda“ ir pateikti priemones darbo organizavimo gerinimui. Atlikta statistinė duomenų analizė. Tyrime dalyvavo 68 respondentai iš statybos organizacijos UAB „Žemda“. 28 respondentai buvo administracijos darbuotojai ir 40 respondentų darbininkai. Svarbiausios empirinio tyrimo išvados: 1. Komandinis darbas šiuolaikiniame pasaulyje – vienas pagrindinių įmonės sėkmę lemiančių veiksnių. Organizacijos, kurios skatina savo darbuotojus už asmeninius pasiekimus, kuria aplinką, kurioje išlieka tik stipriausieji, sunkiai persiorientuoja prie komandinio darbo, nes komandinis darbas neleidžia išryškinti asmeninių pasiekimų. 2. Didžioji dalis administracijos darbuotojų ir darbininkų teigia, kad komandos nariai bendradarbiauja tarpusavyje padeda vieni kitiems, komandos nariai pasitiki vieni kitais, gali atvirai išsakyti savo mintis todėl galima teigti, kad organizacijoje labai svarbus yra komandinis darbas. Gera komanda sujungia savyje bendradarbiavimo ir konkurencijos elementus. Tokios komandos nariai, veikdami išvien, padeda vienas kitam pasiekti geriausių asmeninių rezultatų. Efektyvi komanda turi dirbti kartu ir būti atsakinga už reikšmingų užduočių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / An analysis of a team work peculiarities of a building enterprise „Žemda“ was made in this work. The risen hypothesis states that the results of the team work are much better than the results of an individual work. A questionnaire was used in order to analyze the peculiarities of the team work of the building enterprise „Žemda“ and to suggest several means to improve it. So a statistical data analysis was fulfilled. There were a total number of 68 respondents from the „Žemda“ (28 simple workers and 40 office workers). The main conclusions of the empirical part of this work: 1. The team work nowadays is one the leading factors influencing the success of the enterprise. Organizations encouraging workers for their personal achievements create a milieu where only the strongest exist. However, such workers have a difficulty to work in a team because a team work does not allow personal features to show up. 2. The majority of the office and simple workers states that the teamwork signifies in an organization because it gives an opportunity to collaborate with each other, learn to help and trust and openly express ideas. A good team unifies the elements of the communication and competition. A member of such team helps to achieve the best personal results for the other member and him/herself as well. An efficient team has to work hand in hand and be responsible for important assignments. Besides, the members of the team have to be motivated to work. That motivation comes with... [to full text]

The key to production effectiveness lies in the optimal utilisation of the organisations own employees. This has been accomplished by changing the power structure within organisations with the introduction of self-directed work teams. In addition to carrying out the work, SDWT members make decisions that are traditionally the jurisdiction of first line supervisors. This method of management and work planning can lead to added stress and behaviour not anticipated from employees. This behaviour, if not addressed, may have a debilitating effect on the team's performance and therefore on the organisations' bottom line. To address this behaviour, the specific causes must first be identified. The pressure within the teams of a gold mine is increased due to the fact that one day's loss of production can cost hundreds of thousands of rand. The objective of the research was to determine what causes certain dysfunctional behaviours in self-directed work teams, and the effect this has on the workplace and performance. A qualitative study was done whereby a single group of subjects was obtained. This group consisted of 40 subjects (N=40). Three different work groups were part of the case study. These groups were observed in the workplace, the group's interactions with other members in the group were observed, and the group's interactions with leadership figures were observed, and finally individual members participated in unstructured interviews in order to identify the experience of members in the work groups and also to discover what elements contributed to the dysfunctional behaviour identified in the workplace. Data from interviews was used to develop major groupings, or general classifications of broad categories of themes, where a theme is a recurrent topic of discussion or often mentioned key factor with regards to behaviour. Information was also gathered by observing individuals in their places of work. The results showed that the factors, which were most frequently sited, were the issues of contradictory demands and control (leadership). Another factor considered important by all role players was relationships. Other influences identified, but of less importance, were support, trust and communication, cultural diversity, role clarity and finally, individual needs. By way of conclusion, recommendations for future research are made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

The purpose of this thesis was to show that cooperative learning strategies are suitable teaching techniques for the instruction of undergraduate music theory. Literature in music theory pedagogy has concentrated primarily on content-based teaching issues and offers little information on the range of teaching techniques available for promoting student learning. Many instructors may be relying on traditional teaching methods with which they are familiar-lectures, lecture-demonstrations and teacher-led discussions-to instruct tonal theory classes and may not be aware of cooperative learning or its potential usefulness as another instructional strategy. The body of this thesis is divided into three main sections. The opening section demonstrates how traditional teaching methods alone fail to meet many learning needs of students and points to cooperative learning strategies as one alternative method that addresses these needs. In the next section, cooperative learning is further defined in order to differentiate it from traditional group work. The third and largest section contains ten sample lesson plans based on topics central to first- and second-year tonal harmony courses. Each lesson includes at least one cooperative learning technique and a discussion of why the particular technique was applied to the topic. Instructors of tonal harmony who are looking for additional teaching strategies that actively involve the learners should consider using cooperative learning. The sample lesson plans offered in this thesis illustrate how these techniques may be used either briefly in conjunction with more traditional methods or on their own in more extensive activities. Variety within cooperative learning strategies has also been demonstrated by providing techniques ranging from simple, user-friendly ideas for the inexperienced, to more complex and challenging activities requiring higher levels of experience and collaborative skills. A selected bibliography is included to assist readers in becoming familiar with some of the resources available to those who use cooperative groups for instruction.

Much confusion surrounds the term 'self-directed learning', which presently describes a process, a goal, a teaching technique, and an outcome of that teaching. As a process, the literature concentrates mainly on how individuals learn, with little reference to groups that can be as selfdirected as individuals. The purposes of this study were: (a) to reduce conceptual confusion by creating a typology distinguishing different processes of self-directed learning; (b) to explore the phenomenon of group self-directed learning; and (c) to illustrate the effect of environment on learning, and the complex learning dynamics in group settings. This project arose somewhat differently from typical doctoral research. Data from two unrelated field studies conducted for other purposes, completed before this thesis work began, each illustrated self-directed groups learning informally in the contexts of community action and innovative small workplaces. A subsequent review of the literature indicated a lack of attention to this form of group learning, and the field studies were then re-analyzed from this perspective. As a result of the literature review and data re-analysis (1) a typology emerged from the literature review that divides the process of self-directed learning into three forms, each of which is context sensitive but between which learners can continually move back and forth; (2) it appears that the term 'autodidactic' can apply to specific groups which are both self-organized and self-directed in their learning efforts; and (3) that the term 'autodidaxy' as presently defined is as conceptually confusing as the term 'self-directed learning'. This confusion is reduced by the typology proposed by this thesis. Minor findings indicate two continuing problems. The first is reluctance by some to accord non-credentialed learning the value it deserves, and the second is the difficulty often encountered in transferring knowledge from the site of learning to the site of application. This study concludes that 'informalizing' some formal curricula, and encouraging self-directed learning at all levels and in all contexts, may provide some of the tools necessary for living and learning in the twenty-first century.