Thesis (M.A.)--Regis University, Denver, Colo., 2006. / "Master of Arts Instructional Design"--T.p. Title from PDF title page (viewed on Aug. 29, 2006). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Lehigh University, 2000. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-138).

The research aimed to identify the most appropriate team approaches for co-ordinating innovative products or process developments and for enhancing their success. Case studies were conducted in 25 UK companies, focusing on environmental technology projects. Research findings emphasised the diversity of organisational team approaches which were more complex when several departments, teams or companies were involved. Team approaches were broadly classified - 'single-disciplinary', 'multi-disciplinary' or 'multi-functional' - according to members' expertise and innovation function which could be more or less integrated. The results showed that: 1. Multi-tasking to meet all innovation functions reflected small firm limitations and small firms would benefit from more formal structures. Differences between medium- and large-sized firms were minimal since teams held more specialist expertise, However, the influence of firm size on innovation success was obscured and potentially negated by inter-company alliances. 2. Few differences in the management of minor and major company innovations applied since competitive pressures led to organisational innovation in each case, including integrated team approaches, inter-company alliances and company formations. 3. Multi-functional teams were important for achieving success in open markets because of their control over appropriate expertise, even though they did not guarantee commercial success or other benefits. Surprisingly, multi-functional teams were typically rated as unsatisfactory and ineffective by members which may have implications for staff morale and retention. 4. Inter-company teams represented opportunities for team learning and organisational development because company-based assumptions about organisational behaviour, expectations about inter-company operations and fears about inter-disciplinary teamworking were challenged. 5. Integrated teams were not sufficient for achieving team effectiveness and success outcomes, although most companies regarded their team as necessary for success. Complex team and innovation development processes emphasised the importance of the co-ordinator's role in managing unclear team and organisational boundaries associated with innovative developments. 6. Although the research supports the importance of teams for innovation success, team effectiveness had a more complex influence on success in open markets than on client-funded projects because of the nature of the teams and the influence of market and technological uncertainties.

Schools are directly placed under the care of the school governing bodies and school management teams that manage their day-to-day activities. These school management teams are expected to transform their schools into functioning and effective schools. The sad reality though, is that they are confronted with a huge task of improving cooperation between themselves in order to realise their dream of achieving their shared organizational goals. This interpretive study explores members of the management staff’s subjective experiences and their social world, to provide meaning and understanding of the levels of cooperation among them, and how this can be improved. The main outcomes of the study include: o Promoting conditions that are favourable to the establishment of collaborative practices between members of the management teams. o Fostering cooperation to ensure the development of sustainable capacity and increased energy to solve problems and transform their schools.

The study addresses the process of teacher development in the context of close collegial relations. It is a case study of two teachers, Mary and Sadie, who worked collaboratively over two school years in a series of reciprocal cycles of clinical supervision. The main purposes the teachers held for the process were to develop their understanding about their teaching practices in order to grow professionally and to acquire new skills in supervision. Their beliefs, behaviours, and knowledge contributed to shape their relationship and serve their respective needs for growth. An interpretive methodology was employed. The research approach was derived from the theoretical perspective of George Herbert Mead (1932, 1934, 1938). This provided for an analytical description and interpretation of the meanings and knowledge constructed socially by the participating teachers about clinical supervision, collegiality and teacher development. It also enabled the identification of a number of factors which influenced the teachers' development in the context of a collegial relationship. The teachers practiced new behaviours in an unfamiliar context of close colleagueship in order to incorporate research-based knowledge into their practical working lives. They devoted considerable effort and attention during the first year to the mechanics of clinical supervision in order to become more proficient with the process. In the second year of the study, the teachers explicitly rejected the term "clinical supervision" in favour of "reflective conferencing". The new terminology reflected their deeper understanding about the processes of collaboration and reflection. As their relationship, knowledge and skills developed, they became more thoughtful about collaboration and purposeful about facilitating each other's development. The teachers discovered that change takes time and occurs incrementally. Trust was required from both colleagues, in the process and in each other, as they took turns observing each other teach and then meeting to discuss matters related to their instructional practice. A culture of collaboration took hold, albeit more slowly than either had envisioned. Through repeated practice in reflective conferencing, they acquired an appreciation of the challenges and benefits of collaboration for the promotion of teacher development. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

Globalisation and advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are contributing to the increased virtualisation of work teams within organisations. Researchers are in agreement that most modern day work teams have some degree of virtualisation (Workman, 2007) and that it is critical for researchers and practitioners alike to understand the impact of virtualisation on the inputs, process and outputs of work teams. Benefits commonly associated with increased team virtualisation such as increased knowledge retention (Dietz-Uhler&Bishop-Clark, 2001), cost savings (Bergiel, Bergiel,&Balsmeier, 2008) and flexibility (Clemons&Kroth, 2011) are proven and well researched. However we know that no benefit can be obtained without incurring some sort of a cost (Colander, 2010) and research showed that virtual teams typically incur additional challenges in the areas of communication, culture, technology and leadership (Kayworth&Leidner, 2000).This research hypothesised that the three levers of organizational structure as defined by Satô (2010) namely the formalization, standardization and centralization of organisational elements can ease the negative effects caused by an increase in team virtualisation. We evaluated the impact that the organisational structure has on the performance of work teams throughout the team virtualisation continuum by conducting a set of interviews, a survey and performing descriptive quantitative analysis on the results. A total of three interviews were conducted which served as confirmation of our research questions and provided guidance to construct the questionnaire. A total of 87 respondents participated in our online survey of which 69 responses were included in the quantitative analysis phase. The responses received were equally distributed between four categories namely: Organic Face-to-face, Mechanistic Face-to-face, Organic Virtual and Mechanistic Virtual.The results revealed that there is no statistically significant relationship between the organisational structure and the performance of virtual teams. We further noticed a higher variance in the performance scores of virtual teams which indicates that the performance of virtual teams are more inconsistent than that of Face-to-face teams. The key finding of the research is that virtual teams perform equally well in both organic and mechanistic organisational structures. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Introduction: Remote Area Medical (RAM), a non-profit organization serving underserved populations, partnered with East Tennessee State University to provide a unique learning opportunity for student volunteers at a clinic in rural Appalachia. Interprofessional student teams were established with undergraduate and graduate students in multiple professions. This study examined the impact on attitudes of students who participated and the impact of student teams on the event, hypothesizing that a positive impact would be seen on both. COVID-19 adjustments made were also evaluated. Methods: Surveys of student participants were conducted electronically utilizing REDCap before and after participation in the event. Surveys included demographic questions, validated surveys, and open-ended questions. Demographic questions gauged personal background, level of education, and history of interprofessional education or events. The previously validated surveys utilized were the Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Scale-Revised (ICAAS-R) and the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised Instrument Version 2 (SPICE-R2). Quantitative data was analyzed with SPSS version 25. Qualitative data was analyzed with deductive coding. Interventions were tallied by student teams during the event. Results: Eighty-nine students participated logging 1,213 interventions and 84 completed portions of the survey (94% response rate). ICAAS-R (n=79) displayed mean increases from 4.19 out of 5 in the pre-survey to 4.58 in the post-survey (p Conclusion: Statistically significant quantitative findings and qualitative themes supported the hypothesis that working in interprofessional teams at a RAM event would positively impact student attitudes towards interprofessional practice, and that student teams would have a positive impact on the event. COVID-19 adjustments made were well perceived. Findings can be summarized with the I.M.P.A.C.T. neumonic.

Today's organizations are increasingly relying on teams, rather than individuals, to complete tasks in the workplace. For some teams, these tasks require them to make high stakes decisions under stressful conditions. In military, medical, and emergency response fields, for example, workers are regularly asked to make decisions under high time pressure, uncertainty, and risk. The purpose of this study is to summarize previous team decision-making perspectives and create a model for team decision-making under stress. A literature review was conducted to examine the current state of team decision-making research. Several existing models of the team decision-making process were identified, representing multiple decision-making perspectives. Using this information, four primary characteristics of the team decision making process were identified. Team decision making appears to be multi-level, multi-phasic, dynamic, and cyclical process. An additional search examined the effects of stress on performance. Using this information and the characteristics outlined from the team decision making literature, a model was designed to describe the effects of stress on team decision making. This model offers several propositions regarding the effects of stress on specific cognitive and team processes and their relationship team decision making This study provides the theoretical basis for an empirical investigation of the relationship between stress and team decision making. This line of research has the potential to lead to practical solutions that may improve outcomes for workers in high stress occupations.

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