Working in groups is a ubiquitous feature of daily life. For this reason, finding ways to maximise group outputs is of utmost importance. Efforts to enhance group outputs have typically focused on socially relevant interventions, often designed to increase rapport or motivation. Moreover, such interventions are usually implemented and measured at the level of the individual, thereby designating the group to being nothing more than the simple sum of its parts. Although long acknowledged as a key component of group performance, the role of coordination is relatively under-researched. The present thesis focused on understanding whether interpersonal coordination, as viewed through the theoretical lens of coordination dynamics, is able to shed further insight into the relationship between teamwork and productivity. A novel object movement task well-suited for investigating the effects of both social and physical parameters on group productivity was developed and validated. Different extensions of the task were explored across five studies. Shifting the unit of analysis from the individual to the group yielded novel insight into the issue of group productivity. The nature of the dependencies between participants (i.e., positive vs. negative) were seen to change patterns of coordination both within and between teams. Cooperating pairs were also more coordinated and accurate than competing pairs. When interdependence was high, stable modes of coordination enhanced accuracy, but not overall productivity. More broadly speaking, participants spontaneously adopted modes of coordination that were both functionally consistent with the task demands and conformed to the characteristic patterns inherent to self-organised coordination dynamics. The implications of this work are discussed with respect to extant theories of interpersonal coordination and suggestions are made for future research.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2008. / Title from title screen (site viewed Mar. 31, 2009). PDF text: 193 p. : ill. ; 3 Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3336555. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

M.Tech. (Operations Management) / For any organisation to be effective and efficient in achieving its goals, its employees must maintain a shared vision of what they are striving to achieve, as well as clear aims and objectives of the organisation. Employees may be grouped into teams with which play important roles in an organisation. Companies have discovered that the introduction of teams to the production process, leads to innovative and goal oriented performance, with new products generated at a faster pace. Teams become a force of change when interaction within the group is dynamic. Similarly, effective teams may influence productivity and improve quality. In this context, a study was conducted at the Ferrosilicon Plant of Dense Media Separation (DMS) Pty Ltd located in Meyerton, South Africa, where a sink float process for the separation of mineral particles, involving suspension of dense powders in water is used. The study focuses on team structures, which are currently experiencing job dissatisfaction. It attempted to establish the problem areas that may be at the core of team ineffectiveness and offered suggestions for resolution. At the root of the study is an attempt by management to resolve job dissatisfaction by facilitating team development, establishing explicit team norms and expectations, fostering a collaborative team climate, exercising leadership skills in pursuit of team goals and encouraging open and candid communication within the production section. The study argues that if decisive action is not taken to address these issues, it would be difficult for any organisation to function and would in turn inhibit management’s control of the organisation, ultimately leading to a loss of productivity.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The research study investigates the impact of different leadership styles on group performance and group cohesiveness within a highly technical environment. A secondary study is conducted to assess the relationship between group performance and group cohesiveness. The literature provides information on the three main topics, namely leadership, performance and cohesiveness. The statistical information was gathered using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, the Teamness Index Questionnaire and the 2008 performance ratings of the technical company. A sample of 16 leaders and 173 raters were used to complete the questionnaires. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire was used to determine the transformational and transactional leadership dimensions of each leader, while the Teamness Index was used to assess the group cohesiveness. The group performance ratings were obtained from the managers of the respective groups. All the data was statistically analysed to determine the relationships between the dependent variables (performance and cohesiveness) and the independent variables (transformational leadership, transactional leadership and cohesiveness). The research revealed that there is a positive correlation between performance and the leadership styles, as well as between group cohesiveness and the leadership styles. The strongest positive correlation was found between performance and group cohesiveness. Although these positive correlations were present, the research found a single significant positive linear relationship through regression analysis between cohesiveness and the transformational leadership style. No other significant relationships could be established through hypotheses testing. This research adds a new dimension to group performance, leadership and group cohesiveness. This research is significant in that no similar research exists within the South African context and it thus adds to the body of leadership knowledge. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die impak van verskillende leierskapstyle op groepprestasie en groepsamehang in 'n hoogs tegniese omgewing. 'n Sekondere ondersoek is gedoen om die verhouding tussen groepprestasie en groepsamehang te bepaal. Die literatuurstudie werp lig op die drie hoofonderwerpe, naamlik leierskap, prestasie en samehang. Die statistiese inligting is ingesamel deur die gebruik van die "Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire", "Teamness Index Questionnaire" en die 2008-prestasiebeoordelings van die tegniese maatskappy. 'n Steekproef van 16 leiers en 173 beoordelaars is gebruik om die vraelys te beantwoord. Die "Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire" is gebruik om vas te stel wat die transformasionele en transaksionele leierskapsdimensies van elke leier is, terwyl die "Teamness Index" die groepsamehang bepaal het. Die groepprestasiebeoordelings is van die bestuurders van die onderskeie groepe verkry. Al die data is op 'n statistiese wyse geanaliseer om die verhoudings tussen die afhanklike veranderlikes (prestasie en samehang) en die onafhanklike veranderlikes (transformasionele leierskap, transaksionele leierskap en samehang) te bepaal. Hierdie studie het bevind dat daar 'n positiewe korrelasie bestaan tussen prestasie en leierskapstyle, en ook tussen groepsamehang en leierskapstyle. Die sterkste positiewe korrelasie is tussen prestasie en groepsamehang bespeur. Selfs al is hierdie positiewe korrelasies geidentifiseer, kon slegs 'n enkele betekenisvolle positiewe liniêre verhouding vasgestel word tussen groep samehang en transformasionele leierskapstyl. Geen ander betekenisvolle verhoudings kon deur die toetsing van die hipotese vasgestel word nie. Die ondersoek voeg 'n nuwe dimensie tot groepprestasie, leierskap en groepsamehang. Die studie is betekenisvol omdat daar geen ander soortgelyke studie in 'n Suid Afrikaanse raamwerk bestaan nie, en dus dra dit by tot die leierskapskennisgebied.

Teams play a key role in organisational success and it is imperative to proactively manage team performance needs in order to influence team effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of a group of employees in a sales-driven organisation on how the application of Neethling’s thinking style preferences influenced team performance following their participation in Neethling’s thinking style preferences training. The qualitative exploratory study was conducted with 19 employees in the Finance and Insurance department of a sales-driven organisation. The data were collected by means of in-depth individual interviews and focus group interviews. A nonprobability purposive sample technique was used to identify participants for the two focus group interviews and six individual interviews. Evidence provided in the findings concluded that Neethling's thinking style preferences can be used as a viable tool to enhance team performance in an organisation as the participants’ perceptions and experiences of the advantages of these preferences and the findings in the literature on effective teams, concurred. There were also strong indications that the team performed better in terms of their internal team processes, leading to team outputs such as better communication, cooperation, understanding and relationships between team members. Participants also recognised that the team’s performance led to the achievement of organisational results or outcome goals such as improved productivity, profitability, organisational image and customer satisfaction. The study represents original research, extending the current body of knowledge on the perceptions of employees’ team performance related to Neethling’s thinking style preferences. Neethling’s thinking style preferences could have a high influence on identified elements of team performance and could be viewed by employees as a viable tool for enhancing team performance. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)