Team diversity refers to the differences between team members on any attribute that may lead each single member of the group to perceive any other member of the group as being different from the self of this particular member. These attributes and perceptions refer to all dimensions people can differ on, such as age, gender, ethnicity, religious and functional background, personality, skills, abilities, beliefs, and attitudes.

Thesis (MComm (Industrial Psychology))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The present study evaluates the influence on the four factors of an innovative work group climate, namely participative safety, vision, support for innovation and task orientation, of a team development intervention based on improvisational theatre exercises. In the literature study, these four factors are compared with the principles of improvisational theatre, namely trust and support, agreement, listening and awareness, and narrative skills. A quasiexperimental study was conducted. Differences in pre-test and post-test scores of an experimental group (ne=15), who took part in a half-day improvisation theatre team development intervention, are compared with the differences in pre- and post-test scores of a control group (nc=13). The sample consisted of two teams from a health care management unit, which formed part of the health care department of a large insurance company in South Africa. The results show that, for innovative work group climate as a whole, the experimental group’s scores improved significantly (p<.01) in comparison to the control group’s scores. The experimental group’s scores for the three factors, vision, participative safety and task orientation, also improved significantly in comparison to the control group’s scores (p<.05 for all three factors). However, the experimental group’s score for support for innovation did not improve significantly. It is therefore concluded that the intervention had a positive influence on climate for work group innovation, based on its impact on the three factors, vision, participative safety and task orientation. In conclusion, this study builds on previous research that endorses the application of improvisational theatre techniques in organisational development settings.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / A presente pesquisa tem por objetivo compreender a afetividade institucional em duas equipes de trabalho de um hospital pÃblico e de ensino do estado do CearÃ. Um aspecto influente na decisÃo do desenvolvimento da pesquisa para a Ãrea hospitalar foi a relevÃncia e a grandiosidade das aÃÃes praticadas por essas organizaÃÃes, cuja cultura organizacional tem por natureza a assistÃncia à saÃde e a preocupaÃÃo com a realizaÃÃo do exercÃcio da docÃncia. Outros fatores determinantes relacionam-se ao processo de gestÃo das referidas organizaÃÃes, que, geralmente, à realizado em esferas superiores, e à infraestrutura, que se caracteriza pela precarizaÃÃo do trabalho ou falta permanente de recursos materiais e de pessoas, o que exige maior empenho dos trabalhadores, gerando sobrecarga de trabalho. Os principais referenciais teÃricos foram os estudos sobre as teorias sobre afetividade, afetividade no trabalho, cultura organizacional e as teorias referentes Ãs transformaÃÃes no trabalho contemporÃneo. A pesquisa sobre afetividade institucional utilizou a abordagem qualitativa e constou de estudos exploratÃrios em base bibliogrÃfica como forma de elaboraÃÃo e validaÃÃo de um modelo de referÃncia de afetividade institucional desenvolvido pela autora. Para a anÃlise dos dados foi utilizou-se o referencial do modelo proposto. Os resultados indicam que a afetividade institucional relaciona-se a desempenho de equipe e cultura organizacional e està associada aos seguintes fatores: atitudes, confianÃa do lÃder e aÃÃo coletiva. / The present search aims to understand the institutional affectivity in two work groups in the a public school hospital in Cearà state. An influent aspect on the decision of the development of the research for the hospital area was the relevance and the grandiosity of the actions done by those organizations, whose organizational culture has as nature the assistance to health and the concern about the practice of teaching. Other determining factors are related to the decisory process of the mentioned organizations which is generally carried out in superior spheres and also related to infrastructures which are characterized by precarization or permanent lack of material resource, inclusive lack of personnel, what demands workersâ bigger endeavor, and it may cause a work overloading. The main theoretical references were the studies on the theories about affectivity, affectivity at work, organizational culture and theories related to changes in contemporary work. In the research on institutional affectivity it was used the qualitative approach and had exploratory studies with bibliographical basis as a form of preparation and validity of a reference model of the Institutional Affectivity developed by the author. To the data analysis, establishing the relations between the two investigated groups, we used part of the referential of the suggested model. The results indicate that the Institutional Affectivity is related to team performance and organizational culture and is associated with the following factors: attitudes, confidence of the leader and collective action.

Today’s fast-paced and global market has added pressure on firm’s to constantly strengthen their competitive advantage. Over the last couple of years, mergers and acquisitions (M&amp;A) have become an increasingly used strategy for firms to acquire resources that cannot be developed internally. However, M&amp;As often fail to achieve the initial purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate two research questions; RQ1: What are the effects on employees in a newly created multicultural team that is the outcome of a merger between two firms? and RQ2: How can managers manage these effects, in order to create a successful team integration?To gain understanding of the phenomena, and their respective connections, qualitative research has been conducted. Through a multiple case study design, and data collection in the form of interviews, empirical data was obtained. In total eight interviews were conducted with individuals originating from different roles and acquired firms. Their experiences and emotions were later analysed through thematic analysis and coding.The findings of this study add an additional layer to the conclusions of previous studies within the area of multicultural team integration, post-acquisition. Well-communicated integration strategies have been deemed important; this study confirms that statement. However, the findings of this study provide evidence that transparency should be considered an important dimension of the communication strategy, in order to increase employee satisfaction.

The academic environment in higher education institutions has changed over the last years due to certain factors, which in turn, have influenced the way in which higher education institutions are governed. This has resulted in a shift in the way management and leadership are approached to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in higher education institutions. The role of teams in the academic environment is crucial to assist the institution in meeting institutional goals and adhering to national educational objectives, which in turn assumes that leadership is a key element in the development of successful teams. However, it is necessary to distinguish between leadership and management as these concepts are not synonyms and have different operational functions. The focus of this study is to ascertain what the leadership role of School Directors in the Faculty of Arts of the Potchefstroom Campus of North-West University (NWU), is in team development. As the NWU is a higher education institution, it is important to place the focus of the study in this context and, therefore, a description is given of the higher education environment in South Africa. Tuckman and Jensen’s (1977) five-stage model of team development is used to ascertain whether the academic teams in the Faculty of Arts are functioning optimally and whether there is, in fact, team development. This model is furthermore important for this study as it ascertains whether the School Director assists and plays an active role in the development of the team. The study furthermore aims to establish whether a transformational or transactional leadership style, or both, is portrayed by School Directors and which of these styles, or a presence of both styles, enhances the leadership role of School Directors in team development. The empirical findings were obtained by means of a qualitative research method. Semi-structured questionnaires were distributed to academics in all five Schools in the Faculty of Arts, as well as to the School Directors and the high return rate of 91% increase the validity of the study. The questionnaires explored and described how the academics, as well as the School Directors, perceived their leadership roles in team development. The findings from the questionnaires indicated that there were instances when the perception of School Directors differed from the perceptions of academics pertaining to the effectiveness of the team and the leadership style portrayed by School Directors. The analysis of the results from the questionnaires indicated that both transactional and transformational leadership styles were portrayed by School Directors, and that effective team development warranted a combination of these two leadership styles. Recommendations were made accordingly and a strategy proposed to enhance the role of School Directors in the development of academic teams. / M Development and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The academic environment in higher education institutions has changed over the last years due to certain factors, which in turn, have influenced the way in which higher education institutions are governed. This has resulted in a shift in the way management and leadership are approached to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in higher education institutions. The role of teams in the academic environment is crucial to assist the institution in meeting institutional goals and adhering to national educational objectives, which in turn assumes that leadership is a key element in the development of successful teams. However, it is necessary to distinguish between leadership and management as these concepts are not synonyms and have different operational functions. The focus of this study is to ascertain what the leadership role of School Directors in the Faculty of Arts of the Potchefstroom Campus of North-West University (NWU), is in team development. As the NWU is a higher education institution, it is important to place the focus of the study in this context and, therefore, a description is given of the higher education environment in South Africa. Tuckman and Jensen’s (1977) five-stage model of team development is used to ascertain whether the academic teams in the Faculty of Arts are functioning optimally and whether there is, in fact, team development. This model is furthermore important for this study as it ascertains whether the School Director assists and plays an active role in the development of the team. The study furthermore aims to establish whether a transformational or transactional leadership style, or both, is portrayed by School Directors and which of these styles, or a presence of both styles, enhances the leadership role of School Directors in team development. The empirical findings were obtained by means of a qualitative research method. Semi-structured questionnaires were distributed to academics in all five Schools in the Faculty of Arts, as well as to the School Directors and the high return rate of 91% increase the validity of the study. The questionnaires explored and described how the academics, as well as the School Directors, perceived their leadership roles in team development. The findings from the questionnaires indicated that there were instances when the perception of School Directors differed from the perceptions of academics pertaining to the effectiveness of the team and the leadership style portrayed by School Directors. The analysis of the results from the questionnaires indicated that both transactional and transformational leadership styles were portrayed by School Directors, and that effective team development warranted a combination of these two leadership styles. Recommendations were made accordingly and a strategy proposed to enhance the role of School Directors in the development of academic teams. / M Development and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

En ständigt föränderlig omgivning, påverkad av globalisering, konkurrens och nya trender fostrar en komplexitet som flertalet forskare hävdar kräva ett ökat fokus på teamarbete (McDonough, 2000; Sheard &amp; Kakabadse, 2002). Därutöver skriver Cannon-Bowers och Bowers (2011) att intresset för team och hur de fungerar vuxit dramatiskt sedan början av 1900-talet. Inte minst tros pressen från en global ekonomi ligga bakom det ökade intresset, tillsammans med behovet av att optimera användandet av team inom organisationer världen över. Trots att teameffektivitet tycks ligga i de flestas intresse, verkar litteraturen på området inte hänga med i omvärldens förändring. Vi anser att diskrepansen mellan teori och praktik ger upphov till barriärer som hindrar utvecklingen av effektiva team. Syftet med denna studie har således varit att öka förståelsen för de barriärer som hindrar utvecklingen av effektiva team inom en svensk verksamhet. Vår studie har en kvalitativ ansats där nio semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med medarbetare från ett team på IKEA of Sweden AB. Våra resultat visar att det finns tydliga barriärer mellan utvecklingen av effektiva team, teorin och praktiken. Med grund i vår undersökning har vi kunnat identifiera de tre följande barriärerna: ledarskap, kommunikation och tillhörighet (LKT). Barriärerna får sina uttryck i olika konsekvenser där den övergripande konsekvensen är förhindrandet av utvecklingen av effektiva team, andra konsekvenser yttrar sig på såväl team- som på individnivå. Vidare har vi funnit att barriärerna (LKT) även kan agera möjliggörare för utvecklingen av effektiva team. Såväl litteraturen som praktiken bör således lägga ett större fokus på att implementera, utveckla och förstärka de tre identifierade faktorerna (LKT). Slutligen anser vi att det behöver utföras mer empiriskt grundad forskning och teoribildning som tar hänsyn till omvärldens förändringar för att finna fler åtgärder för att hantera de identifierade barriärerna. / A constantly changing environment, influenced by globalization, competition and new trends, fosters a complexity that most researchers claim to require an increased focus on teamwork (McDonough, 2000; Sheard &amp; Kakabadse, 2002). In addition, Cannon-Bowers and Bowers (2011) write that the interest in teams and how they function has grown dramatically since the early 1900s. The pressure from a global economy is believed to be a cause of the increased interest, along with the need to optimize the use of teams within organizations worldwide. Although organizations and people are taking an increased interest in team effectiveness it seems as if the literature within the field is not keeping up. We believe that the discrepancy between theory and practice creates barriers that impede the development of effective teams. The purpose of this study has been to increase the understanding of the barriers that prevent the development of effective teams in a Swedish context. Our study is based on a qualitative research method by which nine semi-structured interviews have been carried out together with members from a team at IKEA of Sweden AB. Our results show that there are distinct barriers between the development of effective teams, theory and practice. Based on our research we have been able to identify the following three barriers: leadership, communication and a sense of belonging (LCB). The overall consequence caused by the barriers is the impediment to the development of effective teams, other consequences include effects on teams and individuals of the teams. Furthermore, we have found that the barriers (LCB) could act as facilitators for the development of effective teams. Both literature and practice should thus place a greater emphasis on implementing, developing and strengthening the three identified factors (LCB). Finally, we argue that more empirically based research, that is taking a constantly changing environment into account, has to be carried out. Hopefully that would result in more measures to deal with the identified barriers.

The general aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality traits and team culture, establish whether this relationship changed over time and determine if there were significant differences between the research groups in their personalities and team cultures from a before to an after assessment. The study was conducted on a sample from the South African Police Services and assessments utilising the Basic Traits Inventory (BTI) and the Team Emotional and Social Intelligence survey (TESI) were analysed at the onset and completion of the participants' training. The results indicated a slight relationship between personality and team culture and significant differences were detected from the before to after phases of the study. The findings of the study contribute to an understanding of personality as amenable to a specific occupational setting and of team culture as a more stable variable, which is established early in the team‟s development. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The impact of globalisation and advanced information technology on service and knowledgebased industries in South Africa contributes to these workplaces becoming increasingly virtual. Virtual teams can be seen as a mechanism that organisations could use to increase their orientation for change through enhancing and integrating key organisational resources such as people, space and information technology to deliver greater business value. The findings of several studies suggest that the implementation of virtual teams is associated with benefits such as cost and time saving, increased employee productivity and employee empowerment. There are however salient barriers to effective virtual teamwork that organisations need to address before engaging in the transformational process towards virtual teamwork. The literature review identified ineffective leadership practices, factors relating to virtual team development, inadequate use of information technology and a paucity of social and organisational cultural integration, as the most salient features that impede effective virtual teamwork. The objective of this research was to develop a basic theoretical framework for the implementation of virtual teams. Since virtual teams emanate from a relatively new area of research an inductive methodology, based on a literature review, was used to achieve the research objective. Several theoretical models on virtual teams and their effectiveness thereon were explored to conceptualise the dynamic nature of virtual teams and the requirements for implementing them in the workplace. The results of the study indicated that an emergent approach to change be followed and that the following factors be addressed to determine an organisation's readiness for the implementation of virtual teams, namely: the degree of interdependence between tasks, structural requirements, technological requirements, process redesign and the selection of appropriate people. A methodology for work transformation towards virtual teamwork was suggested based on an integration of these factors. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

The impact of globalisation and advanced information technology on service and knowledgebased industries in South Africa contributes to these workplaces becoming increasingly virtual. Virtual teams can be seen as a mechanism that organisations could use to increase their orientation for change through enhancing and integrating key organisational resources such as people, space and information technology to deliver greater business value. The findings of several studies suggest that the implementation of virtual teams is associated with benefits such as cost and time saving, increased employee productivity and employee empowerment. There are however salient barriers to effective virtual teamwork that organisations need to address before engaging in the transformational process towards virtual teamwork. The literature review identified ineffective leadership practices, factors relating to virtual team development, inadequate use of information technology and a paucity of social and organisational cultural integration, as the most salient features that impede effective virtual teamwork. The objective of this research was to develop a basic theoretical framework for the implementation of virtual teams. Since virtual teams emanate from a relatively new area of research an inductive methodology, based on a literature review, was used to achieve the research objective. Several theoretical models on virtual teams and their effectiveness thereon were explored to conceptualise the dynamic nature of virtual teams and the requirements for implementing them in the workplace. The results of the study indicated that an emergent approach to change be followed and that the following factors be addressed to determine an organisation's readiness for the implementation of virtual teams, namely: the degree of interdependence between tasks, structural requirements, technological requirements, process redesign and the selection of appropriate people. A methodology for work transformation towards virtual teamwork was suggested based on an integration of these factors. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.