Rationale and Significance


Although there is a plethora of general information about team formation, team development, and team performance, there is very little information that focuses on team development in projects. Most team effectiveness models are derived from research on non-project teams, and we do not know to what extent a project environment with its focus on time, cost, and customer requirements leads to a different dimension in team formation and maturation. There is widespread belief that the development of effective teams contributes to overall project success. However, the information that is available has, for the most part, not been derived from empirical studies. While much project methodology is derived from experience and scrutiny, rigorous definition and analysis of human variables have often been lacking. This lack has created a tendency to approach teams from a "guru of the month" philosophy. Often the latest trend is applied to a project team, as opposed to a well-designed team development strategy based on research and experience.

Many project management texts ignore the dimension of teams. A larger number of texts cover the topic by relying on traditional group dynamics theory originally based on functional work units. This is a mistake when we realize that many practitioners identify the human aspect (team cohesion, trust, communications, and so on) of project management to be the single most important determinant of project success. (Read some of the success stories of project managers in Laufer and Hoffman, 2000 for examples of this consideration.)

This study was intended to define the possibilities of a more project specific model of team development, to determine the characteristics associated with superior project teams, and to identify specific functions that are associated with leaders of successful project teams. In other words, when a project is starting up, what are the behaviors and actions that a project manager and other project leaders can take to promote effective team development? A final goal of the research was to serve as a catalyst to promote more research and exploration of the dimension of team in the broader context of project performance.




The Frontiers of Project Management Research
The Frontiers of Project Management Research
ISBN: 1880410745
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2002
Pages: 207

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