Page 126 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Cooperation Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 126
2011; Kozlowski & Ilgen, 2006). The article identifies several factors
that influence team processes. Team design means that teams have
to be designed in accordance with the general institutional (system)
context (Kozlowski & Ilgen, 2006). Team composition and compe-
tencies refer to the fact that ESL team members require adequate
task- and team-related competencies; moreover, the composition of
competencies across members is to be considered as well as the non-
equal influence of members (Mathieu et al., 2014). Leadership exper-
tise should also receive attention (Burke et al., 2006). Finally, team
training has been proven to impact different team-related variables
(e.g. Salas et al., 2008) and thus needs to be embedded in an ESL
team via various training media (e.g. videos and exercises that rep-
licate or simulate the task context). Based on this, the following rec-
ommendations may be emphasised to ensure ESL teams function
effectively: (1) development of members’ task competencies related
to ESL; (2) development of members’ team competencies (i.e. social
and interpersonal knowledge, skills and attitudes); (3) utilisation of
cross-training to improve how well team members know and under-
stand each other’s positions; and (4) keeping the size of the team be-
low 10.
Key words: team design, team composition, team diversity, team
competencies, team size, team training, team leadership
Introduction
Multi-professional teams operating on the local level (in and around
schools) are a grassroots form of cross-sectorial cooperation aimed at tack-
ling ESL (European Commission, 2013). In the present article, we review
scientific theoretical and empirical findings about the micro-level approach
to teams (groups)1 rather than the macro-level approach of cross-sector col-
laboration at the policy (system) level (for a framework of cross-sectoral
collaboration also see Bryson, Crosby, & Stone, 2006; Hood, Logsdon, &
Thompson, 1993). The reason for promulgating the scientific findings on
teams (groups) is twofold: (1) cross-sectoral collaborations show many
characteristics that are common to all groups; and (2) the integration of
the critical concepts from the group literature is missing in the cross-sec-
tor collaboration literature (Hood et al., 1993). Since the body of literature
1 In this article, the terms “team” and “group” are used interchangeably because – as
stated by some researchers (e.g. Cannon-Bowers & Bowers, 2011) – the distinctions
between the terms has neither been consistent nor widely accepted.
126
that influence team processes. Team design means that teams have
to be designed in accordance with the general institutional (system)
context (Kozlowski & Ilgen, 2006). Team composition and compe-
tencies refer to the fact that ESL team members require adequate
task- and team-related competencies; moreover, the composition of
competencies across members is to be considered as well as the non-
equal influence of members (Mathieu et al., 2014). Leadership exper-
tise should also receive attention (Burke et al., 2006). Finally, team
training has been proven to impact different team-related variables
(e.g. Salas et al., 2008) and thus needs to be embedded in an ESL
team via various training media (e.g. videos and exercises that rep-
licate or simulate the task context). Based on this, the following rec-
ommendations may be emphasised to ensure ESL teams function
effectively: (1) development of members’ task competencies related
to ESL; (2) development of members’ team competencies (i.e. social
and interpersonal knowledge, skills and attitudes); (3) utilisation of
cross-training to improve how well team members know and under-
stand each other’s positions; and (4) keeping the size of the team be-
low 10.
Key words: team design, team composition, team diversity, team
competencies, team size, team training, team leadership
Introduction
Multi-professional teams operating on the local level (in and around
schools) are a grassroots form of cross-sectorial cooperation aimed at tack-
ling ESL (European Commission, 2013). In the present article, we review
scientific theoretical and empirical findings about the micro-level approach
to teams (groups)1 rather than the macro-level approach of cross-sector col-
laboration at the policy (system) level (for a framework of cross-sectoral
collaboration also see Bryson, Crosby, & Stone, 2006; Hood, Logsdon, &
Thompson, 1993). The reason for promulgating the scientific findings on
teams (groups) is twofold: (1) cross-sectoral collaborations show many
characteristics that are common to all groups; and (2) the integration of
the critical concepts from the group literature is missing in the cross-sec-
tor collaboration literature (Hood et al., 1993). Since the body of literature
1 In this article, the terms “team” and “group” are used interchangeably because – as
stated by some researchers (e.g. Cannon-Bowers & Bowers, 2011) – the distinctions
between the terms has neither been consistent nor widely accepted.
126
