Page 143 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Cooperation Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 143
theoretical, empirical and practical insight into team cooperation ...
into the factors that shape, leverage or align team processes (part I). As in-
dicated in the first article, the reason for concentrating on a micro-level ap-
proach to multi-professional teams is that many of the findings from the
scientific team literature apply to such teams. Thus, in this article we ex-
amine a large body of theoretical and empirical literature on small groups
and teams to help understand how (multi-professional) teams function in
their daily operation at the grass-roots level and thus help deal with the
challenges.
We begin our review by presenting the conceptual framework for un-
derstanding team processes (including emergent states) and how these re-
late with other elements of team functioning. This is followed by a review
of team processes and emergent states and its relationship with team effec-
tiveness. To help the reader apply these sometimes quite abstract findings
to ESL multi-professional teams, practical insights are provided (marked
in italics).
Methodology
We first c onducted c omputerised l iterature s earches i n e lectronic s ourc-
es (PsycINFO, PsyArticles, ScienceDirect, ABI/INFORM Complete and
Google Scholar) using a variety of relevant key words, e.g. team composi-
tion, team processes, team competencies, team leadership, team conflict,
team performance, team effectiveness, s mall g roup r esearch, g roup d y-
namics, meta-analysis. Second, we examined references cited in other arti-
cles (i.e. ‘backward search’ procedures). Third, we examined relevant chap-
ters in major handbooks of work, organisation and industrial psychology.
The focus was on examining meta-analytical and review articles; this
was complemented by looking at individual empirical studies. Emphasis
was on recent literature published in the last two decades (since 1995). Most
of the reviewed work builds on or integrates previous theoretical and em-
pirical work. The methodology for this article and its predecessor in part I
was common.
Conceptual framework for understanding team processes
Team processes are embedded in the contemporary perspective on teams1
(see Figure 6). In the figure, the focus of our review is explained (in the
1 In this article, the general term ‘team’ is used rather than multi-professional collab-
oration to denote that the aspects presented here are based on the science of teams in
143
into the factors that shape, leverage or align team processes (part I). As in-
dicated in the first article, the reason for concentrating on a micro-level ap-
proach to multi-professional teams is that many of the findings from the
scientific team literature apply to such teams. Thus, in this article we ex-
amine a large body of theoretical and empirical literature on small groups
and teams to help understand how (multi-professional) teams function in
their daily operation at the grass-roots level and thus help deal with the
challenges.
We begin our review by presenting the conceptual framework for un-
derstanding team processes (including emergent states) and how these re-
late with other elements of team functioning. This is followed by a review
of team processes and emergent states and its relationship with team effec-
tiveness. To help the reader apply these sometimes quite abstract findings
to ESL multi-professional teams, practical insights are provided (marked
in italics).
Methodology
We first c onducted c omputerised l iterature s earches i n e lectronic s ourc-
es (PsycINFO, PsyArticles, ScienceDirect, ABI/INFORM Complete and
Google Scholar) using a variety of relevant key words, e.g. team composi-
tion, team processes, team competencies, team leadership, team conflict,
team performance, team effectiveness, s mall g roup r esearch, g roup d y-
namics, meta-analysis. Second, we examined references cited in other arti-
cles (i.e. ‘backward search’ procedures). Third, we examined relevant chap-
ters in major handbooks of work, organisation and industrial psychology.
The focus was on examining meta-analytical and review articles; this
was complemented by looking at individual empirical studies. Emphasis
was on recent literature published in the last two decades (since 1995). Most
of the reviewed work builds on or integrates previous theoretical and em-
pirical work. The methodology for this article and its predecessor in part I
was common.
Conceptual framework for understanding team processes
Team processes are embedded in the contemporary perspective on teams1
(see Figure 6). In the figure, the focus of our review is explained (in the
1 In this article, the general term ‘team’ is used rather than multi-professional collab-
oration to denote that the aspects presented here are based on the science of teams in
143
