Right from the Start: Exploring the Effects of Early Team Events on Subsequent Project Team Development and Performance

2004 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 438-471
Author(s):  
Jeff Ericksen ◽  
Lee Dyer
Keyword(s):  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Team Development ◽  
Work Team ◽  
Sufficient Time ◽  
Team Members ◽  
High Performing ◽  
High Performers ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Inner Resources

This study examines if high- and low-performing project teams differ with respect to how they are mobilized and launched and the effects of their mobilization and launch activities and outputs on subsequent team progress and performance. Comparisons of three high- and three low-performing teams drawn from five major corporations showed that the high performers mobilized relatively quickly, used comprehensive rather than limited mobilization strategies, and conducted participatory rather than programmed launch meetings. This combination of activities produced a constellation of salutary outputs: more time for the teams to do their work, team members with essential task-related competencies and sufficient time to contribute to their projects, and complete rather than partial performance strategies. In turn, the three salutary outputs formed a constellation of key inner resources that propelled the high-performing teams on a virtuous path of reinforcing activities and outputs that, despite difficulties, ultimately led to success, whereas the absence of one or more of these resources led the low-performing teams down a vacuous path of accumulating confusion and inactivity from which they never recovered.

scholarly journals Multiple project team membership and performance: Empirical evidence from engineering project teams

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai-Ying Alice Chan
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Engineering Project ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
And Performance

Individuals are increasingly involved in more than one project team. This implies that an employee has multiple memberships in these project teams simultaneously, a phenomenon known as multiple team membership (MTM). Previous, predominantly theoretical studies have acknowledged the impacts that MTM has on performance but very scarce empirical evidence exists. The aim of this study is to provide empirical support for some of these theoretical claims using data collected from 435 team members in 85 engineering project teams in South Africa. Results show that MTM has an inverted-U shaped relationship with individual performance and a positive linear relationship with team performance. When a person is working in multiple project teams simultaneously, he/she may encounter more diverse sources of ideas across all teams and thus enhances his/her innovative performance. However, as the number of MTM increases, the negative effect of task switching and fragmented attention will negatively impact on individual performance. At the project team level, a large number of MTM in a focal team allows the team members to integrate diverse sources of knowledge and resources into the focal team. This study also found that individuals’ emotional skills and cognitive skills impact on individual performance. It is recommended to programme and project portfolio managers, who often are involve in scheduling of human resources to multiple projects, to acknowledge both the positive and negative impacts of MTM on performance. Moreover, in high MTM situations, project team members with high emotional and cognitive skills should be selected.

scholarly journals Role and impact of social relationships and networks in a software project team environment – a conceptual framework

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Awie Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Software Project ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Project Environment ◽  
It Project ◽  
Research Findings

The establishment of social relationships between information technology (IT) project team members is a phenomenon all IT professionals are exposed to and, in many cases, involved in. Furthermore, these relationships are used by IT project team members for personal as well as professional purposes. The question is what positive or negative contributions do these kinds of relationships have on the project itself? Past studies have placed little focus on these social relationships and networks, and have failed to take cognisance of their importance in the IT project environment. This paper demonstrates that social relationships and networks in the IT project environment play a significant role in project teams and should be managed in such a way that the team members and the project as a whole can benefit from them. A partial grounded theory (GT) research approach was followed. Interpretive patterns from GT enabled inferences to be drawn about the role and impact of social relationships and networks in IT project teams. The research findings provide practical considerations and highlight potential problem areas. A conceptual framework is proposed to support management in decision making and to give them a better understanding of the complexities involved in such relationships.

The Evolution of Coworker Networks

2008 ◽  
pp. 280-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arianna Dal Forno
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Work Team ◽  
Combinatorial Explosion ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Team Selection ◽  
The Social ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Human Experiments ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Selection Agent

When selecting work team members several behavioral components concur. In this chapter we are interested in investigating the effects of these components in terms of team selection, agent aggregation and performance of groups. A computational model, together with a theoretical approach and the results of two human experiments where subjects interact in a similar game, allow us to identify some of the most important determinants. Our results suggest that the occurrence of two factors is crucial: the presence of leaders as aggregators of knowledge and agents being able to expand and improve their higher profit projects. It is particularly evident the threefold role the leaders have. First, they increase the social network of other agents making possible projects otherwise impossible. Second, they state the pace of a balanced growth in terms of social network, while taming the otherwise combinatorial explosion. Finally, they help selecting one of the theoretically possible equilibria.

Transfer of Information and Knowledge in the Project Management

2011 ◽  
pp. 544-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerzy Kisielnicki
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Communication System ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Professional Career ◽  
Final Project ◽  
Project Outcome ◽  
Communication Methods

Success and failure in information technology (IT) projects depend on many factors. Based on the analysis of literature as well as the author’s research and experience, we can build a working hypothesis of a significant influence of the communication system on a final project outcome in the context of: • Communication between the project team and the outside world (users, suppliers, other project teams, etc.) • Communication within a project team In project management literature, communication occupies a significant position (Candle & Yeates, 2003; Maylor, 2003). Most research projects, however, are focused on the analysis of communication between the project team and the outside world while communication within the project team seems to take a second place. From the literature dealing with building effective project teams, research carried out by Mullins (2001) deserves a closer look. Mullins researched the key contradiction within a project team; he discovered that project leaders demand from their team members the willingness to compromise and subordinate while at the same time they promote individualism and want to foster creativity. Chaffe (2001), on the other hand, concluded that most people during their professional career lose both their creativity and individualism and prefer to conform to the existing standards. This is the very reason why some leaders prefer to build their teams from young people knowing that they lack experience. By doing that, they realize they increase the risk of not achieving their goals. Therefore, the IT leaders need to combine these conflicting trends and build the project team to ensure the overall success of the project. Adair (1999) indicates three criteria that need to be taken into consideration when evaluating potential team members: competence, motivation, and personal traits. The subject of this article is to prove the hypothesis that the communication system within the team significantly influences the its effectiveness. The key question that needs to be answered is: what conditions does the project leader need to create in order to maximize the positive and minimize the negative effects of teamwork? While at first glance this hypothesis might seem obvious, detailed analysis does not lead to decisive conclusions. While executing the project, teams could use different communication methods to both define the project tasks as well as evaluate results. The effectiveness of various communication methods can be very different; therefore, we want to prove the hypothesis that:

Selecting the Project Teams’ Members. A Challenging Human Resources Management Process for Laboratory Research

2011 ◽  
Vol 495 ◽  
pp. 159-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangelia N. Markaki ◽  
Damianos P. Sakas ◽  
Theodoros Chadjipantelis
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Management Process ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
The Way

The aim of our paper is to focus on the way a project manager chooses the appropriate members of his team in order to develop hi - technological project for a laboratory research in different sectors (business, hi-technological, financial, societal, political). Our aim is to focus on the differences and the challenges that hi - technological project team members have in laboratory research.

Information systems project team members: factors for high performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Moura ◽  
Caroline Dominguez ◽  
João Varajão
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Design Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
The Individual

PurposeThe main aim of this study is to contribute to the discussion on the factors that can influence the high performance of information systems (IS) project team members, from the individual perspective. This study also allows both IS project team members and their managers to have a thorough picture of high-performing project teams, helping them improve team design, management and performance in today's demanding business environment.Design/methodology/approachTo address the research questions, the authors carried out an exploratory case study of a small-sized holding company and a qualitative analysis of the data.FindingsResults show a set of perceived factors that can influence (facilitate/hinder) the high performance of IS project team members. “Proper reward systems” was the most mentioned facilitating factor. “Negative affectivity” and “Lack of competence” were the two most referred as hindering factors. Most of the perceived factors are classified in the literature as non-technical.Originality/valueBesides being among the very few empirical studies consolidating knowledge on the high performance of IS project team members, this paper extends the authors' previous research (done at the team level) to the individual team member level (as opposed to the team or organizational levels). In spite of IS being a highly technical industry, this study came across mostly human-centered factors transversal to different professionals (IS and non-IS) involved in project teams.

IT outsourcing, knowledge transfer and project transition phases

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-246
Author(s):  
Cynthia Denise McGowan Poole
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Research Software ◽  
Purposeful Sampling ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Opening And Closing

Purpose The purpose of this research was to uncover perceptions of information technology outsourcing (ITO) project leaders and project teams regarding knowledge transfer between client and vendor partners during opening and closing transition phases of ITO projects. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative methods and exploratory case study design were used. Purposeful sampling was used to identify ITO knowledge assets including project team members and organizational documents and artifacts that may provide information regarding the knowledge transfer processes during the transition phases of the ITO project. Sample criteria were ITO project team members from one US-based client organization and the company’s international vendor partners. The study population included project managers, analyst, developers, subject matter experts (SMEs) and other ITO knowledge workers involved in the ITO project from one US-based organization. Interview and document analysis were done using of NVivo Pro 11® research software. Findings Four themes emerged from participant responses relative to the opening and closing phases of ITO projects including KT approaches to plans and processes; KT dependencies relative to IT project team member’s reliance on project tools, processes and artifacts; determinants of KT success or failure relative to project team members’ perceptions; and role of documentation relative to communication and distribution of KT outcomes. Originality/value This research may provide insights into additional aspects of knowledge transfer during ITO transition phases, which may be used by IT leaders and project teams to plan for successful knowledge transfer during the transition phases of ITO projects.

The Influence of Project Commitment and Team Commitment on the Relationship between Trust and Knowledge Sharing in Project Teams

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marte Pettersen Buvik ◽  
Sturle Danielsen Tvedt
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Construction Project ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Team Commitment ◽  
The Relationship

The purpose of the study is to enhance our understanding of the relationship among trust, commitment, and knowledge sharing in project teams. We examine how trust directly and indirectly affects knowledge sharing. We include two different foci of commitment that are highly relevant to project teams: team commitment and project commitment. A mediation analysis is conducted on data from 179 project team members in 31 Norwegian construction project teams. Our results suggest different effects of the two foci of commitment, indicating that, in a project team context, project commitment is more important for knowledge sharing than team commitment.

Systems development project team management: a resource-based view

2004 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-177
Author(s):  
R.G. Perez ◽  
H. Joseph Wen ◽  
Pruthikrai Mahatanankoon
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Sustainable Competitive Advantage ◽  
Resource Based View ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
High Level ◽  
Human Component

This paper presents a resources-based theory perspective of managing a SAP project team in order to realize a sustainable competitive advantage. Resource-based theory suggests that resources which are durable, not easily replicable, and imperfectly mobile can be effectively leveraged by the firm in order to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage over its competitors. The analysis which is presented in this paper suggests that the effective implementation of the SAP system by a firm requires not only an acquisition of a high level of technical expertise, but a change in organizational culture from one which rewards individual brilliance to one which encourages project teams. This will create an environment in which the success of any individual in his job is critically dependent on the skills possessed by the other team members. This will render the human component of the SAP resource imperfectly mobile and increase the capability of the firm to leverage this resource in order to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.

scholarly journals DISTRIBUTED PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS' SOFT SKILLS ASSESSMENT

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (47) ◽  
pp. 53-67
Author(s):  
Natalia Krasnokutska ◽  
Tetiana Osetrova
Keyword(s):  
Soft Skills ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Team Work ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Distributed Teams ◽  
Maturity Level ◽  
Team Members ◽  
New Business

Today, people are suddenly forced to interact remotely due to the pandemic, while companies around the world are beginning to accept the fact that teams don't really have to work in offices to get the expected results. That is why distributed teams are increasingly becoming the norm in various industries, delivering results, and saving corporate resources. At the same time, new realities have not only changed the way companies work but also changed people's thinking to adapt to working in distributed teams. Especially now, the knowledge and skills of employees are intellectual capital for companies, which is fast becoming a new icon of the economic value of the company. Due to this fact, project workers, those who want to succeed in the new business environment, should learn to work effectively in distributed teams. This will require strengthening soft skills such as leadership, commitment, etc. The article considers the economic and social preconditions for distributed project teams trend formation. The literature on the topic of the distributed team’s efficiency was analysed. Thus, one of the factors influencing the team work efficiency related to the soft skills maturity level among distributed project team members was distinguished. The unified list of soft skills based on world experience is determined. The current state and main trends in the work of project teams are studied, based on which the methodological tools for assessing the maturity level of the project team’s soft skills by project managers at the enterprise were proposed. The levels of soft skills maturity, as well as assessment parameters of each of soft skills, are revealed. The practice of applying the unified soft skills list on the example of a distributed team in the Ukrainian company was evaluated, based on which conclusions about the possibility of its use were made.

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