TEAMS IN ACTION: A STUDY OF INTEGRATED PRODUCT TEAMS WITH RESPECT TO THE TEAMING THEORIES OF LARSON AND LAFASTO AND KATZENBACH AND SMITH

摘要

There has been an increase in the use of teams in engineering organizations. Several theories have been proposed to explain team dynamics. This paper examines certain factors which influence the effectiveness of technical teams. Observational data was collected from two competing Senior Mechanical Integrated Product Design Teams, and then analyzed using the eight teaming principles of Larson and LaFasto and the five teaming stages proposed by Katzenbach and Smith. The teams were then ranked with respect to their team performance and a prediction was made, based solely on their teaming development, as to who would win the competition. A separate panel of aerospace experts acting as the customers for the class project determined the winning proposal based on the technical merits of the team's design proposal. Recommendations for engineering managers in how to apply these theories in a practical way have been made based on the conclusions of this study.