Cognitive divergence and shared mental models in software development project teams

Levesque, Laurie L.; Wilson, Jeanne M.; Wholey, Douglas R.

doi:10.1002/job.87

Cited by 275 publications

(238 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…In a software team, the members are jointly responsible for the end product and must develop shared mental models by negotiating shared understandings about both the teamwork and the task [28]. Project goals, system requirements, project plans, project risks, individual responsibilities, and project status must be visible and understood by all parties involved [21].…”

Section: Teamwork In Agile Development: the Scrum Teammentioning

confidence: 99%

A teamwork model for understanding an agile team: A case study of a Scrum project

Moe

Dingsøyr

Dybå

2010

Information and Software Technology

352

245

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Objective: Most current development methods argue that teams should self-manage. Our objective is thus to provide a better understanding of the nature of self-managing agile teams, and the teamwork challenges that arise when introducing such teams. Method:We conducted extensive fieldwork for nine months in a software development company that introduced Scrum. We focused on the human sensemaking, on how mechanisms of teamwork were understood by the people involved. Results:We describe a project through Dickinson and McIntyre's teamwork model, focusing on the interrelations between essential teamwork components. Problems with team orientation, team leadership and coordination in addition to highly specialized skills and corresponding division of work were important barriers for achieving team effectiveness. Conclusion:Transitioning from individual work to self-managing teams requires a reorientation not only by developers but also by management. This transition takes time and resources, but should not be neglected. In addition to Dickinson and McIntyre's teamwork components, we found trust and shared mental models to be of fundamental importance.

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Section: Teamwork In Agile Development: the Scrum Teammentioning

confidence: 99%

A teamwork model for understanding an agile team: A case study of a Scrum project

Moe

Dingsøyr

Dybå

2010

Information and Software Technology

352

245

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This finding, based on a meta-analysis of 21 effect sizes across 1089 teams, suggests that distributed but compatible knowledge may be more appropriate to the complex task mental model. Distributed task knowledge may in turn imply a stronger need for a shared team model such that all members are minded of "who knows what", particularly insofar as divergence in task knowledge may also correspond with less time spent communicating (see for example, Levesque et al, 2001). Indeed, a recent study described by Hirschfeld et al (2006) found that better mastery of "teamwork knowledge" predicted better team task proficiency among US Air Officers in relation to a complex training task and higher observer ratings of effective teamwork after controlling for the former.…”

Section: Proposition 5 Cognitive States -Shared Cognitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effective self‐regulating teams: a generative psychological approach

Millward

Banks

Riga

2010

Team Performance Management: An International Journal

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe and defend a generative model for understanding effective self‐regulating teams from a distinctively psychological perspective that has implications for both research and practice.Design/methodology/approachThe paper complements Hackman's work on the critical conditions for effecting “self‐regulated” teamwork with an understanding of team psychology, as the basis for evolving a propositional model of effective teamwork.FindingsAssuming various structural pre‐requisites, it is proposed that effective teamwork is generated by a social self‐identification process, upon which there are “emergent states” across affective (commitment, cohesion), motivational (drive to secure and maintain positive self‐esteem), cognitive (shared cognition) and behavioural (intra‐team and inter‐team processes) dimensions.Research limitations/implicationsConsiderations for further testing, conceptual and methodological refinement, are highlighted.Practical implicationsThe model affords clear pragmatic implications for leveraging more effective teamwork in organizational contexts.Originality/valueThe propositional model in the paper integrates and builds on previous thinking into a more generative understanding of effective team work (i.e. what makes teamwork possible and how can this be sustained) that takes into account the importance of context in accounting for team success.

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“…We also acknowledge that we have not attempted to cover concepts relating to shared mental models (e.g. Levesque et al 2001) or team mental models (e.g. Langan-Fox et al 2004) as part of theoretical framework.…”

Section: Toward An Integrated Representations Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Spatial Visualisation Spatial visualisation is described as a type of representation that can be used to solve mechanical problems (Hegarty et al 2003). Shared Mental Model Shared mental models are knowledge structures held by team members that enable task goals and team demands to be met (Cannon-Bowers et al 1993;Levesque et al 2001). …”

Section: Termmentioning

confidence: 99%

Internal representations, external representations and ergonomics: towards a theoretical integration

Richardson

Ball

2009

Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science

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Ergonomics is concerned with how humans interact with systems to perform tasks that achieve goals. This interaction requires thought processes that construct and manipulate mental representations of situations to enable the selection of task-oriented actions having predicted outcomes. The argument for a link between concepts of mental representation and the concerns of ergonomists is a critical theme in the present review, which assesses the current state of knowledge regarding the nature of mental representations and the way in which they are deployed to enable effective system interaction. Other issues that we tackle head on include: (1) the vast range of existing terminology that underpins discussions about representational constructs; (2) the important role of memory in understanding mental representation; and (3) the tight coupling between external and internal representations during task performance. We conclude by proposing a novel, explanatory framework that aims to integrate disparate notions of mental and external representation.

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Cognitive divergence and shared mental models in software development project teams

Cited by 275 publications

References 28 publications

A teamwork model for understanding an agile team: A case study of a Scrum project

A teamwork model for understanding an agile team: A case study of a Scrum project

Effective self‐regulating teams: a generative psychological approach

Internal representations, external representations and ergonomics: towards a theoretical integration

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