Interteam Coordination, Project Commitment, and Teamwork in Multiteam R&D Projects: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Organizations increasingly set up multiteam projects for the development of highly complex products. While team research has emphasized the importance of team-internal processes for smaller scale projects, we know little about collaborative processes (especially between teams) in such large-scale projects. This study utilizes a multi-informant longitudinal research design on a product development project (39 teams, 36 months) in the European automotive industry investigating collaboration between and within teams. The results of the study demonstrate that interteam coordination, project commitment, and teamwork quality as rated by the team members at Time 1 (Month 12; end of concept phase) are significantly correlated to project managers’ ratings of overall team performance at Time 3 (Month 36; end of project). The process variables measured at Time 2 (Month 24; end of design phase) display generally weaker correlations with team performance at Time 3. Multiple regression analyses further detail the effects of collaborative processes within and between teams on different measures of team performance (i.e., overall performance, quality, budget, schedule). The results show that collaborative processes during the project have predictive properties in regard to later team performance and can serve as early warning indicators. Furthermore, the results of this study provide support for our hypotheses predicting positive relationships between interteam coordination, project commitment, and teamwork quality. Theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.

Managing coordination in multiteam systems: integrating micro and macro perspectives

“…For example, large-scale transportation networks, military operations (Goodwin, Essens, & Smith, 2012), emergency responses (DeChurch & Mathieu, 2009), and new product developments (Hoegl, Weinkauf, & Gemuenden, 2004) typically require coordinated actions of two or more teams, each of which have distinct areas of expertise (Mathieu, Marks, & Zaccaro, 2001). These "multiteam systems" bring together "a complex variety of skills, knowledge, and functions" in adaptive structures that are especially suited to managing highly complex environments (Zaccaro, Marks, & DeChurch, 2012: 12).…”

Factors Contributing to Research Team Effectiveness: Testing a Model of Team Effectiveness in an Academic Setting

“…Team commitment was examined using five items developed by Hoegl et al (2004) using a five-point Likert-like scale from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree. This scale assesses how team members positively relate to the overall research project and its objectives (e.g., "Team members of this research team felt fully responsible for achieving the common research goals").…”

“…Committed employees are more likely to be intrinsically satisfied, have positive relationships with co-workers (Mathieu & Zajac, 1990), and make positive contributions to team performance (Aubé & Rousseau, 2005). Hence, the feeling of commitment evokes a sense of duty and willingness to achieve project goals (Hoegl, Weinkauf & Gemuenden, 2004). Moreover, when teams are highly committed to reaching their shared goals, they tend to motivate their fellow team members to build and maintain positive relationships with each other, satisfying rather than frustrating their individual needs (Aubé & Rousseau, 2005).…”

The Relationship between Coordination Mechanisms and Communication Efficiency in Projects Involving Marketing Managers: Quantitative Findings from Moroccan SMEs

“…8, No. 5; Unger, Kock, & Gemünden, 2012), project team (Clark & Wheelwright, 1992;Hoegl, Weinkauf, & Gemuenden, 2004), plan (Sabherwal, 2003;Espinosa, Lerch, & Kraut, 2002), etc. without corroborating the perfect appropriation of these mechanisms to temporary organizational settings.…”