The rhythm of teamwork: Discovering a complex temporal pattern of team processes.

Abstract

Objective: The recurring phase model of team processes suggests the existence of a rhythm of team task accomplishment, which refers to a repeated sequence of transition and action phases over time. Drawing on this model, we provide the first empirical investigation of whether different types of teamwork rhythm emerge, whether the rhythm varies according to the type of task, and whether the rhythm is related to team performance. Method: We observed and videoed student teams (N = 48) working on two different tasks (a creative task and a construction task) in a laboratory setting. Team processes were coded and assigned to transition or action phases using a custom algorithm. The rhythm of teamwork for each team was determined using the four parameters of tempo, regularity of tempo, focus (transition vs. action), and variability of focus. Results: Latent profile analysis revealed three distinct rhythms of teamwork across both tasks: a slow and action-oriented rhythm, a fast and regular rhythm, and a changingfocus rhythm. The results also show that the majority of the teams (63.04%) changed rhythm type between the tasks. Moreover, for the creative task, a changing-focus rhythm was predictive of lower performance (g = 0.25-0.48), whereas for the construction task, no association was found between rhythm and performance. Conclusions: The study provides a methodological procedure for analyzing the rhythm of teamwork and offers some initial insights into the types of teamwork rhythms and their association with type of tasks and levels of performance. Highlights and Implications• We establish a methodological procedure for capturing the rhythm of teamwork, which emerges as a repeated sequence of transition and action phases when teams are working on a task.• Teams do not generally follow a single rhythm of transition and action phases but adapt teamwork rhythm according to the task they are working on.• Teamwork rhythm and team performance seem to be related in creative tasks.• Teams should be made aware of the importance of different rhythms of teamwork and trained to use different rhythms according to the demands of the particular task and situation.

Team Planning: A Process-Oriented Model and Development and Validation of Three Scales

“…Future research should thus include data on the quality of team planning. Furthermore, the quality of a planning process could also be captured and assessed by examining patterns of behavior and interaction (Bales, 1985; Farley et al, 2018; Oldeweme et al, 2021).…”

Planning and performance in teams: A Bayesian meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach

“…included in this review examined temporal aspects of change in team planning. Adopting a temporal lens in research and looking at the duration, frequency, timing, and sequence of planning processes [88,89] would improve the literature substantially. We thus advocate studies with strong designs, such as intensive longitudinal designs [90] involving 20 or more waves of data collection, as this may help to overcome this limitation and provide a better understanding of the team-specific dynamics (cf.…”

Tasks Beyond Taxonomies: A Multidimensional Design Space for Team Tasks

“…For example, participant behaviors -termed the "group process" -are well-studied (Barrick et al 1998, Oldeweme, Konradt, and Brede 2021, Li et al 2018, with extensive reviews of subtopics, such as leadership (Carton 2022), as well as taxonomies on the subject (e.g., Marks, Mathieu, and Zaccaro 2001).…”