Groups and Teams
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- 25 Feb 2019
- Research & Ideas
How Gender Stereotypes Kill a Woman’s Self-Confidence
Researchers believe gender stereotypes hold women back in the workplace. Katherine Coffman's research adds a new twist: They can even cause women to question their own abilities. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 27 Dec 2018
- Working Paper Summaries
Team Learning Capabilities: A Meso Model of Sustained Innovation and Superior Firm Performance
In strategic management research, the dynamic capabilities framework enables a “helicopter view” of how firms achieve sustainable competitive advantage. This paper focuses on the critical role of work teams, arguing that managers must leverage the knowledge generated by teams to support innovation and strategic change. It matches types of team learning to innovation activities.
- 28 Feb 2018
- Sharpening Your Skills
Master the Team Meeting
Business meetings aren't always enjoyable, but they are key to moving a team forward. Julia Austin offers tips for making the most of your meeting time. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 29 Jan 2018
- Book
How 'Teaming' Saved 33 Lives in the Chilean Mining Disaster
Teams composed of people from across expertise areas can create solutions beyond what any one agency can deliver, says Amy Edmondson. Just ask several dozen Chilean workers rescued from a mine collapse. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 03 Oct 2017
- Sharpening Your Skills
7 Effective Ways to Lead Teams
Managers of teams require communications skills, organizational capabilities, and a knack for judging how people might work together. Research from Harvard Business School investigates the challenges of team leadership. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 04 May 2017
- Cold Call Podcast
Leading a Team to the Top of Mount Everest
In a podcast, Amy Edmondson describes how students learn about team communication and decision making by making a simulated climb up Mount Everest. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 09 May 2016
- Book
‘Big Teaming,’ Audacious Innovation, and the Uncompleted Dream of a Smart City
How do you organize a project that spans professions, industries, and even nations? A new book by Amy Edmondson and Susan Salter Reynolds describes the approach of 'big teaming' with a case study of a high-profile smart city. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 04 Apr 2016
- Working Paper Summaries
Preparing the Self for Team Entry: How Relational Affirmation Improves Team Performance
Despite their potential to perform at high levels and make decisions that are better than those of individual members, teams are often unable to capitalize on this potential. Two studies show the importance of affirming team members’ self-concept prior to team formation. This can help offset new members’ concerns for social acceptance as they negotiate their identity and expose their unique perspectives to other team members.
- 28 Mar 2016
- Research & Ideas
What's a Boss Worth?
Quite a lot, it turns out. Good bosses can have a multiplier effect that ups everyone’s game, according to new research by Christopher Stanton. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 16 Feb 2016
- Working Paper Summaries
Diversity and Team Performance in a Kenyan Organization
A key question in organizations is whether there is an optimal balance between diversity and sameness within teams of workers. Findings from a field experiment within a nonprofit research organization based in Kenya suggest much of the tradeoff between diversity and sameness may come from the different effects diversity has along different dimensions of organizational structure. Diversity along the organization’s hierarchy improves both effort and performance.
- 13 Jan 2016
- Research & Ideas
The Problem with Productivity of Multi-Ethnic Teams
Ethnically diverse teams can be less productive than more homogenous teams, according to research in Kenya by Vincent Pons. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 10 Sep 2014
- Research & Ideas
Become a Value Creator
Managers who adopt a mindset to create value hold the key to becoming truly successful leaders, says Brian Hall. Closed for comment; 5 Comment(s) posted.
- 16 Dec 2013
- HBS Case
D’O: Making a Michelin-Starred Restaurant Affordable
Under the leadership of Chef Davide Oldani, the Italian restaurant D'O balances Michelin-star-level quality with affordable prices. In the following story and video, Professor Gary Pisano explains how Oldani does it. Open for comment; 10 Comment(s) posted.
- 02 Jan 2013
- What Do You Think?
Should We Rethink the Promise of Teams?
Summing Up: Teams that are properly structured and managed can support innovative thinking that depends on contributions from both extroverts and introverts, according to Professor Jim Heskett's readers. Closed for comment; 24 Comment(s) posted.
- 17 Dec 2012
- Research & Ideas
Teaming in the Twenty-First Century
Today's teams are not well designed for getting work done in the twenty-first century, argues Professor Amy C. Edmondson. One starting point: learn the skill of "teaming." Open for comment; 18 Comment(s) posted.
- 18 Jun 2012
- Research & Ideas
Better by the Bunch: Evaluating Job Candidates in Groups
The key to avoiding gender stereotyping in the hiring process lies in evaluating job candidates as a group, rather than one at a time. So says new research by Iris Bohnet, Alexandra van Geen, and Max H. Bazerman. Open for comment; 6 Comment(s) posted.
- 25 Apr 2012
- Research & Ideas
The Importance of Teaming
Managers need to stop thinking of teams as static groups of individuals who have ample time to practice interacting successfully and efficiently, says Amy Edmondson in her new book, Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy. Closed for comment; 10 Comment(s) posted.
- 04 Oct 2010
- Research & Ideas
Introverts: The Best Leaders for Proactive Employees
Think effective leadership requires gregariousness and charisma? Think again. Introverts can actually be better leaders than extraverts, especially when their employees are naturally proactive, according to Francesca Gino. Closed for comment; 95 Comment(s) posted.
- 27 Sep 2010
- Research & Ideas
Customer Experts Lose Influence When Teams are Pressured
Group dynamics can take a bad turn when a team feels heightened pressure from stakeholders. In this Q&A, HBS professor Heidi K. Gardner explains why performance pressure makes team members do what seems irrational: defer to high-status "generalist" experts while ignoring colleagues close to the client. Key concepts include: Despite mutual respect initially, team dynamics can take a counterproductive turn when the group feels heightened pressure from external and internal stakeholders. When teams experience performance pressure, they usually listen more to high-status "generalist" experts in the group and unintentionally ignore members who know the client organization best. As team members privilege general expertise over customer-specific expertise, they miss out on key information that would improve how they customize and adapt the work for clients—a significant aspect of maintaining ongoing client relationships. Although it is tempting to blame certain individuals when this happens, Gardner's evidence shows that these processes are the responsibility of every team member. Managers can recognize the problem and take concrete steps to avoid it. Ultimately, soliciting everyone's contribution means little unless it is incorporated into the final deliverable for clients. Closed for comment; 0 Comment(s) posted.
How a New Leader Broke Through a Culture of Accuse, Blame, and Criticize
Children’s Hospital & Clinics COO Julie Morath sets out to change the culture by instituting a policy of blameless reporting, which encourages employees to report anything that goes wrong or seems substandard, without fear of reprisal. Professor Amy Edmondson discusses getting an organization into the “High Performance Zone.” Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.