This literature review was conducted in the process of preparing material for a course on teamwork entitled Building Effective Teams. This Literature Review, together with the Student's Guide and Instructor's Guide were completed in order to fulfill the Directed Study Project (BUS 590) requirement of the MBA program at George Fox College, Newberg, Oregon.

Building Effective Teams is designed to be taught as an undergraduate business course. The text selected for the course is Teamwork: What Must Go Right, What Can Go Wrong Carl E. Larson and Frank M. J. Lafasto (Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, 1989). This 140-page book serves as a guide for understanding team effectiveness. Chapter One is titled "Toward Understanding Teams and Teamwork." Chapter Two, "A Clear, Elevating Goal" explains that setting and meeting goals is an important part of being a team. Chapter Three, "Results-Driven Structure," addresses basic team structures and features. Chapter Four, "Competent Team Members," gives guidelines for selecting team members with the right competencies. Chapter Five, "Unified Commitment," defines commitment and gives instructions for fostering unified commitment. Chapter Six, "Collaborative Climate," shows how trust builds collaboration. Chapter Seven, "Standards of Excellence," explains how standards lead to high-performing teams. Chapter Eight, "External Support and Recognition," tell how the organization must support the team for it to be effective. Chapter Nine, "Principled Leadership," explains that the team should be driven by principles and leaders, not managers. Chapter Nine, "Inside Management Teams," gives an overall view of the book and its implications.

This literature review will introduce the basic concepts of teams and team building, and thereafter will follow the format of Larson and LaFasto's eight characteristics of effective teams.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1: Effective Teamwork: Operational Definitions and Historical Look

I. Overview of Part 1

II. Types of Groups

III. Groups and Work Groups

IV. Teams or Work Teams

V. Current Definitions of Teams

VI. Groups as Contrasted to Teams

VII. Self-Directed Work Teams.

Chapter 2: The Need for Teams

I. Overview of Part 2

II. Benefits from Teamwork

III. The Areas Benefited by Teamwork

Chapter 3: Effective Teams - Factors of Team Effectiveness

I. Historical Look at Team Effectiveness

II. Survey Instruments for the Measurement of Team Effectiveness

III. Barriers to Effective Teamwork

Chapter 4: Team Building and Development

I. What is Team Building?

II. Team Building Stages

III. Process Suggestions for Building Teams

IV. Team Development Stages

V. Struggling Through the Stages

VI. Determination of Team Development Stages through Surveys

Chapter 5: Goals - Effective Team Goals

I. Summary of Larson and LaFasto Chapter 2

II. What Makes Good Goals?

III. Team Oriented Goals

IV. Goal Clarity

V. Compelling Goals

VI. Vision and Mission in Teams

Chapter 6: Results Driven Team Structures - Building Effective Teams

I. Summary of Larson and LaFasto, Chapter 3

II. Team Functions

III. Types of Teams Classified by Team Function

IV. Trust

V. Communications

VI. Reward Structures

VII. Assumptions of Human Nature

Chapter 7: Competent Team Members - Effective Teams

I. Summary of Larson and LaFasto, Chapter 4

II. The Value of Variety in Team Membership

III. Types/Roles of Team Members in Literature

IV. Role Definition/Clarification

Chapter 8: Unified Team Commitment - Effective Teams

I. Summary of Larson and LaFasto Chapter 5

II. Commitment in Literature about Teams.

III. Group Cohesion..

Chapter 9: Team Collaboration

I. Summary of Larson and LaFasto Chapter 6

II. Collaboration in Other Literature

III. Competition

Chapter 10: Team Standards of Excellence

I. Summary of Larson and LaFasto Chapter 7

II. Team Rules and Norms

III. Key Business Indicators3

IV. Standards

Chapter 11: External Team Support and Recognition

I. Summary of Larson and LaFasto Chapter 8

II. Supervisor Resistance to Teamwork

Chapter 12: Principled Leadership - Effective Teams

I. Summary of Larson and LaFasto Chapter 9

II. Summary of Leadership Studies

III. Leadership and Leaders Defined in Literature

IV. Team Leadership Defined

V. The Role of the Leader

VI. Leadership Needs

Chapter 13: Inside Management Teams - Effective Teams

I. Summary of Larson and LaFasto Chapter 107

II. The Most Common Team Problems

III. Commonly Perceived Strengths of Team Leaders

IV. Blind Spots of Team Leaders

V. Differences in Leader - Member Perceptions

VI. Teamwork as Viewed from the Inside

Chapter 14: Training Activities for Teamwork

I. Introduction to Team Training

II. The Benefits from TrainingIII. Training Formats

III. Resources for Team Training Exercises