If we understand the psychology of teams, we can promote effective and enjoyable teamwork. This understanding comes from a dynamic partnership between researchers, practitioners, and real teams in the workforce. The TeamWork Lab is a group of researchers that works with organizations in the workforce and members of the academic community to unravel the science of teamwork. 

 

ENGINEERING STUDENT PROJECT-TEAMS

For many years, we collaborated with Western's Faculty of Engineering on teamwork research. Our study of first-year engineering student project teams examined, for example, the importance of strong team cohesion and minimal team conflict. The participants were engineering students enrolled in an introductory design class. The students were grouped into teams that worked closely together throughout the year on several projects, culminating with a final project, a prototype that they design.

 

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ASSESSING WHETHER/WHEN TEAM MEMBERS' INDIVIDUAL PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR TEAM "GEL" INTO GROUP VIEWS

Recently, our work, on how quickly group members agree in their perceptions, questions both current theory and how researchers assess this "gelling" process. We suggest it happens much earlier in a team's time together than researchers believed. This may have practical implications for the timing and impact of interventions to reduce conflict and increase cohesion in teams.

 

IMPROVING HOW WE STUDY TEAMS

Our methodological research aims to improve how we study teams, with a focus on the impact of missing data, and how well researchers define and assess key variables.

 

IMPROVING TEAMWORK IN ORGANIZATIONS

Members of our lab are frequently consulted by people from a variety of organizations, in both the private and public sectors, seeking guidance in their efforts to improve team functioning. These experiences often result in long-standing, highly valuable relationships within the community, several of which we are in the process of developing into research partnerships.