This article presents a comprehensive synthesis and quantitative review of studies examining relationships between team design characteristics and team performance. Across 398 primary studies, the present study meta-analytically investigated the effects of team composition, team task design, and team leadership characteristics on team performance. The study further investigates how the effects of these team design characteristics differ according to the industry context within which the team is embedded (high technology, manufacturing, service, or student). Overall, this review emphasizes the importance of continued inquiries focusing on team design while also discussing the implications of this review for theory, practice, and future research.

We use a convergent parallel mixed methods approach to explore barriers to the successful implementation of a team-based empowerment initiative within the Veterans Health Administration. Although previous research has suggested that leaders often actively obstruct empowerment initiatives, little is known about the reasons behind and effects of such hindering. Using a longitudinal quasi-experimental design, we support a hypothesis that higher-status physician leaders are less successful than lower-status nonphysician leaders in implementing team-based empowerment. In parallel, we analyze qualitative data obtained through interviews conducted during early months of the teambased empowerment initiative to identify common themes for why and how leaders facilitated or obstructed implementation. Leader identity work and leader delegation were identified as themes explaining (1) why higher-status leaders struggled with the new empowering role and (2) how specific leader actions either facilitated or inhibited sharing of tasks and leadership. Results suggest that team-based empowerment creates a status threat for high-status leaders who then struggle to protect their old identity as someone with distinct professional capabilities, which in turn leads to improper delegation behavior. Therefore, in order for team-based empowerment to succeed, leaders may need to change their perceptions of who they are before they will change what they do.

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Participants' explanatory models for osteoporosis are substantively different than clinical models. These differences provide a foundation for exploring the importance of gender to osteoporosis outcomes, a context for making sense of men's bone health behavior, and a clear case for an increase in advocacy and educational efforts for men who have or are at risk for osteoporosis.

GeriPACT is one approach for bringing an interdisciplinary, patient-centric perspective to primary care in a manner that can likely support the higher staffing costs with economies realized from diminished reliance on institutional placement and highly technologic health care. It is a model which can provide training for the next generation of providers and clinicians.

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The comparison of qualitatively and quantitatively derived data reveals the importance of attending to both sex and gender. Qualitative data demonstrate how the meaning of PD symptoms is gendered and illustrate an example of how gender and sex research differ. All narratives reflect the importance of role continuity, but men's put at the forefront appearance and social isolation whereas women's underscore their relational aspects of domestic activities. These data imply that providers must look beyond symptomatology to the gendered saliency of particular somatic phenomena.

In this paper we present results of a mixed methods study conducted to identify barriers to team function among staff implementing patient aligned care teams - the Department of Veterans Affairs' patient centered medical home (PCMH) model. Using a convergent mixed methods design, we administered a standardized survey measure (Team and Individual Role Perception Survey) to assess work role challenge and engagement; and conducted discussion groups to gather context pertaining to role change. We found that the role of primary care providers is highly challenging and did not become less difficult over the initial year of implementation. Unexpectedly over the course of the first year nurse care managers reported a decrease in their perceptions of empowerment and clerical associates reported less skill variety. Qualitative data suggest that more skilled team members fail to delegate and share tasks within their teams. We characterize this interprofessional knowledge factor as an empowerment paradox where team members find it difficult to share tasks in ways that are counter to traditionally structured hierarchical roles. Health care systems seeking to implement PCMH should dedicate resources to facilitating within-team role knowledge and negotiation.