Selecting and Composing Cohesive Teams

Abstract

Teams are best positioned for success when certain enabling conditions are in place such as the right mix of individuals. Effective team staffing considers team members' knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) as well as the configuration of team member KSAOs and their relations, called team composition. In practice, however, how to integrate team composition considerations into team staffing to facilitate outcomes such as team cohesion can seem nebulous. The purpose of this chapter is to describe how team member KSAOs and their configurations and relations affect team cohesion, and suggest how this information can inform team staffing. We frame team cohesion as an aspect of team human capital to understand when it may be an important consideration for staffing. We describe multilevel considerations in staffing cohesive teams. We summarize theories that link team composition to team cohesion via interpersonal attraction, a shared team identity, and team task commitment. Finally, we propose a six-step approach for staffing cohesive teams, and describe a few areas for future research.

Using Escape Rooms for Conducting Team Research: Understanding Development, Considerations, and Challenges

“…Input variables can include aspects of individual team members, the team’s composition, the environment, the task, and the surrounding culture of the organization (Ilgen et al, 2005). Input variables differentially affect team interactions and problem solving (Bell & Brown, 2015). Measurement of these variables can give insight into how characteristics of individuals, team structure, task, environment, and organization can affect downstream processes and outcomes.…”

Team Effectiveness among MARA employees

“…Team members should have ability to handle team conflict very well and team works constructively on issues that arise until they are resolved. A leader also must build team relationships that help his or her group to meet their goals and objectives and work as a cohesive team (Bell & Brown, 2015). In order to maintain team relationship, the members must have a good decision making process within the team regarding project matters and care about each other.…”

“…In terms of relationship with group members, team members should have the ability to handle team conflict very well and team works constructively on issues that arise until they are resolved. A leader must also build team relationships that help his or her group to meet their goals and objectives and work as a cohesive team (Bell & Brown, 2015). As suggested by the employees, team relationship is one of the ways to improve team effectiveness.…”

Perception of Cohesion in Interactive Sports Teams

“…Cohesion is one of the four most important motivational mechanisms in a team, together with collective mood or group emotion, collective efficacy, and conflict. Team cohesion is especially important for teams which rely on the communication and coordination of its members, and whose members depend on each other (Bell & Brown, 2015). It leads to increased satisfaction (Widmeyer & Williams, 1991), decreased pre-competition anxiety (Eys, Hardy, Carron, & Beauchamp, 2003), higher perceived performance, viability, and satisfaction (Tekleab, Quigley, & Tesluk 2009), as well as higher perceived self-efficacy (Marcos, Miguel, Oliva, & Calvo, 2010).…”