A Conceptual Model For The Development And Assessment Of Teamwork

This article presents a newly developed conceptual model to assist in the development of effective teams; to assess team effectiveness and to measure the growth of individuals working in teams. This model, to be carried out in three phases, will reveal that when individuals have an effective teaming experience the following will occur: a) individually, team members will grow in their understanding of teaming constructs; b) the team as a whole will grow in their understanding of team constructs and c) proper synergy of task and team processes will occur. The model, which examines the essential components in building teams and determining whether or not teams are effective, starts with the assessment of the individual regarding their understanding of teams and their attitude towards teamwork. This assessment begins prior to starting the task and prior to any contact with fellow team members. The next step is the collective assessment of the team with regards to the teams’ attitudes about teaming and the use of teams and the teams’ ability to manage the seven constructs introduced here in the model. The objective of the pre-assessment phase is to provide a starting point to assist in measuring the growth of individuals and the growth of teams. In this model, training and task performance are thought of as treatments and post-assessment is useful in measuring growth after the completion of the task.