Making the Team: A Guide for Managers

An Integrated Model of Successful Team Performance

We think that the best models of teamwork are ones that put the team in the context of the organization—that is, they deal with internal processes of teams as well as the team in the larger context of the organization (see Hackman, 1987, 1990; Hill, 1995). Figure 2-1 is a descriptive-prescriptive model of team performance: It tells us what to expect in terms of team performance and suggests ways to improve the functioning of teams. As promised in chapter 1, the model in Figure 2-1 is based upon empirical research. This chapter steps through each piece of the model.

Figure 2-1. Integrated Model of Teamwork

The message of the model is actually quite simple. It asserts that the context of the team ...