Classic studies Gersick: Time and transition in work teams Perlow: The time famine: Toward a sociology of work time. Zellmer: Interruptive Events and Team Knowledge Acquisitio

1. 15.341 Individuals, Groups, and Organizations
Group Dynamics
Kate Kotenko Lengold

2. Agenda
Three Papers:
1
• Gersick: Time and transition in work teams
2
• Perlow: The time famine: Toward a sociology of work time.
3
• Zellmer: Interruptive Events and Team Knowledge Acquisition
Research Proposal: Lego Game
Q&A and Discussion

3. 1. Gersick:
Time and transition
in work teams

4. 2. STROMING
1. FORMING
4. PERFORMING
3. NORMING
+ ADJOURING
Tuckman, 1965

5. 3. NORMING
Gersick:
Time 2. STROMING
and transition
in work teams
1. FORMING
+ ADJOURING
4. PERFORMING
Tuckman
(1965)
model
traditional
linear model of
group development
(Tuckman, Tubbs, Fisher)

6. Experiment
8 Groups of 3-12 people
Duration: 7 days - 6 months (4 - 25 meetings)
Various Tasks
• Analyze management case
• Design a new bank account
• Plan a one-day management retreat
• Design a new academic institute etc.
External Managers and Supervisors
Deadline

7. Data
Collection
Observation
Transcripts
Audio Tapes

8. Punctuated Equilibrium
PHASE I
• approaches
emerge in the 1st
meeting
• framework stays
until midpoint
• little visible
progress

9. Punctuated Equilibrium
PHASE I MIDPOINT
• approaches
emerge in the 1st
meeting
• framework stays
until midpoint
• little visible
progress
• transitions-paradigmatic
shift
• capitalize on the
gradual learning
they have done
• opportunity to alter
the course of its life
midstream

10. Punctuated Equilibrium
PHASE I MIDPOINT PHASE 2
• approaches
emerge in the 1st
meeting
• framework stays
until midpoint
• little visible
progress
• transitions-paradigmatic
shift
• capitalize on the
gradual learning
they have done
• opportunity to alter
the course of its life
midstream
• second period of
inertial movement
• team experiences
the positive and
negative
consequences of
past choices

11. 2. Perlow:
The Time Famine

12. 9 months development of a color laser printer
software engineering team

13. 9 months
development of a color laser printer
software engineering team
tracking logs performance
observation
interviews
shadowing

14. Questions
How people use their time at work?
Why they do it this way?
Is their way of using time optimal
for them/for their work groups?

15. Findings
time
pressure
crisis
mentality
individual
heroics
vicious work-time
cycle
constant
interruptions
consequences for
individuals &
organisation

16. Quiet
Time
Phases
QUIET INTERACTION QUIET
11 AM 3 PM

17. 47% of engineers indicated that their
performance was
above average

18. 3. Zellmer-Bruhn:
Interruptive Events &
Team Knowledge Acquisition

19. 3 organizations,
sales & service teams
3-21 ppl /team x 158
(avg. 10)
teams
survey of teams
(on-site + mail)
interviews
taped & transcribed

20. interruptions
knowledge transfer effort &
knowledge acquisition
encountering
novelty
structural
change
changing
authority

21. interruptions
knowledge transfer effort &
knowledge acquisition
encountering
novelty
changing
authority
structural
change
strongest positive
influence on acquisition
of new routines

22. EMPIRICAL STUDY
Quiet Time: Influence on
Team Efficiency

23. Research Question:
How does introduction of “quiet time” blocks, when no
interaction between team members is allowed influences
team performance?
Hypothesis:
Groups that have “quiet time” have lower stress levels, and
performance in such teams is higher

24. build a City out of a set of Lego blocks

25. 50 participants
10 teams (5ppl/team)
5 teams 5 teams
can organize their work
the way they want
have 2 x 30 min “quiet time”
blocks of individual work
without any interruptions
build a City out of a set of Lego blocks
survey (stress, on-time
delivery, satisfaction
with results)
complexity
assessment
(number of blocks)
creativity
evaluation
(CAT methodology)

26. THANK YOU!
Let’s discuss now!