Goal attainment, satisfaction and learning from teamwork

Purpose – Businesses have increasingly relied on educators to train students on teamwork skills that are valuable in a highly competitive marketplace. But what are students actually getting from these initiatives? Are they seeing the linkage between teamwork skills and goal accomplishment? Are they developing positive attitudes toward teamwork? What skills are they learning from their teamwork experiences? Design/methodology/approach – This study investigated the relationship between student team member outcomes and the team activities that they engage into achieve these outcomes. Students were surveyed using items developed from a taxonomy of team processes found in the management literature, and measures of goal attainment, satisfaction and learning. Findings – Results show that students derived different outcomes when practicing specific team process activities. Students who engaged in transition and action processes perceived that their goals were accomplished through teamwork. Those who engaged in transition and interpersonal tasks developed a more positive attitude toward teamwork and felt that they learned significantly from their teamwork experience. Research limitations/implications – This study is meant to help educators fine‐tune their understanding of the linkages between teamwork skills and team performance outcomes in student team projects so that they can structure the teamwork experience more effectively. The reader, however, is reminded that the findings were obtained in the context of student team projects. Originality/value – Unlike most of the past research on team processes and outcomes, this study examined which team processes are linked to each of several team performance dimensions.