The importance of team processes for different team types

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent to which team processes vary between team types, as well as the relative importance of these processes for different team types. Design/methodology/approach – A survey study evaluated a sample of 316 members of various work teams that were classified as either intellectual (e.g. executive team) or physical (e.g. production team) teams. Independent samples t ‐tests, paired samples t ‐tests, and confirmatory factor analysis were used to evaluate hypotheses. Findings – Confirmatory analysis indicated transition and action oriented process behaviors were distinct from one another. Intellectual teams were found to value transition processes (planning and strategizing) more highly than physical teams. Intellectual teams also valued transition processes (planning and strategizing), more than action processes (monitoring and coordinating). Research limitations/implications – Research on team processes tends to focus upon a “one size fits all” approach to teamwork, but this approach has yielded inconsistent frameworks. This study provides evidence that these inconsistencies are due to the changing nature of teamwork. This study was limited in that only two broad types of teams and two types of process competencies were assessed. Practical implications – Differences in the importance of certain processes for specific team types should be taken into account when implementing systems for team selection, performance appraisal, and training. Originality/value – This paper provides empirical support for previous theoretical suppositions that different team types differ in the level of importance they place on certain processes.