| In recent years, organizations in the United States have searched for ways to improve their overall effectiveness. No topic has garnered more discussion as an option than that of teams. There are many types of teams being utilized in organizations. However, in the last decade work teams have become one of the most popular. Used in a variety of settings, work teams have been credited with increasing productivity, reducing costs, boosting morale, improving organizational flexibility and a flattening of the organizational structure.;This study examines the effectiveness of engineering and science faculty when work teams are adopted in higher education. Although work teams have been effective in various settings, it is expected that when used in higher education, they will not be effective. This is expected because of the culture of higher education, which emphasizes individual accomplishments rather than team efforts.;Engineering and science faculty members participating in the Foundation Coalition, a National Science Foundation educational reform initiative, surveyed regarding their attitudes toward teamwork. The Team Development Survey (TDS) was used to collect data regarding respondents' attitudes. The TDS instrument uses 18 scales to summarize individual experiences with teamwork. The purpose of this study was to examine engineering and science faculty's attitudes toward teamwork, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of faculty work teams, to prioritize parameters affecting team effectiveness and to determine if there is a difference in perceived team success based on team functionality or concentration.;The results of this study suggest that engineering and science faculty work teams are effective; that there is no difference in effectiveness based on team functionality or concentration; that the following scales when used together have the potential to increase team effectiveness: empowerment, feedback, leadership, mission clarity, rewards, skills, team assessment and team coordination; and that most faculty enjoyed working on teams where the mission and goals were clear, each member contributed equally and conflict was resolved in a happy and honest fashion. |
