The relationship between team effectiveness and simulated job performance in a high-technology semiconductor company

The semiconductor business in Silicon Valley has always been highly competitive. Companies strive constantly to improve their performance and productivity. One approach to improve performance is based on building a team image that lowers internal competition while generating esprit de corps. This approach was implemented by one medium-sized high-technology company.;A two-day seminar on team building was presented to company employees at four locations in two countries (the United States and Malaysia). The seminar included teamwork in producing a folded paper product (called a boxlot) that was intended to simulate job production. Participants were then tested on their perceptions of their teams' effectiveness, their leaders' effectiveness, and job-simulation activity quantity and quality.;Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients were used to analyze the relationship between perceived team effectiveness and the quantity and quality of job performance. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare differences in job performance between the teams in the United States and Malaysia. Spearman correlations were also used to relate demographic variables to perceived team effectiveness; and to relate job performance and team leader characteristics.;The findings of the study showed positive correlation between three of the five dimensions (Organization, Operation Process, and Interpersonal Relationship) of the team effectiveness measure and the quality of job production for both U.S. and Malaysian teams. Less relationship was shown between team effectiveness and quantity of job production.;Demographic characteristics of sex, education level, and years of experience working in the semiconductor industry were related to perceived team effectiveness, but results differed for U.S. and Malaysian teams.;Leader effectiveness and democratic nature were unrelated to job production quality or quantity for the U.S. teams and negatively related to job quantity for the Malaysian teams.