Group Development

Group or team development refers to the process by which members of newly formed work teams learn about their teammates, establish their roles and responsibilities, and acquire the task work and teamwork capabilities required to coordinate their effort to perform effectively as a team. Work group development pertains to the team as a whole (i.e., all members are new to the team), distinguishing this process from group socialization, which refers to the assimilation of new members into an existing team with an ongoing history. The amount of time it takes for a team to develop is variable and, although precise time frames are not established, the process is presumed to take longer when the [Page 579]team task entails greater complexity, interdependence, and coordination and less ...