Method
Sample This article reports the results of a laboratory study of 20 work teams. The team members were students in an undergraduate management class at a large univer- sity in the Southwestern United States. The individuals were on average 24.9 years old, and half of them were women. Teams ranged from three to five members with an average size of four. All teams had gender and ethnical diversity represented within their team. The instructor did not choose the team members; instead, teams were allowed to form on a voluntary basis. Throughout 16 weeks, the teams competed against one another in various activities, including the cre- ation, design, and construction of products and ser- vices. The competitions included activities designed by the instructor, which included creating a clothing article; building a novel, model piece of furniture; and designing and building a bridge. The activities also included competitions chosen by the teams, which included writing a children’s story, developing a slo- gan for their university, and creating a music video. All teams took these activities very seriously as they represented a significant proportion of their final course grade. The only role of the instructor during these competitions was to facilitate timing, bring in the necessary materials for each team, and provide a general idea of what the tasks were. The teams were self-managed in that the instructor did not assign roles,provide goals,or provide suggestions about how the team should manage itself, communicate, or inter- act. Each team had complete autonomy in establishing how and to what extent it would meet its goals.