Toward a Definition of Teamwork: An Analysis of Critical Team Behaviors

The findings reported here represent a detailed behavioral analysis of data collected from Naval tactical teams. They are part of a continuing effort to document the process involved in Team Evolution and Maturation (TEAM). The primary objectives of this research were to answer the following questions: (1) Do successful teams demonstrate a specific set of behaviors that are related to performance during training? (2) Do more and less effective teams display different types of behaviors during training? (3) Can the behavioral profiles developed by Glickman, et al., (1987; Morgan, et al. 1986) be enhanced by identifying specific behaviors associated with successful performance: (4) What support do the detailed behavioral analyses provide for the previously posited model of Team Evolution and Maturation developed by Morgan, et al., 1986? (5) Can the results of the behavioral analyses be used to develop indicators of a team's potential for success during training: (6) Can teamwork be exhibited by successful teams? (jdw)