Model on Teamwork
Appendix 2
A model of cultural influences on teamwork practice
- a design team case-study
Cristina Chisalita, Gerrit C. van der Veer, Johan F. Hoorn & Mari Carmen Puerta Melguizo Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Contact author:
Cristina Chisalita
Postal address: Faculty of Sciences, Division of Mathematics and Computer Science, Department of Information Management and Software Engineering, Free University, De Boelelaan 1081 A, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
E-mail address: cristina@cs.vu.nl
Fax number: +31204447728
1. Introduction
Jordan (1994) states that the study of the work practices of a group or team can help the design of complex systems. We found out, however, that the literature on this topic is in short supply. One of the few studies is Chuang, Church & Zikie (2001), who also stress the need for more research in this area. This is why we take up the issue of influences of organizational cultural on system design.
Teamwork practice in system design is commonly studied in terms of cognitive factors. Such studies, however, usually limit themselves to the description and explanation of, for example, mental models, communication among team members, or coordination among actions of team members on shared objects. Useful as may be, the present study wishes to widen that scope and look at cognition as related to cultural factors, rules of conduct and behavior that form the organizational parameters in which teamwork practice develops.
We start out by introducing a model of cultural influences on teamwork practice in system design, then confront it with a case on a major high-tech company involved in designing complex systems after which the model is refined. We will discuss the elements of top-down and bottom-up cultural change, and point out several conditions that may favor such a change.
Our final aim is to enrich the general design approach called DUTCH (Design for Users and Tasks from
A model of cultural influences on teamwork practice
- a design team case-study
Cristina Chisalita, Gerrit C. van der Veer, Johan F. Hoorn & Mari Carmen Puerta Melguizo Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Contact author:
Cristina Chisalita
Postal address: Faculty of Sciences, Division of Mathematics and Computer Science, Department of Information Management and Software Engineering, Free University, De Boelelaan 1081 A, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
E-mail address: cristina@cs.vu.nl
Fax number: +31204447728
1. Introduction
Jordan (1994) states that the study of the work practices of a group or team can help the design of complex systems. We found out, however, that the literature on this topic is in short supply. One of the few studies is Chuang, Church & Zikie (2001), who also stress the need for more research in this area. This is why we take up the issue of influences of organizational cultural on system design.
Teamwork practice in system design is commonly studied in terms of cognitive factors. Such studies, however, usually limit themselves to the description and explanation of, for example, mental models, communication among team members, or coordination among actions of team members on shared objects. Useful as may be, the present study wishes to widen that scope and look at cognition as related to cultural factors, rules of conduct and behavior that form the organizational parameters in which teamwork practice develops.
We start out by introducing a model of cultural influences on teamwork practice in system design, then confront it with a case on a major high-tech company involved in designing complex systems after which the model is refined. We will discuss the elements of top-down and bottom-up cultural change, and point out several conditions that may favor such a change.
Our final aim is to enrich the general design approach called DUTCH (Design for Users and Tasks from
References: Chuang, Y-T, Church, R., L. & Zikie, J. (2001). How does organizational culture matter? The role of organizational culture in group diversity processes and performance. Annual Meeting of Academy of Management, Washington, DC. Chirica, S. (1996). Psihologie organizationala. [Organizational Psychology]. Casa de Editura si Consultanta, Cluj-Napoca. Jordan, B. (1996). Ethnographic Workplace Study and CSCW. In: D. Shapiro, M.J. Tauber & R. Traunmuller (Eds.) The Design of Computer Supported Collaborative Work and Groupware System. Elsevier Science. Schein, E.H. (1992). Organizational Culture & Leadership. Jossey-Bass. Trice, H., M. & Beyer, J., M. (1993). The Cultures of Work Organization. Prentice-Hall. Inc. Van der Veer, G.C. & Van Welie, M. (2000). Task based GroupWare design: Putting theory into practice. Proceedings of DIS 2000, New York, United States.