Zusammenfassung
Dieser Beitrag fokussiert auf Grenzen in und zwischen Teams, deren Analyse oft mit dem Phänomen der „Diversität“ verknüpft ist. Empirische Befunde zu den Auswirkungen von Diversität bei Teamarbeit sind sehr inkonsistent. Dies hat auch methodische Ursachen. Wir zeigen auf, dass die Erhebung von „Faultlines“ als objektiver Indikator der Teamzusammensetzung eine innovative Möglichkeit darstellt, mehrere Diversitätsattribute (z. B. Alter, Geschlecht, Ethnizität) in einem Maß zu vereinen. Faultlines stellen hypothetische Trennlinien in Teams dar und quantifizieren, wie stark ein Team in homogene Subgruppen bezüglich der betrachteten Merkmale unterteilt ist. Der Beitrag liefert einen Überblick über den aktuellen Stand der Forschung zu Faultlines, die zumeist negative Auswirkungen auf die Teameffektivität haben. Zudem werden Ergebnisse von zwei Studien aus der Automobilproduktion berichtet, in denen Zusammenhänge zwischen Faultlines und der Gesundheit im Team sowie der Teamleistung und Teamidentifikation analysiert werden. Unser Fazit ist, dass die Analyse von objektiv messbaren Faultlines einen wichtigen Fortschritt in der Teamforschung liefert. Darüber hinaus ist allerdings auch die Analyse von subjektiv erlebten Faultlines erforderlich.
Abstract
This report focuses on the divisions within and between teams. Such research is often associated with the phenomenon of “diversity”. Empirical evidence regarding the effects of diversity on teamwork is inconsistent, partly due to methodological limitations. We propose to use the concept of “faultlines” as hypothetical lines that divide teams into homogenous subgroups. Measuring faultlines as an objective indicator of team composition represents an innovative method for integrating several diversity attributes (e. g., age, gender, and ethnicity). We provide an overview of the current research on faultlines and show detrimental effects of faultlines on team performance. Additionally, we present the results of two studies from the automotive industry, focusing on the relation between faultlines and organizational outcomes such as employee health, team performance and team identification. Finally, we conclude that the analysis of objective faultlines offers relevant implications for research and practice. Future research should also consider the role of subjectively experienced faultlines.
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Fritzsche, L., Wach, D., Jungmann, F. et al. Zur Bedeutung von Faultlines als Grenzen bei der Teamarbeit. Gr Interakt Org 48, 127–135 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11612-017-0364-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11612-017-0364-8