From the Savannah to the Corporate Office: The Evolution of Teams

Jose Yong*, Guihyun Park, Matthias Spitzmuller

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Just as social and organizational research has benefited significantly from evolutionary approaches, likewise an understanding of the evolution of teams can advance our knowledge of team formation and functioning. The current paper traces the multilevel emergence of teams as a unique type of group that evolved specially for complex task performance, outlines the evolved mechanisms that enable humans to use teams as a form of adaptive technology, and describes how teams leverage flexible structural adjustments and distinct human motives to tackle a wide range of challenges. We conclude by discussing the implications of this novel framework for team research.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)33-67
JournalSmall Group Research
Volume52
Issue number1
Early online date3 Dec 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Feb 2021
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • evolution
  • multilevel
  • team
  • teamwork
  • group
  • optimal distinctiveness
  • Loose coupling

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'From the Savannah to the Corporate Office: The Evolution of Teams'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this