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NTU Management Review Vol. 34 No. 2 Aug. 2024

Team Development Process: Its Nature and Influencing Factors

Jen-Shou Yang, Department of Business Administration, National Yunlin University of Science and
Technology
Li-Ching Tsai, Department of Business Administration, National Yunlin University of Science and
Technology

1. Purpose/Objective

How teams evolve is a topic of concern for researchers, and questions still need to

be answered. This study explores the nature of the team development process and the
multilevel factors that affect the process based on the lifecycle model (e.g., Tuckman and
Jensen, 1977) and the punctuated equilibrium model (e.g., Gersick, 1988). Specifically,
this study intends to answer the following research questions: (1) what factors influence
the development of task and relationship behaviors within a team?; (2) what influencing

factors lead to a nonlinear team development process?; (3) how do task and relationship
development mutually influence each other?; and (4) what factors contribute to the
punctuated equilibrium of team development?

2. Design/Methodology/Approach

We employ the qualitative cross-case comparison method (Eisenhardt, 1989) to
investigate three cross-functional project teams that operated for eight months in a hospital

organization. We obtain data through observation, interview, and document collection,
resulting in 250 hours of observations and interviews. We adopt the grounded theory
analysis process to derive insights from the collected data. The definitions of the four
phases of relationship behavior and task behavior proposed by researchers (Jones and

Bearley, 2001; Tuckman, 1965; Varney, 1989) serve as references for analyzing the team
development phases. Accordingly, team task development encompasses four phases: (1)
orientation, (2) organization, (3) open data flow, and (4) problem-solving. Consequently,
team relationship development consists of four phases: (1) dependency, (2) conflict, (3)

cohesion, and (4) interdependence.

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