An evaluation of the effectiveness of a teamwork program: a comparative study

• Main Author: Mdunjana, Mandisa
• Other Authors: Thwala, J.D.
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: University of Zululand 2012
• Subjects: Teamwork programs
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10530/1102

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2010. === The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a teamwork program. Two teams were compared from two different contexts. It was hypothesized that individuals who completed teamwork training/ program would exhibit greater teamwork knowledge than would individuals who had not been trained and that the teamwork program would positively influence team performance. The researcher was intrigued by the results of a study, which was conducted in a psychiatric context in 2000 (Thwala, 2001). A program of this nature was worth offering to validate its effectiveness and applicability in different contexts. The study was conducted in the Pietermaritzburg area. A total number of twenty four (24) participants took part in this study. There were nine (9) participants from the Department of Transport team and fifteen (15) from the Sedara College of Agriculture. A Pre-test was offered to each team to check the teams' knowledge about how teams operate. Both teams were offered questionnaires relating to team functioning. The questionnaire served to investigate if the teams had a clear understanding and assimilation of a teambuilding and teamwork training. Both teams were post-tested after the team building exercise was offered to them. The statistical analysis of the results was done and the results indicated that the program was significantly effective in promoting teamwork in both the teams.