PUTTING THE TEAM INTO TEAMWORK - ALTERNATIVE THEORETICAL CONTRIBUTIONS FOR CONTEMPORARY MANAGEMENT PRACTICE

This paper establishes that teamwork is a function of how team members perceive the team and their role in it. Social identity theory (Hogg & Abrams, 1993; Tajfel & Turner, 1986) and self-categorization theory (Turner, 1987) offer explanations for the cognitive, evaluative, and e motional processes which motivate individuals to join a social group a nd enhance their ability to contribute to the maximum of their ability , which would be desirable for many team tasks. Social identity theory posits that the motivation for thinking, feeling, and thus working as a cohesive unit is socially constructed. Highly productive teamwork r equires that team members recognize the team as a unit and as an attra ctive work arrangement. Fundamental assumptions of contemporary manage ment, and management research, are challenged to integrate social iden tity findings.