The Mouse Game and its Effects on Team Interdependence

Abstract

Some organizational behavior researchers (Morgan et al. 1986) say that the term “team” is reserved for a set of two or more individuals who interact interdependently and adaptively to achieve specified, shared, and valued objectives (p. 3). Some people might say that the most important term in the definition is the adverb, “interdependently”. Without interdependence, individuals would go about their tasks and functions without any collaboration on a common goal or objective, leaving the concept of the team in question and to produce low levels of efficiency and effective-ness. Team interdependence is defined as the way in which the members of the team are linked to one another (Colquitt, Lepine and Wesson, 2009, p. 379). The linkage between the members can be goal-oriented, task-oriented or even reward oriented. However, task interdependence is the most common type of procedure to occur within a team. The Mouse Game helps colleagues and peers understand the different types of task interdependence as well as the importance of team interdependence.