Teamwork Effectiveness in the Face of Self-Knowledge Regarding the Preferred Team Role in Business Simulation Games

Abstract

The paper describes the results of an experimental comparative study based on two groups of students who were participants of business simulation game courses and were compared in pairs. The aim of the study was to examine the dependency between teamwork effectiveness and up-to-date self-knowledge of team members with respect to their preferred team roles in business simulation course situations. The preferred roles of team members were measured by Belbin''s Self-Perception Inventory at the beginning of the course for every student, but only one group in each pair was given an immediate feedback. The other group of the same pair received the feedback after the course was finished. This group-based composition allowed the authors to proceed with a comparative study of one control group and one test group in each pair. In order to ensure homogeneity of the examined groups in each pair and thus comparability of results, every group was divided into two subgroups. The study presents both qualitative and quantitative results and measures. The qualitative part of the study encompasses a video analysis of participants'' behavior, conducted in every team of the study and performed by trained behavioral judges. The quantitative part of the study focuses on the analysis of team results in business simulation game.