Working in Teams
The Influence of Rhetoric—From Sensemaking to Sadness
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12450240 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Melissa A Parris (0000-0001-8963-7654, Western Sydney University, corresponding author), Margaret H Vickers (Western Sydney University) |
| Year | 2005 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 277-300 |
| Publication date | 2005-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Administrative Theory & Praxis (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1084-1806 • E-ISSN: 1949-0461 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10841806.2005.11029488 |
| OpenAlex | W2123788800 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 16 |
At a time when teams are increasingly and routinely being used in Public Administration (PA) organizations, the prevailing wisdom about teams continues to confirm that teams axiomatically bring increases and improvements in effectiveness, productivity and communication. There has been relatively little critical address of whether these benefits actually accrue, nor what the experience of team members actually is. The PA literature, in particular, remains silent on this important issue. This paper shares findings from an exploratory phenomenological study. Members of teams in organizations were interviewed and asked about their experiences of working in teams. In contrast to the current wisdom, not only did team members not report the anticipated improvements and benefits, their stories tended to highlight the negative influence that the rhetoric surrounding teams might have on individuals. This paper shares the responses of team members to that rhetoric, revealing themes of “Teams, Rhetoric and Sensemaking,” a challenge to the notion of “Teams as One Big Happy Family?” while identifying “Teams as Crucibles of Resignation and Sadness.” These findings indicate the continuing need for further research into understanding the experience of individuals within various team and organizational structures, especially as they operate in PA organizations
Anger · Political science · Public relations · Rhetoric · Sadness · Sensemaking · Sociology · Construction Project Management and Performance · Management and Organizational Studies · Psychology · Public Policy and Administration Research · Social Psychology
Sensemaking in organizations
An empirical test of a new theory of human needs
Rhetoric, Discourse and Argument in Organizational Sense Making
Method slurring
The Tradition and Skill of Interpretive Phenomenology in Studying Health, Illness, and Caring Practices
A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance
Changes in the Methodology of Alienation Research
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered
In Search of Perfect People Teamwork and Team Players in the Scottish Spirits Industry
The social construction of reality
On Work and Alienation
Reducing Resistance to Diversity through Cognitive Dissonance Instruction
Targeted Sampling
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |