The importance of physical proximity for team cohesion–a case study of USA Rugby 7s

Research Question: This paper seeks to contribute to the theoretical understanding of team cohesion in sport. While a robust foundation of research on team cohesion in sport exists, there is a dearth of research examining the role of physical proximity. With physical group exercise temporarily suspended due to COVID-19, herein lies an opportunity to examine team cohesion throughout different stages of physical distancing. Research Methods: A single case mixed method study was employed comprised of semi-structured interviews (19 total) conducted at three different time points (September 2019;March 2020;June 2020) and a baseline/post administration of the GEQ Survey (September 2019 (N = 26);August 2020 (N = 27)). Qualitative data were analysed in NVivo 12, and survey data were analysed via paired t-tests. Results and Findings: Levels of team cohesion remained stable throughout the season and during physical distancing on all three cohesion sub-scales (i.e. ATG-T, GI-S, GI-T). Three qualitative themes emerged: task and collective loyalty, resilience through social cohesion, and digital engagement. Implications: Digital communication can temporarily fill the void of face-to-face interaction but cannot replace it long-term to build team cohesion. Adding physical proximity to the theoretical conceptualization of team cohesion makes the model more contemporary and especially relevant during times of physical distancing (e.g. pandemic, off-season, remote teams). © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Evaluation of an Arts Therapies Approach to Team Development for Non-Acute Healthcare Teams in Low Control and High-Pressure Environments

Where healthcare teams are experiencing substantial and multiple pressures with low team social support, there is evidence of increased depression, anxiety, compassion fatigue and ultimately problems with staff retention and patient care. To address this issue, we co-designed and piloted an arts therapies approach to team development. Medical Research Council (MRC) guidance was used to design a mixed methods evaluation of the programme following the acute phase of COVID-19 pandemic. Two outcome measures were administered, and a qualitative open text survey underwent thematic analysis. We recruited 92 participants for the evaluation;90 completed the open text survey and 42 participants completed the outcome measures. The qualitative analysis produced the following themes: Getting to Know the Team in a Meaningful Way;Creative Expression and Reflection;Communicating and Processing Difficult Feelings and Resistances;More Time For Processing;Practical Problems with Whole Team Engagement;Difficulty Engaging in Creative Exercises;Inclusivity and Equality;Psychological Safety. Quantitative results were significant with indications of changes to team social systems. The results of our study indicate good accessibility, acceptability and effectiveness.

German general practitioners' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and how it affected their patient care: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: General practitioners (GPs) play a significant role in providing medical care to patients affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Little is known about the impact of the pandemic on patient care from the perspective of GPs. OBJECTIVES: To gain insight into GPs' experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on patient care in Germany. METHODS: From August to December 2020, qualitative, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 22 GPs from four randomly selected federal states in Germany. We analysed the data according to Kuckartz's method of content analysis. RESULTS: Five themes emerged: changes in healthcare system, practice routines, patient care, personal life, and improving health crisis preparedness. Communication with authorities and following rapidly changing guidelines were the biggest challenges during the pandemic. Teamwork and collegial exchange in the practice were seen as important sources of support to overcome these barriers. Participants stated that they managed to secure care but expressed concerns about how social distancing might affect the doctor-patient relationship. In their professional and private lives, GPs perceived themselves as role models with a high responsibility for the health of others. Consistent guidance by health authorities and reliable information were raised as necessary for managing patient care in the pandemic. CONCLUSION: Findings show that patient care was successful but GPs' adaptation to unprecedented conditions was limited by poor communication and collaboration with health authorities. Therefore, providing adequate support services by policymakers is essential to strengthen primary care in future health crises.

Communication openness and nosocomial infection reporting: the mediating role of team cohesion.

BACKGROUND: The states of IPC (Infection Prevention and Control) is serious under the COVID-19 pandemic. Nosocomial infection reporting is of great significance to transparent management of IPC in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to explore the relationship between communication openness and nosocomial infection reporting, explore the mediating effect of team cohesion in the two, and provide evidence-based organizational perspective for improving IPC management in the hospitals. METHOD: A questionnaire was used to collect data on communication openness, team cohesion and nosocomial infection reporting in 3512 medical staff from 239 hospitals in Hubei, China. Structural Equation Model (SEM) was conducted to examine the hypothetical model. RESULT: Communication openness was positively related to nosocomial infection reporting (ß = 0.540, p < 0.001), and was positively related to team cohesion (ß = 0.887, p < 0.001). Team cohesion was positively related to nosocomial infection reporting (ß = 0.328, p < 0.001). The partial mediating effect of team cohesion was significant (ß = 0.291, SE = 0.055, 95% CI = [ 0.178,0.392 ]), making up 35.02% of total effect. CONCLUSION: Communication openness was not only positively related to nosocomial infection reporting. Team cohesion can be regarded as a mediator between communication openness and nosocomial infection reporting. It implies that strengthening communication openness and team cohesion is the strategy to promote IPC management from the new organizational perspective.

Challenges negating virtual construction project team performance in the Middle East

Purpose>Over the last couple of decades, many organisations are increasingly adopting virtual team concepts, and construction companies in the Middle East are no exception. Members of a virtual team are geographically scattered and represent a diverse range of cultures. Thus, challenging issues emerge more frequently than in a traditional team. There are challenges associated with space and time as well as high client's demand. Therefore, this study aims to identify and probe the causes of the challenges in virtual project teams in the construction industry of the Middle East.Design/methodology/approach>A list of challenges was derived through a comprehensive review of relevant literature. Questionnaire survey was conducted with professionals who are involved in construction virtual project teams. Further, the factor analysis technique was used to analyse the survey responses.Findings>The results show that the challenges in virtual team arrangement in the Middle East construction industry can be grouped into seven categories, namely, organisational culture, conflict within the team, characteristics of the team members, trust within the team members diversity of the team, communication and training, and cohesion in the team. Understanding of these factors will drive the needed platform to support effective virtual project teams in the Middle East.Originality/value>This study raises the prospect that organisations may establish an environment for team members to achieve higher levels of virtual cooperation by concentrating on these potentially crucial factors. This, in turn, will encourage further innovation and performance within construction organisations.