The Effect of Task Characteristics on Team Norms, Cohesion and Effectiveness of Cross-functional Teams in Hospitals

Hospitals are served by a variety of different specialists and technicians, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical technicians, radiologists, etc. To provide good healthcare services, the management of cross-functional teams is a significant issue in hospitals. Norms are powerful influences in teams, and the existence of norms is necessary for effective team functioning. Team cohesion can have important implications for productivity and effectiveness. For teams, task characteristics are noticeable dimensions, and they affect the relationship between team structure and team effectiveness. Therefore, we explored four main variables (team norms, team cohesion, team effectiveness and task characteristics). In this study of task characteristics, task interdependence, task uncertainty, and task analyzability are mentioned. We measured team effectiveness in terms of performance and satisfaction. This study, using 109 valid questionnaires samples from 20 hospitals in Taiwan. We found that (1) the greater task interdependence, the greater team cohesion and the lower its task performance. (2) the greater team uncertainty, the greater team norms and the lower its task performance. (3) the greater team uncertainty, the greater team norms and the lower its meeting satisfaction.