Is Teamwork Influenced by the U.S. Subculture?

Work teams can be defined as groups that are “composed of individuals who (a) exist to perform organizationally relevant tasks, (b) share one or more common goals, (c) interact socially, (d) exhibit task interdependencies, (e) maintain and manage boundaries, and (f) are embedded in organizational contexts that set boundaries, constrains the tram, and influences exchanges with other units in the broader entity” according to Kozlowski and Bell (200, p. 334). Teams are a dynamic collection in the workplace that are able to undergo developmental changes and reformations in their duration of existence within the workplace. Tuckman’s (1965) Model of Group Development can be seen in “Chapter 12: Team Dynamics and Processes Within Organizations” of Organizational Psychology: A Scientist-Practitioner Approach (3rd ed.). This provides a valuable model due to the important stages of forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning along with the assumption that this process is a continuation and not a consistent and linear process (Jex & Britt, 2014). According to Eby & Dobbins (1997), high levels of collectivism were associated with prior success when working in teams. In a previously reported survey, 82% of United States organizations reported that their employees to some capacity belonged to a team in their work setting (Gordon, 1992). While the United States typically is considered to be an individualist culture, there is a growing section of the literature that supports the ideology that subcultures within the U.S. particularly within Appalachia align with collectivist values more than those who live outside of the region (Gore & Wilburn, 2010). Previous literature distinguishes between the larger United States and the counties that fall within the boundaries of the Appalachian Region. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is frequently referenced in research identifying key differences between Appalachian and non-Appalachian populations in an attempt to identify cultural differences, healthcare inequity and accessibility, and economic disparities throughout the mountain range as it differs from the rest of the United States (Seufert & Carrozza, 2004). The labor market in the Appalachian region yields a complex history of blue-collar occupations and the coal mining industry having a large impact on the Appalachian workforce (Seufert & Carrozza, 2004). There is a focus in the literature on the impact that the coal mining industry had on poverty, employment, and health within this distinct population (Lobao et al., 2016). Within Appalachia, there are three subregions which can be identified as northern, central, and southern regions (Appalachian Region Commission, n.d.). Previous studies have used different subregions of Appalachia to draw a comparison of Appalachian culture to hold collectivist values more so than the larger populations within the United States (Gore & Wilburn, 2010). When considering the similarities in values between collectivist values and Appalachian values, it is then reasonable to consider if this alignment is an influence on the effectiveness of teamwork within the Appalachian workplaces divided into the three subsections of the Appalachian region. Because it has been demonstrated that teamwork is prevalent amongst American workplaces, there is a contrast to be drawn between non-Appalachian and Appalachian workers to consider the efficiency of Appalachian teamwork in the workplace environment influenced by collectivist values.