Abstract

IBORRA, María  and  DASI, Àngels. ImproVing Teamwork: Ambidexterity, Behavioral Integration and Cooperative Learning. Innovar [online]. 2012, vol.22, n.45, pp.127-140. ISSN 0121-5051.

The objective of this study is to argue and demonstrate the kind of teamwork future professionals must learn in order to lead companies and how they may do so. Regarding teamwork characteristics that future leaders must learn, this study argues that behavioral integration facilitates greater ambidexterity; in other words, increases the capacity for simultaneous exploration and exploitation of knowledge, efficiency and innovation. The study focuses on the relationship between teaching methodologies used in the classroom and improvements in behavioral integration among professionals when they work as a team. Behavioral integration in a team depends on the quality and quantity of information shared, the collaboration achieved and the extent to which decisions are made jointly. This work defends the positive relationship between the cooperative learning teaching methodology and behavioral integration by students on work teams. Using a study carried out among 327 university students, it is shown that work teams that have used cooperative learning achieve higher levels of behavioral integration. The study is also demonstrated that the behavioral integration behavior of the team members is associated with greater ambidexterity.

Keywords : teamwork; behavioral integration; ambidexterity; cooperative learning.

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