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. 2020 Feb;31(1):101378.
doi: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2019.101378. Epub 2020 Jan 14.

Functional Leadership in Interteam Contexts: Understanding 'What' in the Context of Why? Where? When? and Who?

Dorothy R Carter  1 , Kristin L Cullen-Lester  2 , Justin M Jones  1 , Alexandra Gerbasi  3 , Donna Chrobot-Mason  4 , Eun Young Nae  2
Affiliations

Functional Leadership in Interteam Contexts: Understanding 'What' in the Context of Why? Where? When? and Who?

Dorothy R Carter et al. Leadersh Q. 2020 Feb.

Abstract

Research on team leadership has primarily focused on leadership processes targeted within teams, in support of team objectives. Yet, teams are open systems that interact with other teams to achieve proximal as well as distal goals. This review clarifies that defining 'what' constitutes functionally effective leadership in interteam contexts requires greater precision with regard to where (within teams, across teams) and why (team goals, system goals) leadership processes are enacted, as well as greater consideration of when and among whom leadership processes arise. We begin by synthesizing findings from empirical studies published over the past 30 years that shed light on questions of what, where, why, when, and who related to interteam leadership and end by providing three overarching recommendations for how research should proceed in order to provide a more comprehensive picture of leadership in interteam contexts.

Keywords: boundary spanning; group social capital; intergroup relations; leadership; multiteam systems.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Multi-level View of Functional Leadership in Interdependent Systems
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
An Organizing Framework for Studies of Functional Leadership in Interteam Contexts Note. Shaded boxes are the focus of the current review.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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