In preparing to summit a virtual version of Mount Everest, The Invaders have met several times to determine how best to tackle a seemingly insurmountable task. The Invaders is composed of five members from diverse backgrounds, both academically, but also culturally. To prepare for this challenge a code of behaviour and culture, herein referred to as “the code”, was created to ensure that members contribute positively to the team and foster a culture of openness and communication. Creation of this type of code was supported by Gochayat, Giri, and Suar (2017) who found that institutions with a stronger culture often have a higher level of communication and that this communication leads to organizational effectiveness.
The code created was developed to foster a positive environment and culture of open communication within a multicultural group of students who were previously unfamiliar with each other. Each team member presents a unique combination of education and skills ranging from extensive research experience in space science to computer programing as well as healthcare and military leadership training. One notable example of the diversity of the group is that among the five members, a total of six languages are spoken and three countries represented. This diversity has presented both advantages and challenges, such as communication styles (Hunley, Chakrborty & MacDonald, 2018) which has necessitated the development of such a strong culture of openness and trust.
Culture and Values
The Invaders has met multiple times to determine what factors are important to team cohesion and success. During the brainstorming process several central themes emerged. These included the importance of a feeling of trust in all team members, a culture of positive contributions, and respect for the diversity. After careful analysis and discussion, The Invaders determined that the most important values and virtues were teamwork, confidence, fairness, honesty, creativity, perseverance, and a positive attitude. Although many of the virtues listed have some form of overlap, all are distinct and contribute significantly to the overall functioning of The Invaders.
Confidence
Confidence, in the context of The Invaders, exemplifies an understanding of the abilities of each group member and what they contribute, both individually and as a member of the team.
In creating an effective team, it is important that all members trust the work that is completed by the other members. This is especially true in the case of The Invaders due to the diverse backgrounds and personalities that are represented by team members. Fisk (2018) describes a three-part system that is used by many in the United States Air Force Leadership which includes “Trust your team! They will be wrong sometimes, but learn from mistakes” (2018). In an individual context it was crucial that a leader in a highly defined hierarchical organization such as an army would require trust in their team; The Invaders has, so far, followed a pattern of collective decision making. In the case of The Invaders confidence refers, instead, to confidence that each member will perform their tasks to the best of their abilities and the group can trust any work assigned to this member will be done well and on time. Ray and Hendricks
Teamwork
Teamwork is the combined effort put forth by a group of people working collaboratively towards a common goal.
A combined and commonly understood goal is critical for a team to work effectively together. Schmutz, Meirer and Manswer (2019) found that teamwork played a significant role in the outcome of a task, especially in multidisciplinary teams. This teamwork also often has a significant positive effect on not only the satisfaction reported by the team members but also the learning that team members reported from completing the assigned tasks (Hanaysha & Tahir, 2016). Further, Chen and Yu-Jung (2019) found that face to face brainstorming sessions lead to greater creativity and group cohesion which then lead to a positive academic outcome.
Teamwork, in terms of The Invaders, will be measured through qualitative means both during and after the team code are completed and the simulation has concluded. Salas, Grossman, Hughes and Coultas (2015) examined how to measure cohesion of groups and formal teams and found that there is a lack of “precise, . . . practical and innovative measures” (p. 372). A sense of team cohesion will be generated through two main processes. The first is a hybrid method of grade allocation set forth by the course. This system of allowing a single group grade that will be allocated based on individual team performance was highly supported by Pearsall, Christian and Ellis (2010) who found that a hybrid reward system that significantly reduced social loafing within groups and increased positive outcomes by forcing all team members to take some responsibility for their work, but also engendering and understanding that all members must contribute to gain the reward.
Positive Attitude
A positive attitude will be exhibited by all group member towards work assigned, a positive contribution made to all tasks and an effort put forth to have constructive interactions with all group members.
In a group that is focused on a highly dynamic and complicated task such as climbing Mount Everest, behaviour is an indicator of whether the group will succeed. Peñalver, Salanova, Martinez and Schaufeli (2017) found a link between the happiness of a group’s leader and task completion as well as a link between individual group member happiness and the group cohesion, coordination, creative performance and satisfaction. The Invaders will rely heavily on each team member throughout both the preparation for the Mount Everest simulation but also during the simulation itself and the post simulation reflection.
It is critical to the overall success of the team that all members work towards an agreed upon goal and that they contribute according to the best of their abilities. If a team member feels that they are unable to complete a task as assigned, it is expected that they report this in a timely fashion to allow other group members to assist in the completion of the task. It is similarly expected that each team member contributes positively rather than destructively towards the agreed upon goal. Feedback will occur through constant communication. If a member of The Invaders feels that another member is acting in an unacceptable manner, they are expected to broach this with the team member in question or with the group depending on the situation. This will have the effect of ensuring that all members feel that they are supported both as a member of the team and individually and so that the team can continue to function effectively and efficiently.
Fairness
Fairness, in terms of The Invaders means acting in a way that respects the rights and inputs of all team members and acting is such a way to promote unity, goodwill and a sense of equity among team members.
Fairness is a critical criterion for success not only for The Invaders but also for many professional teams (Collins, Mossholder & Taylor, 2012). Through a culture of fairness and attachment to the team members of The Invaders are motivated to act in a way that improves performance of the team as a whole. Given the vast nature of the assigned task, both the vast resources required to effectively create the team code as well as the task of climbing Everest, team participation is crucial. This is supported by Schroeder and Fulton (2016) who found that trust as well as a perception of “voice” in the decision-making process had a significant effect on respect for decisions made by a manager or by a regulatory agency. The Invaders considers this to be incredibly important and through a culture of trust and fairness works to empower all members to speak their mind and make a positive contribution to the team.
Fairness is measured during all meetings through a simple scale. Members are given a chance to have input in all areas and are encouraged to speak their mind when any decision is made. Members will state, as much as possible and where practical will state if they agree, are neutral or disagree with a proposed course of action. This is an adaptation of the traditional five- point Likert Scale. This is used because decisions are often made in a dynamic meeting and require immediate feedback that can be analyzed quickly. Another way that this was operationalized was by not selecting an official leader of the group. Each member is given an opportunity to present their views and their strengths and the member that has the strongest aptitude is selected by a majority vote from the group to complete that role.
Perseverance
When faced with adversity team members will work diligently to effectively overcome challenges, both in their independent work and as a member of the team.
All members of The Invaders are expected to demonstrate perseverance throughout all aspects of their work with the team. In the creation of the code it was evident that the work required could not be completed by a single group member and work was divided initially based on skills possessed by each team member. If for any reason a team member feels that they are unable to complete the assigned work, it is expected that they report this to the group in a timely fashion to request additional assistance or resources as needed. Further, it is expected that the original team member will continue to work on this area of the project in a leading capacity as the current expert in the subject area. It is expected that group members will work diligently to overcome any issues independently before requesting additional assistance from other members of the group. Conversely, a request for support should be made with adequate time remaining before the agreed upon due date such that the task can still be completed with assistance from the group.
The Invaders meets on a regular basis to discuss the current status of all parts of the project as well as next steps. Additionally, the group is in near constant contact with both social media message groups and a widely shared Google Docs document that can be edited by all members of the team. No team member will be penalized for requesting assistance and it is unacceptable for any team member to criticize another for their request. It has been shown that this form of criticism often erodes trust and that this erosion of trust or loss of vision can lead to a significant decrease in efficiency of a team (Kujala, Lehtimäki, & Pučėtaitė, 2016). Testing team members’ adherence to the virtue of perseverance will be multifaceted. If any team member feels that they have been disrespected or unfairly criticized, they are expected to speak directly with the person making this criticism to determine the reason or intention behind what they are saying. Conflicts that cannot be resolved at the individual level are to be elevated to the group and, if necessary, the course professor. Perseverance will also be tested through rolling deadlines set within the team. Team members are expected to submit work regularly for editing. If a team member has not provided a required submission, they will be contacted to determine why.
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