Handbook of Principles of Organizational Behavior: Indispensable Knowledge for Evidence-Based Management

This chapter proposes the fundamental principle that teams should be composed of individuals who can effectively carry out external boundary activity. It asserts that the external activities of interdependent organization teams are related to their performance. The first mechanism for designing a team that can effectively manage its boundaries is to select people who can represent and have expertise in the diverse functional areas that will contribute to the group's ultimate product. A second tool for managing team boundaries is including individuals on the team who have connections or relationships with others outside the group. A third approach to composing a team that effectively manages its boundaries is configuring team members' roles. Team members should collectively have a mix of strong and weak ties with other individuals. It is important to have individuals on the team who understand the knowledge and resources that may be spread out through the organization.