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Contribution of cross‐functional teams to the improvement in operational performance

Ricardo Santa (School of Law and Business, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia)
Mario Ferrer (Central Queensland University, North Rockhampton, Australia)
Phil Bretherton (School of Law and Business, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia)
Paul Hyland (The Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia)

Team Performance Management

ISSN: 1352-7592

Article publication date: 15 June 2010

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of cross‐functional teams in the alignment between system effectiveness and operational effectiveness after the implementation of enterprise information systems (EIS). In addition, it aims to explore the contribution of cross‐functional teams to improvement in operational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The research uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, in a two‐stage methodological approach, to investigate the influence of cross‐functional teams on the alignment between system effectiveness and operational effectiveness and the impact of the stated alignment on the improvement in operational performance.

Findings

Initial findings suggest that factors stemming from system effectiveness and the performance objectives stemming from operational effectiveness are important and significantly well correlated factors that promote the alignment between the effectiveness of technological implementation and the effectiveness of operations. In addition, confirmatory factor analysis has been used to find the structural relationships and provide explanations for the stated alignment and the contribution of cross‐functional teams to the improvement in operational performance.

Research limitations/implications

The principal limitation of this study is its small sample size.

Practical implications

Cross‐functional teams have been used by many organisations as a way of involving expertise from different functional areas in the implementation of innovative technologies. An appropriate use of the dimensions that emerged from this research, in the context of cross‐functional teams, will assist organisations to properly utilise cross‐functional teams with the aim of improving operational performance.

Originality/value

The paper presents a new approach to measure the effectiveness of EIS implementation by adding new dimensions to measure it.

Keywords

Citation

Santa, R., Ferrer, M., Bretherton, P. and Hyland, P. (2010), "Contribution of cross‐functional teams to the improvement in operational performance", Team Performance Management, Vol. 16 No. 3/4, pp. 148-168. https://doi.org/10.1108/13527591011053241

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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