Re-Centering Teams as Dynamic Multilevel Open Systems: Reflections on the Next Decade of Groups and Teams Research

Abstract

Groups and teams research is at an inflection point. Longstanding assumptions of effectiveness are increasingly strained by the reality that teams are characterized by fluid boundaries, unique members, and dynamic interactions, as well as new technologies and heightened societal stakes. This issue integrates a set of reflections by mid-career scholars to identify common challenges and emerging directions for the next decade of teams research. Across their contributions, multilevel complexity emerged as a unifying theme, which can be considered as structural (e.g., diversity, AI, hierarchies, boundary permeability), temporal (e.g., trajectories, key events, relationships), and epistemic (e.g., measuring multiple time points, experiences, modalities). Overall, the authors are clear that understanding teams as dynamic, multilevel, open systems is no longer optional. Importantly, they also offer a clear path forward. We must collaborate outside our core disciplines, embrace new methods, and reconsider several publication norms. In short, we must use teams to understand teams.