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Background Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) use multidisciplinary teams to investigate and respond to maltreatment allegations. CACs play a critical role in connecting children with mental health needs to evidence-based mental health treatment, especially in low-resourced rural areas. Standardized mental health screening and referral protocols can improve CACs’ capacity to identify children with mental health needs and encourage treatment engagement. In the team-based context of CACs, teamwork quality is likely to influence implementation processes and outcomes. Implementation strategies that target teams and apply the science of team effectiveness may enhance implementation outcomes in team-based settings. Methods We will use Implementation Mapping to develop team-focused implementation strategies to support the implementation of the Care Process Model for Pediatric Traumatic Stress (CPM-PTS), a standardized screening and referral protocol. Team-focused strategies will integrate activities from effective team development interventions. We will pilot team-focused implementation in a cluster-randomized hybrid type 2 effectiveness-implementation trial. Four rural CACs will implement the CPM-PTS after being randomized to either team-focused implementation (n = 2 CACs) or standard implementation (n = 2 CACs). We will assess the feasibility of team-focused implementation and explore between-group differences in hypothesized team-level mechanisms of change and implementation outcomes (implementation aim). We will use a within-group pre-post design to test the effectiveness of the CPM-PTS in increasing caregivers’ understanding of their child’s mental health needs and caregivers’ intentions to initiate mental health services (effectiveness aim). Conclusions Targeting multidisciplinary teams is an innovative approach to improving implementation outcomes. This study will be one of the first to test team-focused implementation strategies that integrate effective team development interventions. Results will inform efforts to implement evidence-based practices in team-based service settings. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05679154. Registered on January 10, 2023.

Purpose Teams play a central role in the implementation of new practices in settings providing team-based care. However, the implementation science literature has paid little attention to potentially important team-level constructs. Aspects of teamwork, including team interdependence, team functioning, and team performance, may affect implementation processes and outcomes. This cross-sectional study tests associations between teamwork and implementation antecedents and outcomes in a statewide initiative to implement a standardized mental health screening/referral protocol in Child Advocacy Centers (CACs). Methods Multidisciplinary team members (N = 433) from 21 CACs completed measures of team interdependence; affective, behavioral, and cognitive team functioning; and team performance. Team members also rated the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of the screening/referral protocol and implementation climate. The implementation outcomes of days to adoption and reach were independently assessed with administrative data. Associations between team constructs and implementation antecedents and outcomes were tested with linear mixed models and regression analyses. Results Team task interdependence was positively associated with implementation climate and reach, and outcome interdependence was negatively correlated with days to adoption. Task and outcome interdependence were not associated with acceptability, appropriateness, or feasibility of the screening/referral protocol. Affective team functioning (i.e., greater liking, trust, and respect) was associated with greater acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility. Behavioral and cognitive team functioning were not associated with any implementation outcomes in multivariable models. Team performance was positively associated with acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and implementation climate; performance was not associated with days to adoption or reach. Conclusions We found associations of team interdependence, functioning, and performance with both individual- and center-level implementation outcomes. Implementation strategies targeting teamwork, especially task interdependence, affective functioning, and performance, may contribute to improving implementation outcomes in team-based service settings.

PurposeThis paper aims to add to the current knowledge about conflict management by examining the relationships between conflict type, conflict expression intensity and the use of the conflict management approach.Design/methodology/approachThe authors test theory-based hypotheses using a field study of new product development teams in an interdisciplinary Masters program (Study 1) and an experimental vignette study (Study 2).FindingsResults show that people are more likely to respond to task conflict and conflicts expressed with less intensity using collectivistic conflict management approaches (i.e. problem-solving, compromising and yielding), and to relationship conflicts and conflicts expressed with higher intensity through forcing, an individualistic conflict management approach. Information acquisition and negative emotions experienced by team members mediate these relationships.Practical implicationsKnowing how the characteristics of the conflict (type and expression intensity) affect conflict management, managers can counteract the tendency to use dysfunctional, forcing conflict management approaches in response to high intensity conflicts, as well as to relationship conflicts and support the tendency to use collectivistic conflict management approaches in response to low intensity conflict, as well as task conflicts.Originality/valueThe authors examine an alternative to the prevailing view that conflict management serves as a moderator of the relationship between conflict and team outcomes. The research shows that conflict type and intensity of conflict expression influence the conflict management approach as a result of the information and emotion they evoke. The authors open avenues for future research on the complex and intriguing relationships between conflict characteristics and the conflict management approach.

The quality of teamwork in Child Advocacy Center (CAC) multidisciplinary teams is likely to affect the extent to which the CAC model improves outcomes for children and families. This study examines associations between team functioning and performance in a statewide sample of CAC teams. Multidisciplinary team members ( N = 433) from 21 CACs completed measures of affective, behavioral, and cognitive team functioning. Team performance was assessed with three measures: team member ratings of overall performance, ratings of mental health screening/referral frequency, and caregiver satisfaction surveys. Linear mixed models and regression analyses tested associations between team functioning and performance. Affective team functioning (i.e., liking, trust, and respect; psychological safety) and cognitive team functioning (i.e., clear direction) were significantly associated with team members’ ratings of overall performance. Behavioral team functioning (i.e., coordination) and cognitive team functioning were significantly associated with mental health screening/referral frequency. Team functioning was not associated with caregiver satisfaction with CAC services. Aspects of team functioning were associated with team members’ perceptions of overall performance and mental health screening/referral frequency, but not caregiver satisfaction. Understanding associations between team functioning and performance in multidisciplinary teams can inform efforts to improve service quality in CACs and other team-based service settings.

Rationale: Psychological safety is the condition by which members of an organization feel safe to voice concerns and take risks. Although psychological safety is an important determinant of team performance, little is known about its role in the intensive care unit (ICU). Objectives: To identify the factors associated with psychological safety and the potential influence of psychological safety on team performance in critical care. Methods: We performed daily surveys of healthcare providers in 12 ICUs within an integrated health system over a 2-week period. Survey domains included psychological safety, leader familiarity, leader inclusiveness, role clarity, job strain, and teamwork. These data were linked to daily performance on lung-protective ventilation and spontaneous breathing trials. We used regression models to examine the antecedents of psychological safety as well as the influence of psychological safety on both perceived teamwork and actual performance. Results: We received 553 responses from 270 unique providers. At the individual provider level, higher leader inclusiveness (adjusted β = 0.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24 to 0.41) and lower job strain (adjusted β = −0.07, 95% CI, −0.13 to −0.02) were independently associated with greater psychological safety. Higher psychological safety was independently associated with greater perception of teamwork (adjusted β = 0.30; 95% CI, 0.25 to 0.36). There was no association between team psychological safety and performance on either spontaneous breathing trials (incident rate ratio for each 1-unit change in team psychological safety, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.81 to 1.10) or lung-protective ventilation (incident rate ratio, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.57 to 1.04). Conclusions: Psychological safety is associated with several modifiable factors in the ICU but is not associated with actual use of evidence-based practices.

Background Healthcare and human services increasingly rely on teams of individuals to deliver services. Implementation of evidence-based practices and other innovations in these settings requires teams to work together to change processes and behaviors. Accordingly, team functioning may be a key determinant of implementation outcomes. This systematic review will identify and summarize empirical research examining associations between team functioning and implementation outcomes in healthcare and human service settings. Methods We will conduct a comprehensive search of bibliographic databases (e.g., MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC) for articles published from January 2000 or later. We will include peer-reviewed empirical articles and conference abstracts using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. We will include experimental or observational studies that report on the implementation of an innovation in a healthcare or human service setting and examine associations between team functioning and implementation outcomes. Implementation outcomes of interest are acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, cost, feasibility, fidelity, penetration, and sustainability. Two reviewers will independently screen all titles/abstracts, review full-text articles, and extract data from included articles. We will use the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool to assess methodological quality/bias and conduct a narrative synthesis without meta-analysis. Discussion Understanding how team functioning influences implementation outcomes will contribute to our understanding of team-level barriers and facilitators of change. The results of this systematic review will inform efforts to implement evidence-based practices in team-based service settings. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42020220168

Individualized work arrangements (“i-deals”) negotiated by employees are increasingly common in contemporary employment. Existing research largely focuses on phenomena emerging after the creation of i-deals, particularly their consequences for employees and organizations. This focus overlooks the fundamental processes associated with negotiating i-deals in the first place. I-deals research originating in the last two decades can benefit from the more advanced body of research on negotiations, particularly in its attention to negotiation preparation and the bargaining process. We examine how negotiation research and theory inform our understanding of the dynamics operating in the creation of i-deals. In doing so, we identify key features of negotiation research that apply to i-deal formulation and use these to develop an agenda for future research on i-deals.

Mixed-motive negotiations are strategically, socially, and motivationally complex. Theorists argue that multiparty negotiations exacerbate these complexities leading to inefficient outcomes. In contrast, we propose that multiparty negotiators respond to the complexities of their negotiation context by using strategy differently than dyadic negotiators and that one reason why is that they arrive at the negotiation table with weaker fixed pie perceptions than dyadic negotiators. Results across three studies showed that multiparty negotiators had weaker fixed pie perceptions compared to dyadic negotiators. Multiparty negotiators also engaged in more integrative strategic behavior and used more complex complementary and structural sequences of behavior than dyadic negotiators. These differences in use of strategy helped multiparty negotiators achieve Pareto efficient outcomes equal to those of dyads. To obtain a conservative estimate of the effect size of context on fixed pie perceptions, we conducted an internal meta-analysis of our file drawer.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of enriched group work design and objective and perceived expertise diversity in interdisciplinary research groups with a focus on two critical group processes: task conflict and idea sharing. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 148 researchers and their advisors in 29 research labs at two doctorate-granting universities. The study tested the hypothesized model using hierarchical ordinary least squares regression and hierarchical linear modeling. Findings Results showed that objective and perceived (salient) expertise diversity jointly influenced task conflict. In addition, whether task conflict had a positive or negative impact on idea sharing depended on group work design enrichment and expertise diversity salience. Idea sharing improved group outcomes over and above the effects of task conflict. Research limitations/implications Although this study could not test the causal relationships owing to a cross-sectional nature of data, it provides theoretical implications for the group work design, diversity and conflict literature. Practical implications Group work design represents an important tool for stimulating idea sharing in research groups. The findings suggest that managers should consider and manage the level of expertise diversity salience and the level of task conflict to increase the effectiveness of group work design. Originality/value The study provides insights on when task conflict may help creative groups. Work design and diversity salience represent important contextual features. The paper also examines both the objective and perceived diversity and disentangles task conflict and idea sharing.

Intensive care units (ICUs) provide care to the most severely ill hospitalized patients. Although ICUs increasingly rely on interprofessional teams to provide critical care, little about actual teamwork in this context is well understood. The ICU team is typically comprised of physicians or intensivists, clinical pharmacists, respiratory therapists, dieticians, bedside nurses, clinical psychologists, and clinicians-in-training. ICU teams are distinguished from other health care teams in that they are low in temporal stability, which can impede important team dynamics. Furthermore, ICU teams must work in physically and emotionally challenging environments. Our review of the literature reveals the importance of information sharing and decision-making processes, and identifies potential barriers to successful team performance, including the lack of effective conflict management and the presence of multiple and sometimes conflicting goals. Key knowledge gaps about ICU teams include the need for more actionable data linking ICU team structure to team functioning and patient-, family-, ICU-, and hospital-level outcomes. In particular, research is needed to better delineate and define the ICU team, identify additional psychosocial phenomena that impact ICU team performance, and address varying and often competing indicators of ICU team effectiveness as a multivariate and multilevel problem that requires better understanding of the independent effects and interdependencies between nested elements (i.e., hospitals, ICUs, and ICU teams). Ultimately, efforts to advance team-based care are essential for improving ICU performance, but more work is needed to develop actionable interventions that ensure that critically ill patients receive the best care possible. (PsycINFO Database Record

We examine an alternative to the prevailing view of conflict management as an exogenous factor (a moderator) that influences the relationship between conflict type and team outcomes. Our research s...

In this study, the authors determined the effect of a structured Internet-delivered Mantram Repetition Program (MRP) on burnout and stress of conscience (SOC), stress related to ambiguity from ethical or moral conflicts among health care workers (HCWs) within the Veteran Affairs (VA) Healthcare System. A secondary purpose was to determine whether practicing meditation prior to the study combined with MRP affected burnout or SOC. The MRP teaches the mindful practices of repeating a mantram, slowing down, and one-pointed attention for managing stress. Thirty-nine HCW volunteers who provided direct patient care completed the Internet-delivered MRP. The outcomes of burnout (i.e., exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy) and SOC (i.e., frequency of stressful events and troubled conscience about those events) were measured at baseline (T1), postintervention (T2), and 3-months postintervention (T3). Repeated measures ANOVA indicated that exhaustion significantly ( p < .05) declined between T1 and T3; professional efficacy and cynicism did not change during the study. The same statistical model also indicated the frequency of stressful events significantly declined between T1 and T2 and troubled conscience declined between T1 and T3. Secondary analysis demonstrated that individuals who did not practice meditation at baseline ( n = 16, 41%) significantly decreased exhaustion, frequency of stressful events, and troubled conscience between T1 and T3, and improved professional efficacy between T1 and T2. Individuals who practiced meditation at baseline ( n = 23, 59%) did not demonstrate significant change on any study outcomes. An MRP intervention may reduce burnout and SOC in those individuals who are naïve to practicing meditation.

Gender differences in task allocations may sustain vertical gender segregation in labor markets. We examine the allocation of a task that everyone prefers be completed by someone else (writing a report, serving on a committee, etc.) and find evidence that women, more than men, volunteer, are asked to volunteer, and accept requests to volunteer for such tasks. Beliefs that women, more than men, say yes to tasks with low promotability appear as an important driver of these differences. If women hold tasks that are less promotable than those held by men, then women will progress more slowly in organizations. (JEL I23, J16, J44, J71, M12, M51)

Often, the senders and receivers of scientific communication have different knowledge bases. While such communication is essential for solving the complex social and technological problems that affect multiple stakeholders, a diversity of knowledge among communicators can create representational gaps (rGaps). rGaps occur when senders make assumptions that receivers do not, creating conflict over the meaning and value of the information communicated. Such conflict could, if managed, promote learning and innovation as communicators reconcile their assumptions. More often, however, rGaps cause conflict to transform from a debate that informs to an argument that divides. Managing rGap conflict so that it does not degrade communication requires relationship building to mitigate the negative by-products of persistent conflict while maintaining appropriate levels of cognitive distinctiveness among diverse stakeholders. Thus, we provide a framework for identifying and leveraging rGaps through managed conflict so that communication between those with different perspectives builds rather than burns bridges.

Summary This study compares negotiation strategy and outcomes in countries illustrating dignity, face, and honor cultures. Hypotheses predict cultural differences in negotiators' aspirations, use of strategy, and outcomes based on the implications of differences in self-worth and social structures in dignity, face, and honor cultures. Data were from a face-to-face negotiation simulation; participants were intra-cultural samples from the USA (dignity), China (face), and Qatar (honor). The empirical results provide strong evidence for the predictions concerning the reliance on more competitive negotiation strategies in honor and face cultures relative to dignity cultures in this context of negotiating a new business relationship. The study makes two important theoretical contributions. First, it proposes how and why people in a previously understudied part of the world, that is, the Middle East, use negotiation strategy. Second, it addresses a conundrum in the East Asian literature on negotiation: the theory and research that emphasize the norms of harmony and cooperation in social interaction versus empirical evidence that negotiations in East Asia are highly competitive. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The session includes four research presentations that address the role of personality, gender, and other individual differences in negotiation and conflict contexts. The papers adopt different yet ...

Because two-thirds of patients with Major Depressive Disorder do not achieve remission with their first antidepressant, we designed a trial of three "next-step" strategies: switching to another antidepressant (bupropion-SR) or augmenting the current antidepressant with either another antidepressant (bupropion-SR) or with an atypical antipsychotic (aripiprazole). The study will compare 12-week remission rates and, among those who have at least a partial response, relapse rates for up to 6 months of additional treatment. We review seven key efficacy/effectiveness design decisions in this mixed "efficacy-effectiveness" trial.

Conflicts in the workplace have been characterized by their type (task, process, relationship), but little attention has been paid to how conflicts are expressed. We present a conceptual framework of conflict expression and argue that understanding how conflicts are expressed can help us gain new insights about the effects of conflict. We propose that conflict expressions vary in their directness and oppositional intensity and that these differences directly influence how people experience and react to conflict, resulting in dynamic escalatory or de-escalatory conflict spirals. We argue that directness of conflict expression is a function of the ambiguity of expression and who is involved (antagonists versus involving other people). Oppositional intensity of conflict expression is indicated by the communicated entrenchment in positions and subversiveness of actions. We argue that while oppositional intensity and directness are universal dimensions characterizing conflict expression, the cultural context and characteristics of the disputants will influence how conflict is expressed and perceived. We consider the implications of our conceptual framework for related research examining conflict.

Importance Less than one-third of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) achieve remission with their first antidepressant. Objective To determine the relative effectiveness and safety of 3 common alternate treatments for MDD. Design, Setting, and Participants From December 2012 to May 2015, 1522 patients at 35 US Veterans Health Administration medical centers who were diagnosed with nonpsychotic MDD, unresponsive to at least 1 antidepressant course meeting minimal standards for treatment dose and duration, participated in the study. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to 1 of 3 treatments and evaluated for up to 36 weeks. Interventions Switch to a different antidepressant, bupropion (switch group, n = 511); augment current treatment with bupropion (augment-bupropion group, n = 506); or augment with an atypical antipsychotic, aripiprazole (augment-aripiprazole group, n = 505) for 12 weeks (acute treatment phase) and up to 36 weeks for longer-term follow-up (continuation phase). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was remission during the acute treatment phase (16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Clinician Rated [QIDS-C 16 ] score ≤5 at 2 consecutive visits). Secondary outcomes included response (≥50% reduction in QIDS-C 16 score or improvement on the Clinical Global Impression Improvement scale), relapse, and adverse effects. Results Among 1522 randomized patients (mean age, 54.4 years; men, 1296 [85.2%]), 1137 (74.7%) completed the acute treatment phase. Remission rates at 12 weeks were 22.3% (n = 114) for the switch group, 26.9% (n = 136)for the augment-bupropion group, and 28.9% (n = 146) for the augment-aripiprazole group. The augment-aripiprazole group exceeded the switch group in remission (relative risk [RR], 1.30 [95% CI, 1.05-1.60]; P = .02), but other remission comparisons were not significant. Response was greater for the augment-aripiprazole group (74.3%) than for either the switch group (62.4%; RR, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.09-1.29]) or the augment-bupropion group (65.6%; RR, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.04-1.23]). No significant treatment differences were observed for relapse. Anxiety was more frequent in the 2 bupropion groups (24.3% in the switch group [n = 124] vs 16.6% in the augment-aripiprazole group [n = 84]; and 22.5% in augment-bupropion group [n = 114]). Adverse effects more frequent in the augment-aripiprazole group included somnolence, akathisia, and weight gain. Conclusions and Relevance Among a predominantly male population with major depressive disorder unresponsive to antidepressant treatment, augmentation with aripiprazole resulted in a statistically significant but only modestly increased likelihood of remission during 12 weeks of treatment compared with switching to bupropion monotherapy. Given the small effect size and adverse effects associated with aripiprazole, further analysis including cost-effectiveness is needed to understand the net utility of this approach. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01421342

Conflict research has shown that managing relationship conflict via avoidance is beneficial for team performance, but it is unclear whether avoidant conflict management benefits individuals on an affective level. Drawing on theories of gender roles, we proposed that gender is an important factor that influences whether avoidant conflict management mitigates the negative affective effects of relationship conflict. In a field study of a healthcare organization, we found that relationship conflict resulted in negative emotions, which, in turn, were positively associated with emotional exhaustion two months later. Avoidant conflict management attenuated the relationship between negative emotions engendered by relationship conflict and emotional exhaustion, but this effect depended on gender. Among men, the extent to which they used an avoidant conflict management style mitigated the association between negative emotions and emotional exhaustion, whereas among women, avoidant conflict management did not attenuate this relationship. Findings are discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications.

We examine the effect of friendship in triads on retaliatory responses to unfair outcomes that originate from a group member. Drawing on Simmel’s classic discussion of relationships in social triads versus dyads, we hypothesized that the effect of unfairness on retaliation between friends is stronger when the third party in the triad is a mutual friend, rather than a stranger. We also draw on social categorization theory to hypothesize that the effect of unfairness on retaliation between strangers is stronger when the third party is a friend of that stranger than when the triad consists of all strangers. Hypotheses were tested in an experiment where participants negotiated with one another in a three-person exchange network. The results supported our hypothesis that between friends, the increase in retaliation was stronger following an unfair deal when third parties were mutual friends, rather than strangers.

This study investigates cycles of planning, enacting, and reviewing activities over time in teams engaged in creative projects. Drawing on longitudinal case studies of two interactive media development teams, two distinct cycles of planning, enacting, and reviewing activities are identified: experimentation cycles and validation cycles. Experimentation cycles are discovery-oriented processes where teams gather insights into project requirements, constraints, and design specifications through trial-and-error. Validation cycles are correction-oriented processes where teams align their output with project requirements through incremental modifications. These findings are then built on to develop testable propositions about the relationship between the duration of planning, enacting, and reviewing activities and the innovativeness and quality of team outcomes.

Objective Finding effective and lasting treatments for patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) that fail to respond optimally to initial standard treatment is a critical public health imperative. Understanding the nature and characteristics of patients prior to initiating "next-step" treatment is an important component of identifying which specific treatments are best suited for individual patients. We describe clinical features and demographic characteristics of a sample of Veterans who enrolled in a "next-step" clinical trial after failing to achieve an optimal outcome from at least one well-delivered antidepressant trial. Methods 1522 Veteran outpatients with nonpsychotic MDD completed assessments prior to being randomized to study treatment. Data is summarized and presented in terms of demographic, social, historical and clinical features and compared to a similar, non-Veteran sample. Results Participants were largely male and white, with about half unmarried and half unemployed. They were moderately severely depressed, with about one-third reporting recent suicidal ideation. More than half had chronic and/or recurrent depression. General medical and psychiatric comorbidities were highly prevalent, particularly PTSD. Many had histories of childhood adversity and bereavement. Participants were impaired in multiple domains of their lives and had negative self-worth. Limitations These results may not be generalizable to females, and some characteristics may be specific to Veterans of US military service. There was insufficient data on age of clinical onset and depression subtypes, and three novel measures were not psychometrically validated. Conclusions Characterizing VAST-D participants provides important information to help clinicians understand features that may optimize "next-step" MDD treatments.

Chronic low back (CLBP) pain is prevalent among military veterans and often leads to functional limitations, psychologic symptoms, lower quality of life, and higher health care costs. An increasing proportion of U.S. veterans are women, and women veterans may have different health care needs than men veterans. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a yoga intervention on women and men with CLBP. SUBJECTS/SETTING/INTERVENTION: VA patients with CLBP were referred by primary care providers to a clinical yoga program.Research participants completed a brief battery of questionnaires before their first yoga class and again 10 weeks later in a single-group, pre-post study design.Questionnaires included measures of pain (Pain Severity Scale), depression (CESD-10), energy/fatigue, and health-related quality of life (SF-12). Yoga attendance and home practice of yoga were also measured. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to analyze group differences over time while controlling for baseline differences.The 53 participants who completed both assessments had a mean age of 53 years, and were well educated, 41% nonwhite, 49% married, and had varying employment status. Women participants had significantly larger decreases in depression (p=0.046) and pain "on average" (p=0.050), and larger increases in energy (p=0.034) and SF-12 Mental Health (p=0.044) than men who participated. The groups did not differ significantly on yoga attendance or home practice of yoga.These results suggest that women veterans may benefit more than men veterans from yoga interventions for chronic back pain. Conclusions are tentative because of the small sample size and quasi-experimental study design. A more rigorous study is being designed to answer these research questions more definitively.

Connexin mimetic peptides corresponding to short conserved extracellular loop sequences of connexins have been used widely as reversible inhibitors of gap junctional intercellular communication. These peptides also block movement of ATP and Ca 2+ across connexin hemichannels, i.e. hexameric channels yet to dock with partners in aligned cells and to generate the gap junction cell–cell conduit. By means of electrophysiology, we compared the effects of Gap26, a mimetic peptide corresponding to a short linear sequence in the first extracellular loop of connexin43, on connexin channel function in HeLa cells expressing connexin43. We demonstrate that Gap26 inhibited electrical coupling in cell pairs mediated by gap junctions after exposure for 30 min. In contrast, Gap26 applied to single cells, inhibited hemichannel currents evoked in low Ca 2+ solution with a response time of less than 5 min. The results further support the view that the likely primary and direct inhibitory effect of Gap26 is on connexin hemichannels, with gap junctions becoming inhibited later. The mechanism of action of Gap26 in blocking hemichannels and gap junction channels is discussed in the context of their different functions and locations.

We sought to develop a reliable and valid tool for measuring teamwork among emergency medical technician (EMT) partnerships.We adapted existing scales and developed new items to measure components of teamwork. After recruiting a convenience sample of 39 agencies, we tested a 122-item draft survey tool (EMT-TEAMWORK). We performed a series of exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test reliability and construct validity, describing variation in domain and global scores using descriptive statistics.We received 687 completed surveys. The EFAs identified a nine-factor solution. We labeled these factors 1) Team Orientation, 2) Team StructureLeadership, 3) Partner Communication, Team Support,Monitoring, 4) Partner Trust and Shared Mental Models, 5) Partner AdaptabilityBack-Up Behavior, 6) Process Conflict, 7) Strong Task Conflict, 8) Mild Task Conflict, and 9) Interpersonal Conflict. We tested a short-form (30-item SF) and long-form (45-item LF) version. The CFAs determined that both the SF and the LF possess positive psychometric properties of reliability and construct validity. The EMT-TEAMWORK-SF has positive internal consistency properties, with a mean Cronbach's alpha coefficient ≥0.70 across all nine factors (mean = 0.84; minimum = 0.78, maximum = 0.94). The mean Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the EMT-TEAMWORK-LF was 0.87 (minimum = 0.79, maximum = 0.94). There was wide variation in weighted scores across all nine factors and the global score for the SF and LF. Mean scores were lowest for the Team Orientation factor (48.1, standard deviation [SD] 21.5, SF; 49.3, SD 19.8, LF) and highest (more positive) for the Interpersonal Conflict factor (87.7, SD 18.1, for both SF and LF).We developed a reliable and valid survey to evaluate teamwork between EMT partners.

Summary. Chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection afflicts millions of people worldwide. While antiviral treatments are effective for some patients, many either cannot or choose not to receive antiviral treatment. Education about behavioural changes like alcohol avoidance and symptom management, in contrast, is universally recommended, particularly in HCV-infected persons from disadvantaged groups where liver risk factors are most prevalent. Self-management interventions are one option for fostering improved HCV knowledge and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). One hundred and thirty-two patients with VA with HCV (mean age of 54.6, 95% men, 41% ethnic minority, 83% unmarried, 72% unemployed/disabled, 48% homeless in last 5 years) were randomized to either a 6-week self-management workshop or an information-only intervention. The weekly 2-h self-management sessions were based on cognitive-behavioural principles and were adapted from an existing self-management programme that has been efficacious with other chronic diseases. HCV-specific modules were added. Outcomes including HRQOL, HCV knowledge, self-efficacy, depression, energy and health distress were measured at baseline and 6 weeks later. Data were analysed using ANOVA. When compared to the information-only group, participants attending the self-management workshop improved more on HCV knowledge (P

A key component of negotiation dynamics is the search for mutually beneficial agreements, and offer exchange is a key element of that process. Rooted in the tradition of information processing psychology, we develop a theoretical model that conceives of negotiation as the collaborative search of a complex offer space. Negotiators simplify and coordinate search via information contained in offer exchanges, isolating subregions of the offer space for potential solutions. We suggest that early search is more exploratory and primarily influenced by the value of offers; later search is more focused on refinement and is influenced by the content of offers. In that, search by value is substantially more difficult than search by content, and parties seek value through communicating about content. Important information about the negotiators’ perspectives is revealed in comprehensive offers, and critical insight into this search process can be gained by examining the pattern of comprehensive offers.

When involved in disputes, people’s stereotypes about one another and the situation can influence their attributions of motives and effectiveness at resolving the dispute. Stereotypes may be of particular concern when disputing parties have little knowledge about the individual across the table. In this study, we examined how respondents from different cultures evaluated the economic and relational goals of two disputing merchants - one from the West and the other from the Middle East. We tested the extent to which respondents’ expectations of the targets’ goals were driven by: 1) cultural information about each disputant (whether the merchant-disputant comes from the West or from the Middle East) and 2) the respondent’s own culturally-based mental model for approaches to resolving work-related disputes. We found very little evidence of cultural stereotyping in that respondents views of the Target Merchants’ goals were largely independent of the said culture of the Target Merchant. We did however find strong evidence that respondents from the United States, Turkey and Qatar hold different mental models about the goals a party has when resolving a work-related dispute. In particular, US respondents had a more variable-sum orientation than the other cultural groups, especially Qataris, whose mental model evidenced a fixed pie assumption regarding economic and relational goals. For example, Qataris and Turks viewed a goal of Maximizing one’s Own Gain as impeding a goal of Maximizing the Other Party’s Gain. Similarly, Qataris viewed Defending Honor as incompatible to the goals of Relationship Building and Giving Face, whereas Americans and Turks did not hold such a view. These differences, based on the country of the respondent, are discussed in detail.

Although interdisciplinary research attracts more and more interest and effort, the benefits of this type of research are not always realized. To understand when expertise diversity will have posit...

Although research on team cognition has focused mostly on sharedness and its benefits, differences in team member cognition (i.e., representational gaps) may not always have negative effects. In this article, we develop theory and test the positive and negative effects of representational gaps (rGaps) among team members in cross-functional product development teams and the central role of task conflict and conflict management (problem-solving and yielding) in predicting team cognition. rGaps are examined both in terms of average level within the team and the patterns of shared representations across members from different functional areas. These patterns capture potential asymmetries within the team.

Although time affects how individuals interact together in teams, we know little about how time influences the evolution of conflict interactions and their impact on important team outcomes. Conflict dynamics is likely to determine the extent to which team members create new products, perform, and stay viable over time. Our symposium brings together five papers which examine conflict dynamics using different research approaches and theoretical perspectives. The current collection of papers contribute to research on team dynamics, creativity, team composition, conflict management, and learning; and has important implications for theory, research methods advancement, and practice on how to make teams more effective. A Longitudinal Study of Antecedents and Outcomes of Team Conflict Dynamics Presenter: Nicole Larson; U. of Calgary Presenter: Thomas Alexander O'Neill; U. of Calgary Presenter: Matthew McLarnon; Oakland U. Creative Synthesis and Conflict Dynamics in Innovation teams: A Latent Growth Analysis Pre...

We examine the effects of subjectively experienced (as opposed to objectively prescribed) subgroups in a team. We propose two mechanisms that might explain the consequences of subgroup perceptions in teams: Affective integration (the degree to which teammates think they have quality interpersonal relationships) and cognitive integration (CI) (the degree to which teammates have learned to understand others interpretive frameworks). We test our theory using 64 MBA project teams. Cognitive integration moderated the effect of subgroup formation on team effectiveness, while affective integration mediated the decrement that subgroup formation had on team satisfaction. Our model is general for any team that has subgroups (regardless of their reason for forming), and so provides prescriptions as to how to maximize the benefits of subgroups while minimizing their liabilities. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.