ABSTRACT
Clearly, the importance of teams in the modern workplace has been firmly established in this volume and elsewhere (e.g., Guzzo & Salas, 1995; Hackman, 1990). Moreover, it is not difficult to understand why the topic of team performance measurement has been gaining interest in recent years. Without accurate, reliable measures of team performance, it is difficult to select or train team members or to manage team performance. Unfortunately, little research exists that provides theoretically based guidance to those interested in assessing team performance. This may be because the challenge of measuring team performance is a formidable one-it presents a complex problem that requires a complex solution. Moreover, because performance measurement information can serve several purposes (e.g., selection, performance appraisal, training), it is likely that multiple approaches to team performance measurement are required. In fact, it has been asserted that the purpose for which measurement data will be used should determine what measurement are made and how measurement data are gathered (Cannon-Bowers et al., 1989).
