Abstract

The cost of operations in the for-profit sector is fundamental to remaining in business. Hence any aspect of productivity improvement that has a long-term effect is welcomed. Productivity improvement through group development is founded on the premise that organizations are a cluster of small groups and if these groups function effectively then the organization excels (Schein, 1980; Caplow, 1983; Ancona, 1987; Kramer, 1991; Wheelan, 1993 and Thompson, 2000). A demand for greater accountability in the not-for-profit sector has prompted administrators in healthcare and education to adopt the business model of the for-profit sector. Defining productivity has been a challenge in education. The work of Michael Middaugh has provided consensus on how to measure productivity in higher education (Middaugh 2001). The call for improvement in productivity is loudest in higher education where tuition costs are increasing and undergraduates appear to get less attention from tenured faculty (Zemsky & Massy, 1990).Research by Wheelan, Murphy, Tsumara and Kline (1998) found that group effectiveness and the level of group development do have an impact on productivity. Wheelan and Tilin (1999) examined faculty work groups in middle schools and found further support for this relationship. Donna Weis (1998) tested the relationship between group development and productivity in universities and recommended replication of the study using university departments from a variety of disciplines. This research replicates that study applying the latest definitions of faculty productivity from Middaugh (2001) and uses departments in engineering colleges of two Florida state universities.