The Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Work Teams, created in 1991 to provide education and perform research in all areas of teaming and collaboration, cultivates learning partnerships with businesses, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and other universities to improve the quality of education and community life. The center's mission is to maximize individual, team and organizational effectiveness through the design, development and implementation of collaborative work systems. The center staff includes faculty and graduate students as well as professionals from outside the university. Educational programs include an international conference each fall, a symposium held each May, and various intensive workshops that are held on and off campus throughout the year. The center's education and research information may be found on its web site, in publications and in research papers.
Research includes two components.
Applied research projects are based on partnerships with companies. Basic research topics include team leadership, employee involvement, top management groups, quality organization transformation and compensation.