The impact of task characteristics on the performance of nursing teams

PURPOSE: This study sought to examine the relationship between team task features and team task performance. Team task performance revolved around the team's technical knowledge and the technical core activities of the organization. On the other hand, team task characteristics include task identity, task significance, and task interdependence. METHODS: This study involved a total of 300 nursing teams (1436 individual nurses) from seven state hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia. Data were collected using two sets of questionnaires which were initially distributed to 320 teams. One set was given to the team members and another set was given to the team leaders. Of the 320 sets sent out, 300 sets were returned. Responses were then combined and aggregated to the team level to get the team's final score. Analyses of the hypotheses were done using Partial Least Squares (PLS) through assessment of the measurement and structural model. RESULTS: Results from the path analysis revealed that of the three dimensions of team task attributes, only task significance was positively and significantly related to team task performance (β = 0.076, P > 0.05), while task identity (β = 0.076, P > 0.05) and task interdependence (β = −0.037, P > 0.05) were found unrelated to team task performance. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that task significance is important to predict team task performance. Task significance reflects meaningfulness and nobility of tasks, thus elevate the desire to perform better in each assigned task.