A cultural historical activity theory approach to understand the cultural dynamics of teamwork in an organizational context

Teamwork is in many cases regarded as an ideal space for learning and development of new ideas and practices – i.e. professional development and innovation (Senge 1990; Murray 2005). Despite examples that teamwork in some cases may provide opportunities for development and workplace learning (Hackmann 1990; McLaughlin & Talbert 2006) multiple research shows that even the best efforts very often fail (Hackmann 1990; Sinclair 1992; Day & Gu 2007; Wood 2007; Sannino 2008; Hackmann & Coutu 2009). The explanations to this dilemma have until now primarily been found through research in group psychological mechanisms and with reference to different psycho-dynamic factors and "technicalities" (West 1994; Robbins 2000). In addition to this, the so-called practice based organizational studies (Lave & Wenger 1991; Gherardi & Nicolini 2002) offers insight into learning processes in organizations understood as dynamic ongoing interaction processes between persons, relations and structures. Here the characteristics of both innovative and non-innovative teams, can therefore be found in the texture of practices making up organizational processes (Blackler & McDonald 2000; Gherardi & Nicolini 2002).

Even though these approaches attempts to understand psychological dynamics and practices in organizations, we still know very little of the driving forces of professional development and innovative processes in organizations. When do relations and actions of e.g. teamwork lead to inquiry, challenging questions and so create a potentially space for learning, professional development or even innovation? To answer this question we need to address the cultural dynamics of organizations. This paper contributes to present knowledge of learning and innovation in teams, by exploring the cultural dynamics of teamwork through which different kinds of actions, that potentially may lead to new insights or even to innovation, sometimes are included and sometimes excluded.

From an activity theory perspective and with the actual case as empirical source, it seems like teamwork is the best way to avoid professional development and innovation! It is in fact not as simple as that. This paper contributes to the discussion of professional development and innovation in organizations by highlighting, that lack of innovation primarily not is a question of individual capabilities, compositions of teams or adequate facilitating processes by leaders, consultants etc. These elements may obviously be useful. This paper however shows that professional development and innovation unfolds in a cultural and historical practice that due to dominant contradictions in the actual activity system sometimes supports relations of actions aimed at e.g. a functionalistic or collegial motive rather than relations of actions leading to challenging questions or new forms of organizational practice, i.e. innovation.

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