This volume critically evaluates more than a century of empirical research on the effectiveness of small, task-performing groups, and offers a fresh look at the costs and benefits of collaborative work arrangements.

Evaluates more than a century of empirical research on the effectiveness of small, task-performing groups, and offers a fresh look at the costs and benefits of collaborative work arrangements.

"In Search of Synergy is ... beautifully written. Although the material is often dense and detailed, the writing is clear and relatively jargon-free. ... Larson also has a real knack for inventing excellent concrete examples to illustrate key ideas. ... For the topics I (thought I) knew well (e.g., the work on group problem solving and group motivation), the text was both very accurate and full of provocative new ideas. And for the topics I was less familiar with (e.g., the work on group learning and memory; the work on group diversity), the presentation was accessible and illuminating. ... It will be of greatest interest and use to scholars of group processes, especially those with abiding research interests in group/team productivity. It is reasonably accessible to and could be read with profit by graduate students and even by capable, well-motivated undergraduate students. ... It could have as much impact on how the next generation of students and scholars think about and study the performance of small groups and teams as Steiner's text had nearly four decades ago." - Norbert L. Kerr, Michigan State University, in the Journal of Social Psychology