Acquisition Community Team Dynamics: The Tuckman Model vs. the DAU Model

Abstract

The Tuckman (1965) four-stage sequential model of team development (Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing, or FSNP) represents today most widely used model. However, the Tuckman model is a conceptual statement that was suggested by the data and has not been empirically validated (Tuckman, 1965). Hadyn, Teare, Scheuing and Armistead (1997, p. 118) state that, despite increasing interest in teamwork, much of the literature on the subject is inconclusive and often derived from anecdote rather than primary research. The goal of this research was to develop empirical evidence to determine whether or not the Tuckman model or some variant thereof provides an appropriate model to explain the development of small, short-duration technical teams within the Acquisition Community.