CONTENTS
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STUDY
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TITLE
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1
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Corporate adventure
training can be an effective means to develop
teams
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2
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For team building
programs to be effectively utilized back at the
office, they should be conducted on intact work
units, rather than random samplings, and resources
should be dedicated to encourage practice of team
behaviors
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3
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Follow-up
procedures have a significant impact on transfer of
learning
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4
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CAT programs may
assist companies to change their corporate
cultures
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5
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CAT programs may
help companies to change their motivational
climate
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6
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A day of rappelling
brought about changes in risk taking propensity, as
reported by managers, in a series of business
related risk taking scenarios
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7
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The ropes course
was an effective tool for influencing risk taking
propensity. The use of isomorphs was not found to
create any further risk taking change
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8
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Qualitative
evidence of the effectiveness of corporate
adventure training
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9
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Experiential
learning about teamwork was more effec0tive than
classroom
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10
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Combined staff of
adventure facilitators paired with corporate
trainers seem to provide the best organizational
team building outcomes in CAT programs
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11
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A mix of metaphoric
debriefing (first half of CAT program) and
isomorphic framing (second half) shows the greatest
teamwork acquisition and retention
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12
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Sequencing was
critically important to creating teamwork. An
inappropriate order of CAT activities can retard
development of a high performing team
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13
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Overall
trustworthiness, being effected in a CAT program,
has 5 sub-scales: acceptance, believability,
confidentiality, dependability and
encouragement
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14
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Physicality in CAT
programs influences the development of trust.
Physical activities play an important role in such
programs and should not be omitted
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15
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Using clients to
belay develops trust between partners better than
employing facilitators or technicians in this role
(which can reduce partnership trust)
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16
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The ropes course
had a profound effect on the enhancement of
confidence. Specific debriefing (focused on
self-confidence) was more effective than general
debriefing (about various process topics) for three
of five subscales
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17
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Providers
interested in creating gains in trust toward an
organization can apply either group initiatives,
ropes courses or a combination of approaches to the
need. Customizing to meet client needs should not
be ignored
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18
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Group performance
in initiative tasks can be useful tools for
measuring teamwork. Time to complete tasks may be
more objective than self-reports
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19
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For males, highest
heart rates attained on a ropes course can be
predicted (with 64% explained variance and 36%
error) from age, height, weight, body girths, time
to walk a mile and heart rate after walking a
mile
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20
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Touch plays an
important role in the development of interpersonal
trust
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21
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Recreational or
educational programs can bring developmental
changes
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22
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Adventure programs
can impact the bottom line, but without follow-up
procedures they can be "one shot wonders," falling
short of expectations
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23
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Program duration
impacted teamwork development, program setting
didn't
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24
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Program design
impacted teamwork development, program location
didn't
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25
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Solution-focused
facilitation approach works best with dysfunctional
group
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26
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all-women's
programming (incomplete).
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27
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executive
leadership canoe expedition
(incomplete).
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28
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frontloading versus
funnelling (incomplete).
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29
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demographic
interactions (incomplete).
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30
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facilitation
training for managers (incomplete).
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- SUMMARY
Corporate adventure training
(CAT) or experience-based training and development (EBTD)
programming are mostly utilized to improve teamwork.
Quantitative (#1) and qualitative (#8) evidence, both
objective (#18) and subjective, suggest that these programs
can be effective, and may be a better choice for building
teams than the usual classroom program (#9). However,
without program follow-up, any acquisition of teamwork may
not be maintained over time (#3). Unsupported gains in
teamwork often fail to transfer to the workplace and return
to baseline values in about six months (#22). Barriers to
the transfer of learning include: not doing team building
with intact units, not starting with executives and
cascading the effect to other levels, and not providing
time, tasks or resources to practice teamwork on the job
(#2).
Trust is a critical and
integral part of teamwork. At least five types of trust are
present in CAT programs: acceptance, believability,
confidentiality, dependability, and encouragement (#13). The
physical nature of CAT programs (#14) and the use of touch
(#20) are important program elements that contribute to
develop certain kinds of trust. The use of program
activities (ropes courses versus group initiatives) favor
the development of different kinds of trust (#17). The role
of the clients in actively caring for their own safety is
critical for trust to be maintained, while the use of
"experts" can interfere with the creation of trust
(#15).
CAT or EBTD programs can
also benefit individuals and organizations as well as teams.
Willingness to take risks can be positively influenced by
program activities such as rappelling or abseilling (#6),
ropes or challenge courses (#7), and rock climbing (#21).
Programs with entire workforces have contributed to improved
corporate culture (#4) and motivational climate (#5). Out of
concern for maintaining safety, heart rate predictions have
been conducted for a mixed group of males over the age of 40
(#19).
Other than safety, the
single most important indicator of program quality is
facilitation. Partnerships of company trainers with CAT or
EBTD trainers seem to provide the best combination (#10).
The use of advanced techniques such as isomorphic framing
(#11) and solution-focused facilitation (#25) appear to add
great value to program outcomes, especially the latter with
dysfunctional groups. Debriefing about a specific learning
objective tends to be more useful than debriefing about the
general experience (#16).
- Other program elements
can contribute to overall effectiveness. Sequencing of
activities is critical to the success of a program and in
some cases incorrect ordering can retard the development
of teamwork (#12). The length of a program (#23) and it's
customized nature (#24) can have extra benefit, while
program location and setting don't appear to be too
influential over learning outcomes.
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