My research has examined teams working and learning in wide-ranging organizational contexts - from the front lines of health care delivery and manufacturing to the top management board room - and even to the "virtual" teaming processes of globally distributed team members developing new products and processes. I focus on interpersonal processes that affect teams' and their organization's ability to learn and change. Amidst these diverse data collection efforts I have found scattered examples of extraordinary collaboration and courage in the face of challenging work contexts. One thread that runs through most of my disparate projects is a deep interest in causes and consequences of psychological safety in the workplace.

Additionally, with Fiona Lee, I have conducted laboratory research on influences on experimentation behavior in organizations that shows the inhibiting effects of organizational mixed messages on the powerful human drive to experiment and learn. We have two papers on this research, one forthcoming in the volume on Positive Organizational Scholarship, and one currently under review. Finally, I teach a course on field research methodology in organizational studies, and have developed cases and modules on managing learning for use in MBA and executive classrooms.