TMS Global maintains one of the world’s largest team effectiveness research databases: 2.5 million professionals and 159 professions across 190 countries. Our methodology isn’t theory. It’s proven science.
Explore the research foundation behind every TMS Global diagnostic, framework, and recommendation.
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13 research papers sorted by date. Click any title to read the full paper.
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Across 158 professions and 202 countries, spanning four decades
In the TMS Global Research Manual (5th Edition) worldwide country database
Advancing team science through journal articles, research papers, and professional publications
Longitudinal data showing how teams evolve over time
Real-world validation from teams in every industry
How do engineers work differently than educators? How do retail teams approach tasks compared to healthcare teams? We study sector-specific dynamics to refine our frameworks.
Recent Study: “What Drives Work in Education and Retail?” (April 2025)
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What makes teams balanced? When does specialisation help vs. hurt? How does role distribution affect outcomes? We measure what actually drives team effectiveness.
Recent Study: “Balanced and Unbalanced Teams” (February 2025)
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How do leaders evolve from operational to strategic roles? What linking skills matter most? We study leadership development across organisational levels.
Recent Study: “Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders” (April 2025)
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Is there such a thing as leader DNA? Analysis of 683,000 professional profiles collected over 40 years of research suggests there may well be. By comparing psychometric data across organisational levels, we have identified five distinctive characteristics common to leaders.
Recent Study: “The Leadership DNA” (January 2026)
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Team dynamics vary across cultures. We’ve studied work preferences in 48 countries to understand how culture shapes collaboration.
Research Manual 5th Edition includes comprehensive country-level analysis.
How do people respond to uncertainty? What predicts resilience? We measure how teams navigate change — critical for today’s volatile environment.
Related Product: QO2 (Opportunities-Obstacles Quotient) built on this research.
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What values drive behaviour at work? How does values misalignment create conflict? We study the hidden forces shaping team dynamics.
Related Product: WoWV (Window on Work Values) grounded in values research from Rokeach, Schwartz, Triandis.
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TMS’s 40-year research program established rigorous data collection methods:
TMS instruments have undergone rigorous validation:
TMS Global® research credibility established through:
TMS frameworks and products continue to evolve:
Result: TMS Global® tools don’t just feel helpful — they’re scientifically proven to measure what matters.
TMS Global® diagnostics meet the rigorous standards of the British Psychological Society — the UK’s representative body for psychology and psychologists.
Reviewed 2003
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Reviewed 2006
Early TMS research showed that traditional personality assessments had limited correlation with team effectiveness. Work preferences — how people approach tasks, not personality traits — proved to be stronger predictors of performance.
Impact: TMS Global® focuses on behaviour at work, not personality labels.
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Research into team role distribution reveals that high-performing teams have representation across all 8 work role areas (Advising, Innovating, Promoting, Developing, Organising, Producing, Inspecting, Maintaining). Teams missing roles struggle in predictable ways.
Impact: TMP helps identify role gaps before they cause problems.
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Research into cross-cultural teams found that values clashes (Authority vs. Empowerment, Individualism vs. Collectivism) predicted conflict better than personality or work preference differences.
Impact: Values assessment became critical for mergers, global teams, culture change.
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Research during organisational change showed that individuals’ opportunity vs. obstacle focus predicted their response to change better than many other factors — including role, tenure, or past performance.
Impact: QO2 now standard for change management initiatives.
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Research into leadership development programmes shows that 360° feedback drives behaviour change only when:
Impact: LLP|360 designed around these success factors.
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Industry experience and practitioner feedback consistently show that by the time annual survey results are analysed and acted upon, team composition or context has often changed — rendering insights obsolete. Real-time team diagnostics provide more timely and actionable insights.
Impact: Real-time team diagnostics became essential.
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Analysis of 683,000 professional profiles across organisational levels, to identify five distinctive characteristics that form what we call ‘The Leadership DNA’.
Sector-specific analysis of work preferences across two very different industries — and what it means for team composition.
Study of leadership role evolution from operational to strategic positions using TMP and QO2 profile data.
Analysis of team role distribution patterns and their impact on performance outcomes.
Comprehensive study of demographic factors influencing work preferences, drawing on over 476,000 Team Management Profiles.
Normative data and analysis across 202 countries — the most comprehensive global team research database.
Access anonymised TMS Global® database for academic studies. Collaboration opportunities available for researchers and academic institutions.
TMS Global® research combines academic rigour with practitioner application. Our database (700,000+ responses) is larger than most academic studies and spans real organisations, not lab settings.
Accredited practitioners access normative data, benchmarking tools, and research summaries through the practitioner portal. Full database access (for academic research) requires collaboration agreement with TMS Global® research team.
We add thousands of responses annually, publish new papers regularly, and update product norms biennially.
If you complete TMS Global® diagnostics, your anonymised data (no personally identifiable information) contributes to the research database — helping refine norms and validate frameworks. You can opt out if preferred.
Yes. TMS Global® research is peer-reviewed and citable. Practitioners often cite TMS Global® studies in client proposals, white papers, and presentations. Academics cite TMS Global® in dissertations, journal articles, and textbooks.
We follow rigorous psychometric standards, collaborate with academic institutions, and continuously validate through real-world application by 24,000+ practitioners.
The Research Manual (6th Edition) is our comprehensive reference — all frameworks, norms, validation data in one document. Research papers are focused studies on specific topics published over time. Both are valuable; the Manual is the foundation.