Business Chapter 9

Cross-functional team

A team made up of members from different functions, such as production, marketing, and finance

Affective conflict

Affective conflict refers to the emotional reactions that can occur when disagreements become personal rather than professional. These differences strongly decrease team performance.

Team level

Average level of ability, experience, personality, or any other factor on a team

Team diversity

Differences in ability, experience, personality, or any other factor on a team.

How do employee stock ownership plans and stock options reward employees and encourage empowerment?

Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) benefit employees by giving them ownership stakes in their companies. Employees are motivated to work harder and smarter than they would without ESOPs, because they share in their firm's financial success. In contrast to an ESOP, in which the company holds stock for the benefit of employees (when employees leave the company, they cash in their stock), stock options give employees a chance to own the stock themselves if they exercise their options by completing the stock purchase.

How can managers empower employees?

Managers empower employees by sharing company information and decision-making authority and by rewarding them for their performance as well as the company's.

Communication

Meaningful exchange of information through messages

External communication

Meaningful exchange of information through messages transmitted between an organization and its major audiences, such as customers, suppliers, other firms, the general public, and government officials

empowerment

giving employees authority and responsibility to make decisions about their work

Team

A group of people with certain skills who are committed to a common purpose, approach, and set of performance goals

What is the difference between communication in low-context and high-context cultures?

Communication in low-context cultures tends to rely on explicit written and verbal messages. By contrast, communication in high-context cultures depends not only on the message itself but also on the conditions that surround it, including nonverbal cues, past and present experiences, and personal relationships among the parties.

Define the four common listening behaviors.

Cynical listening occurs when the receiver of a message feels that the sender is trying to gain some advantage from the communication. Offensive listening occurs when the receiver tries to catch the speaker in a mistake or contradiction. Polite listening occurs when the receiver is rehearsing what he or she wants to say when the speaker finishes. Active listening requires involvement with the information and empathy with the speaker's situation.

What are the differences between formal and informal communication?

Formal communication occurs within the formal chain of command defined by an organization. Informal communication occurs outside formally authorized channels within an organization's hierarchy.

Virtual teams

Groups of geographically or organizationally dispersed co-workers who use a combination of telecommunications and information technologies to accomplish an organizational task

In the context of the communication process, what is noise?

Noise is some type of interference that influences the transmission of messages and feedback. It can result from physical factors such as poor reception of a cell phone message or from differences in people's attitudes and perceptions.

Conflict

Occurs when one person's or group's needs do not match those of another, and attempts may be made to block the opposing side's intentions or goals

Work teams

Relatively permanent group of employees with complementary skills who perform the day-to-day work of organizations

Team norm

Standard of conduct shared by team members that guides their behavior. Norms are informal standards that identify key values and clarify team members' expectations.

Explain how teams progress through the stages of team development.

Teams pass through five stages of development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.

Problem-solving team

Temporary or permanent combination of workers who gather to solve a specific problem and then disband

What is the first thing a company should do when a public crisis occurs?

The firm should respond quickly by preparing a written statement that includes the time, place, description of the event, and the number and status of people involved.

Self-managed team

Work team that has the authority to decide how its members complete their daily tasks

Cognitive conflict

team members disagree because their different experiences and expertise lead them to different views of the problem and its solutions. Cognitive conflict is characterized by a willingness to examine, compare, and reconcile differences to produce the best possible solution.

Team cohesiveness

the extent to which members feel attracted to the team and motivated to remain part of it