Chapter 8: Teams
Purpose Duration Level of Membership Commitment
Teams can be differentiated by:
Interdependence
The extent to which members are dependent on each other to accomplish their work
Norms
The shared attitudes, opinions, feelings or actions that guide social behavior.
Group Developmental Stages (Hint: Tuckman's Five-Stage Theory)
1. Forming 2. Storming 3. Norming 4. Performing 5. Adjourning (some researchers talk about a Stage 6: Transforming)
Group
2+ freely interacting individuals who share collective norms and goals and have a common identify; can be formal or informal.
Team Charters
A document that discusses how the team will operate
Free Riders
A type of player on a team that "social loafs," leading to lower quality work, others being forced to work harder, and disruption for team.
True
Face-to-face contact is critical for a virtual team and meeting in person is especially beneficial early in virtual team development. True or False? If false, why?
True
Groups develop in stages. True or False? If false, why?
Characteristics of Roles
Individual level Pertain to a specific job/situation
Examples of Task Roles
Initiator, Orienter, Evaluator, Energizer, Procedural Technician, Recorder, Coordinator, Elaborator, Opinion Seeker, Information Seeker
Project Teams
A type of team that is assembled to address specific problems, tasks, or projects; usually exist for duration to complete purpose, members usually divide time between primary job and various project teams.
Competence Trust
A type of trust that involves whether or not you can trust someone to complete or start on a task, assignment, or project.
Contractual Trust
A type of trust that involves whether or not you can trust someone to uphold to the standards and expectations of the team.
Roles
Expected behaviors for members of the group as a whole
Formal Groups
Groups assigned by organization to accomplish specific goals and fulfill two basic functions: organizational functions and individual functions.
Informal Groups
Groups whose overriding purpose for meeting is friendships or common interests.
A respected member, other than the leader, challenges the group to resolve its power struggles so something can be accomplished.
How do groups typically transition from Stage 2 (Storming) and Stage 3 (Norming)?
Self-Managed Teams
A type of team that is defined as a group of workers who are given administrative oversight for their task domains such as planning, scheduling, monitoring, and staffing. Involves a revolutionary change in management philosophy, structure, staffing, and training practices as well as reward systems.
Work Teams
A type of team that is well-defined, typically permanent, and usually require full commitment from members
Cross-Functional Teams
A type of team that occurs when specialists from different areas are put on the same team.
Virtual Teams
A type of team that works together over time and distance via electronic media to combine effort and achieve common goals.
Communication Trust
A type of trust that involves whether or not you can trust someone enough to talk to them.
Limiting Group Size Assuring Equity of Effort Holding People Accountable
Counter Social Loafing by:
Capacity
Crucial to meet changing demands and to effectively transition members in and out.
Team Performance Strategies
Deliberate plans that outline what exactly the team is to do.
Team Composition
Describes the collection of jobs, personalities, knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience of team members.
Examples of Maintenance Roles
Encourager, Standard Setter, Harmonizer, Commentator, Compromiser, Follower, Gate Keeper
On their own, over time, or as a more conscious effort
Norms can emerge in three ways. What ways do norms emerge?
Rewards (Teams based rather than individual to foster collaboration) Effective Team Size (depends on the purpose of them, but usually 10 or fewer)
Other Determinants of Effective Teams
Task Roles
Roles that are characterized by keeping the group on track and pursuing a common purpose.
Maintenance Roles
Roles that are characterized by keeping the group together and fostering interpersonal relationships.
Characteristics of Norms
Shared phenomena Apply to group, team, or organization Reinforced for many purposes (group survival, clarification of behavioral expectations, avoidance of embarrassment, and clarification of control values or unique identity)
Forming Stage
Stage 1 "Ice-breaking" stage; mutual trust is low; good deal of holding back to see who is in charge; members uncertain about role and group's goals; conflict is beneficial and leads to creativity
Storming Stage
Stage 2 Time of testing; subgroups take shape; subtle forms of rebellion occur; testing leaders policies and assumptions and how they fit into power structure
Norming Stage
Stage 3 Group is more cohesive; less conflict with increasing team membership interactions and interdependence of work tasks.
Performing Stage
Stage 4 Actively focused on problem solving; work done without hampering
1. Contractual 2. Communication 3. Competence
Trust is thought to come in three forms. What are those forms?
Team Types
Work Teams Project Teams Self-Managed Teams Cross-Functional Teams Virtual Teams
Leadership becomes a shared activity Accountability shifts to both individual and collective Group develops own purpose Problem-solving becomes way of life Effectiveness is measured by the group's collective outcomes and products
A group becomes a team when...
Trust
A reciprocal belief that another person will consider how their intentions and behaviors will affect you; Willingness to be vulnerable to another person
Team
A small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.=
Leadership is commonly shared Accountability and Problem Solving are often Collective versus Individual Responsibilities Outcomes usually include more than individual-level measures.
A team is more than just a group in that... (3 things)
Team Players
A type of player on a team that is committed, collaborative, and competent.
Adjourning Stage
Stage 5 Work completed, group moves on to other activities marked by rituals celebrating the end; opportunity for leaders to emphasize valuable lessons learned.
Transforming Stage
Stage 6 (discussed by some researchers) Focuses on individual people in teams and has to deal with saying goodbye.
Charters and Strategies Team Composition Capacity
The 3 C's of Effective Teams
Task Interdependence
The degree to which team members depend on each other for information, materials, and other resources to complete their job tasks.
Social Loafing
The tendency for individual effort to decline as group size increases.
