Chapter 8 Team Dynamics

Time constraints

-Teams take longer to make decisions

Constraints on decision making

1. Constraints on decision making a. time constraints b. evaluation apprehension c. pressure to conform d. groupthink

Team decision making Factors

1. Constraints on decision making a. time constraints b. evaluation apprehension c. pressure to conform d. groupthink 2. team structures to improve decision making a.constructive conflict b. brainstorming c. electrical brainstorming d. nominal group technique

Types of teams

1. Departmental Teams 2. Production/ service / leadership teams 3. Self-directed teams 4. advisory teams 5. task force (project teams) 6. Skunkworks 7. Virtual teams 8. Communities of practice

Advantages of Formal groups/ teams

1. Make better overall decisions 2. develop better products and services 3. engage the workforce more a. drive to bond b. accountability to each other c. live benchmarks 4. less prone to errors 5. more breadth of knowledge

Disadvantages of Formal groups/ teams

1. Only needed for complex work (where you need more specialized skills) 2. Slows down the employee that has all the necessary skills (to do the project by themselves) 3. process loss 4. Social Loafing

What makes a successful self-directed team

1. Responsible for the entire work process 2. should have sufficient autonomy to carry out their work 3. work and technology support group's activities, communication, and job enrichment

What are the components of a team?

1. Team Characteristics 2. Team Size 3. Team Composition a. member competencies b. diversity

Measuring Team effectiveness (exhibit 8.2)

1. The environment that organization and team operates a. rewards b. communication c. organ. structure d. organ. leadership e. physical space 2. Team design a. task characteristics b.Team size c.Team composition 3. Team process a.team development b. team norms c. team cohesion d. team trust

elements of groupthink

1. conformity 2. overconfidence

success factors of virtual teams

1. need good communication technology skills 2. strong leadership skills 3. higher emotional intelligence 4. have multiple ways to communicate 5. need plenty of structure 6. need a few face to face interactions to develop trust

Team structures to improve decision making

2. team structures to improve decision making a.constructive conflict b. brainstorming c. electrical brainstorming d. nominal group technique

Task force/ Project Teams

A group form to solve some specific problem ; Good for: -designing a product/ service - seizing an opportunity

Production/ service / leadership teams

A team with many different skills, make one output ______ are assembly line interdependence, _____ are reciprocal

Developing Norms

All informal events contribute to norms form habits to complete tasks more efficiently find work-balance relationship

identification based trust

Based on mutual understanding and an emotional bond amongst team members -occurs when people think feel and act like one another -strongest and the most robust out of all the types

knowledge based trust

Based on predictability of another team member's behavior -shows competence -more stable as it develops over time

Diversity

Benefits: different perspectives, broader pool of competencies Drawbacks: Take longer to become high performance teams, people may conform to stereotypes and implicit biases

Communities of practice

Communities bound together by shared expertise or some passion -meant to share information -relies on technology Ex. Fish forums

Team Size

Component of a team design Large enough to provide necessary skills for the job -must interact and influence one another

Task Characteristics

Component of a team design Needs an environment with complex tasks for specialized roles; A. Task Interdependence I. Pooled Interdependence II. Sequential Interdependence III. Reciprocal Interdependence ↑ interdependence = ↑ need for teams ( unless they have different goals)

Team building

Consists of the formal activities intended to improve the development and functioning of a work team. -usually for established teams and are task focused i. Clarify's performance goals ii. Improves problem solving skills iii. Redefines role perceptions 1. Team volunteering events 2. team treasure hunt 3. team sport excercise 4. Cooking competition

Self-directed teams

Cross functional groups organized around work processes that: I. Focus of a piece of work that requires individual tasks II. Have high autonomy ( can make their own decisions/ solve their own problems)

Coordinating

Effectively managing a team so that it performs efficiently and harmoniously. ex know the work of the other team members

Departmental teams

Employees with similar skills who work in the same department -requires minimal teamwork

Forming Stage

First stage of team development The period of testing and orientation; tests to see what members can offer and the benefits of the group; find expectations

Performing Stage

Fourth stage of team development Group members learn to efficiently coordinate and resolve conflicts

reciprocal interdependence

Highest level of interdependence Output is exchanged back and forth; one change affects another ex teams like soccer

5 C's of team member competency

I. Cooperating II. Coordinating III. Communicating V. Conflict resolving

Two types teams

I. Formal II. Informal groups

Stages of Team Development

I. Forming II. Storming III. Norming V. Performing

Levels of task interdependence

I. Pooled interdependence II. Sequential interdependence III. Reciprocal interdependence

Team effectiveness

I. Serves a purpose in the organization II. Relies on the group's happiness ( and how the team fits the group's needs) III. Team's commitment

Preventing Dysfunctional Team Norms

I. clearly state norms at the beginning II. select members that fit the organization's values III. Rewards based systems for good behavior

Pooled interdependence

Lowest level of interdependence -employees share common resources to perform independent tasks

How to develop a team

Members must know, trust, understand, and agree on: Roles Appropriate behaviors Learn how to coordinate

Cooperating

Members that are willing to work together to solve a problem ex sharing resources, machinery, etc.

Virtual Teams

Members who work from across the globe via technology to achieve an organizational task i. Not co-located ii. Depend on technology -growing b/c easier to implement -necessary due to increase globalization and organizational learning

social loafing

Occurs when people exert less effort ( and perform lower) when working in teams rather than working alone. -less apparent in large teams or a single output -varies according to employee's motivation -more likely to occur in dull or unimportant work

Informal group

People who come together with force or motivation Exist because: 1. Humans are social animals (ex friendships, builds trust & communication) 2. Join a ____ because they are similar to us, reinforce self-concept. 3. Do things they can't do alone 4. Enjoy each other's presence (lowers stress)

Team trust

Positive expectations one has towards another person in situations that involve risk -believe that they are of no harm to you -includes both beliefs and conscious feelings -based on assumptions rather than experience i. calculus based ____ ii. knowledge based ____ iii. identification based ____

calculus based trust

Represents a logical calculation that other team members will act appropriately if they violate expectations -easily broken

Organization and team environment

Represents all conditions beyond the team's control -reward distribution -structure a. interaction and interdependence amongst team members b. leadership within teams (support and strategic abilities) c. how the workplace is setup

Process loss

Resources (time, energy, money) expended toward team development and maintenance rather than the task -the "get to know" and or acclimation phase ex Fish must be acclimated before you put it in the water

sequential interdependence

Second level of interdependence Where one person's output becomes the direct input for another ex. automobile assembly

Storming Stage

Second stage of team development Marked by interpersonal conflict and compete for various roles Establish norms and standards

Comforting

Takes place when each team member(s) help maintain and positive and healthy psychological state. -build confidence, empathy, and psychological comfort

Team structures to improve decision making

Teams need to be confident in their decision -sufficient diversity - a good size for the task 1. constructive conflict 2. brainstorming 3. electronic brainstorming 4. nominal group technique

Advisory Teams

Teams set-up to make recommendations to the supervisor -frequent rotation of members ex committees , review panels

Team cohesion

The degree of attraction people feel toward the team and their motivation to remain members When team members like the group, it becomes part of their social identity, and they are more likely to stay in the group; Spend more time together, share experiences,are more satisfied with one another, and solve their differences more quickly. Based on: 1. Member similarity- we like people like us; more trustworthy 2. Team size- fewer people make decisions faster 3. Member interaction- frequent meetings increase ______ 4. Somewhat difficult entry- when it isn't open to everyone, people are more likely to join in 5. Team success- the more the team success, the closer they get 6. External competition and challenges- the more competition, the more the team works together (can dissipate when threat disappears) Team performance effects team ______ but not visa versa. only increases when the team's norms are compatible with the organization's goals

Brooke's law

The principle that adding more period to late software programs will only delay it further

groupthink

The tendency for groups to value consensus at the expense of decision quality -occurs when members have a strong social identity -isolated from outsiders -team leader opinionated -under stress -lack of guidance

Norming Stage

Third stage of team development When group members achieve an effective mental model team members become more proactive

Communicating

When members transfer information freely, efficiently, and repectfully

evaluation apprehension

When people are reluctant to share their ideas because they believe their coworkers are silently evaluating them. -most common when people of different statuses are present.

Constructive conflict

When people focus on the issue and maintain respect for the other's point of view -unfortunately people still get offended

Conflict resolution

When team members can effectively identify and use various motivations and skills to solve an issue.

Adjourning

When the team is about to disband, and shift to a more relationship focus.

pressure to conform

____ makes the person submit to the team's norms -when an idea that is contrary to the group's opinion is presented, it is either rejected or ignored

electronic brainstorming

a form of bf brainstorming that relies on technology

brainstorming

a freewheeling, face to face meeting where team members are encouraged to speak freely (without criticism ) to generate as many ideas as possible and build on them -increases creativity of ideas -increased cohesion

Role

a set of behaviors that people are expected to perform because of the positions they hold in a team and organization. ex team leaders should be facilitators informal roles are also important

nominal group technique

a variation of brainstorming consisting of 3 stages 1. silently and independently write down ideas 2. sequentially describe the ideas 3. silently and independently evaluate the ideas

Teams

groups of people who interact and influence one another, to work together to achieve an organization's objectives and goals as one entity. I. exist for a purpose II Communicate to achieve goals III. Influence one another V. act as a unit

Skunk-works

multi-skilled teams borrowed from the organization to design a product or service ex Enactus

production blocking

only person can speak at a time 1. need to find the appropriate time to speak up 2. people forget their ideas 3. IF they remember their ideas, they concentrate so hard on remembering these ideas that they miss out on the conversation

Team Norms

the informal rules and shared expectations that groups establish to regulate the behaviors of their members regulate groups behaviors by positive and negative outcomes, especially if that person has as strong social identity.