Chapter 13

The five stages of group and team development:

(1) Forming, (2) Storming, (3) Norming, (4) Performing, and (5) Adjourning.

Maybe the problem will go away

Avoiding

5-6 group of people

Optimal

Fewer resources Possibly less innovation Unfair work distribution

Small teams some disadvantages

Better Interaction Better Morale

Small teams two advantages

Cross-Functional Team:

Staffed with specialists pursuing a common objective.

The considerations in building a group into an effective team:

(1) Cooperation (2) Trust (3) Cohesiveness (4) Performance goals and feedback, (5) Motivation through mutual accountability, (6) Size, (7) Roles, (8) Norms, (9) Awareness of Groupthink.

Suggestions for managers when managing virtual workers:

(1) Take baby steps and manage by results, (2) State expectations, (3) Write it down, (4) Communicate, but be considerate, (5) Be aware of cultural differences, and (6) Meet regularly.

Conflict:

A process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party.

Team:

A small group of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.

Let's Do it your way

Accommodating

Norming:

Conflicts are resolved, close relationships develop, and unity and harmony emerge.

Continuous Improvement Team:

Consist of small groups of volunteers or workers and supervisors who meet intermittently and discuss workplace- and quality-related problems.

Task Role:

Consists of behavior that concentrates on getting the team's tasks done.

Maintenance Role:

Consists of behavior that fosters constructive relationships among team members.

Advice Teams:

Created to broaden the information base for managerial decisions.

Programmed Conflict:

Designed to elicit different opinions without inciting people's personal feelings.

Division of Labor:

Division of work into particular tasks that are assigned to particular workers.

Symptoms of Groupthink

Invulnerability, inherent morality, and stereotyping of opposition Rationalization and self-censorship Illusion of unanimity, peer pressure, and mindguards Groupthink versus "the wisdom of crowds"

Problem-Solving Team:

Knowledgeable workers who meet as a temporary team to solve a specific problem and then disband.

Less interaction Lower morale Social loafing

Large team disadvantages

10-16 members for more resources and division of labor

Large teams

Performing:

Members concentrate on solving problems and completing the assigned task.

Top-Management Team:

Members consist of the CEO, president, and top department heads and work to help the organization achieve its mission and goals.

Work Team:

Members engage in collective work requiring coordinated effort; purpose of team is advice, production, project, or action.

Virtual Team:

Members interact by computer network to collaborate on projects.

Adjourning:

Members prepare for disbandment.

Allow criticism Allow other perspectives

Preventing Groupthink

Social Loafing:

The tendency of people to exert less effort when working in groups than when working alone.

More resources Division of Labor

Large team advantages

Devil's Advocacy:

The process of assigning someone to play the role of critic.

Group Cohesiveness:

A "we" feeling binding group members together.

Groupthink:

A cohesive group's blind unwillingness to consider alternatives.

Formal Group:

A group established to do something productive for the organization and headed by a leader.

Informal Group:

A group formed by people seeking friendship and has no officially appointed leader, although a leader may emerge from the members.

Constructive Conflict:

Benefits the main purpose of the organization and serves its interests.

Storming:

Characterized by the emergence of individual personalities and roles and conflicts within the group.

Multicultural Conflicts

Clashes between cultures

Intergroup Conflicts

Clashes between work groups, teams, and departments

Let's Cooperate to reach a win-win solution that benefits both of us

Collaborating

Let's Split the difference

Compromising

Dysfunctional Conflict (negative conflict)

Conflict that hinders the organization's performance or threatens its interests

Negative Conflict:

Conflict that hinders the organization's performance or threatens its interests.

You have to do it my way

Forcing

Norms:

General guidelines or rules of behavior that most group or team members follow.

Self-Managed Team:

Groups of workers who are given administrative oversight for their task domains.

Personality Conflict:

Interpersonal opposition based on personal dislike, disagreement, or differing styles.

Trust

Reciprocal faith in others' intentions and behaviors

Production Teams:

Responsible for performing day-to-day operations.

2-9 Members for better interaction and morale

Small teams

Roles:

Socially determined expectations of how individuals should behave in a specific position.

Four devices are used to stimulate constructive conflict

Spur Competition Among Employees Change the organization's culture and procedures Bring in outsiders for new perspectives Use programmed conflict: Devil's Advocacy and Dialectic Method

Forming:

The process of getting oriented and getting acquainted.

Dialectic Method:

The process of having two people or groups play opposing roles in a debate in order to better understand a proposal.

Reduction in alternative ideas Limiting of other information

The results of groupthink: decision-making defects

Cohesiveness:

The tendency of a group or team to stick together.

Group:

Two or more freely interacting individuals who share collective norms, share collective goals, and have a common identity.

Cooperating

When their efforts are systematically integrated to achieve a collective objective

Functional Conflict (constructive or cooperative conflict)

Which benefits the main purposes of the organization and serves its interests

To help the group service To clarify role expectations To help individuals avoid embarrassing situations To emphasize the group's important values and identity

Why Norms are enforced: Four Reasons

Increased productivity Increased speed Reduced costs Improved quality Reduced destructive internal competition Improved workplace cohesiveness

Why teamwork is important

Action Teams:

Work to accomplish tasks that require people with (1) specialized training and (2) a high degree of coordination.

Project Teams:

Work to do creative problem solving, often by applying the specialized knowledge of members of a cross-functional team.