Chapter 10 Developing High Performance Teams 4th edition

Production blocking

where only one person typically speaks at a time—is a form of time constraint on teams.

Team size and composition

• Virtual teams usually require smaller team size than conventional teams. • Virtual team members must have skills in communicating through information technology and be able to process multiple threads of conversation. • Virtual team members are more likely than conventional team members to require cross-cultural awareness and knowledge.

evaluation apprehension

When individuals are reluctant to mention ideas that seem silly because they believe (often correctly) that other team members are silently evaluating them.

calculus based trust

Which Trust is this? • Based on deterrence. • Fragile and limited potential because dependent on punishment. • Based on deterrence. • Teams cannot survive with this level of trust.

identification based trust

Which trust is this? • Based on common mental models and values. • Increases with person's social identity with team. • The "highest" of trust, based on mutual understanding and emotional bond between the parties.

knowledge based trust

Which trust is this? • Based on predictability and competence. • Fairly robust. • "Higher" level of trust and is grounded on the other party's predictability

Evaluation apprehension

Occurs when employees believe that others are silently evaluating them, so they avoid stating seemingly silly ideas.

constructive conflict

Occurs when team members debate their different perceptions about an issue in a way that keeps the conflict focused on the task rather than people. But can easier revolve into person attacks.

Virtual teams

Operate across space, time, and organizational boundaries and are linked through information technologies to achieve organizational task.

Methods to improve creativity & decision making

1. Constructive conflict 2. Brainstorming 3. Electronic Brainstorming 4. Nominal group technique 5. Delphi Method 6. Nominal Group Techniques

nominal group technique

1. Describe the problem 2. Silently write down your solution 3. Describe your solutions to the problem 4. Don't critique or debate the solution 5. Rank order and vote on the solution 6. It keeps the team members focused on the task. 7. The meeting is always face-to-face 8. Overcomes evaluation apprehension.

Types of Team Building

1. Goal setting 2. Role definition 3. Interpersonal processes 4. Problem solving

Group-think

1. Highly cohesive 2. Strong identity with groups 3. Isolated from outsiders 4. Face external threats 5. Opinionated leader - want go against 6. Recent team failures 7. Lacks clear guidance

Trust in Teams

1. Identification based trust 2. Knowledge base trust 3. Calculus based trust

Constructive conflict exists

1. If an employee disagrees with his/her manager regarding a duty or task. 2. You feel you are personally attacked. 3. If conflict become emotionally charged.

Nominal Group Technique

1. Individual activity: Members individually write down possible solutions. 2. Team activity: Members describe their solutions to each other 3. Individual activity: Member individually vote on all solutions.

four conditions in sociotechnical systems theory

1. Responsible for an Entire Work Process 2. Sufficient Autonomy 3. Control Key Variances 4. Operate under Joint Optimization

Brainstorming

1. Speak freely 2. Don't criticize 3. Provide as many ideas as possible 4. Build on the ideas of others

Designing High-Performance Virtual Teams

1. Team processes 2. Team size and composition 3. Team tasks 4. Team environment

Team Trusts - Foundation

1. identification based trust 2. knowledge based trust 3. calculus based trust

joint optimization

A key requirement in sociotechnical systems theory that a balance must be struck between social and technical systems to maximize an operation's effectiveness.

trust

A psychological state comprising the intention to accept vulnerability based on positive expectations of the intent or behavior of another person.

nominal group technique

A structured team decision-making process whereby team members independently write down ideas, describe and clarify them to the group, and then independently rank or vote on them.

Delphi method

A structured team decision-making process of systematically pooling the collective knowledge of experts on a particular subject to make decisions, predict the future, or identify opposing views.

sociotechnical systems (STS) theory

A theory stating that effective work sites have joint optimization of their social and technological systems, and that teams should have sufficient autonomy to control key variances in the work process.

production blocking

A time constraint in team decision making due to the procedural requirement that only one person may speak at a time.

team building

Any formal activity intended to improve the development and functioning of a work team.

self-direct work teams

Complete an entire piece of work requiring several interdependent tasks and have substantial autonomy over the execution of these tasks. __________________ systems (STS) theory identifies four main conditions for high-performance must be responsible for an entire work process have sufficient autonomy, have control over key variances, and operate under joint optimization. STS theory has been widely supported since its origins in the 1950s. However, it is not very helpful at identifying the optimal alignment of the social and technical system. SDWTs also face crosscultural issues, management resistance, and labor union and employee resistance. Virtual teams are teams

self directed work teams

Complete an entire piece of work requiring several interdependent tasks. This high interdependence is important because the work clusters the team members together and minimizes their interdependence with employees outside the team. The result is a closely knit group that depends on each other to accomplish their individual tasks. For example, employees in the prepared foods team at a Whole Foods store would naturally work more closely with each other than with members of other teams.

self directed work teams

Cross-functional work groups organized around work processes that complete an entire piece of work requiring several interdependent tasks, and that have substantial autonomy over the execution of those tasks.

Sufficient Autonomy

STS theory says that an SDWT must have ___________________ _________________ to manage the work process. The team should be able to organize and coordinate work among its members to respond more quickly and effectively to its environment. This autonomy also motivates team members through feelings of empowerment.

control Key Variances

STS theory says that high-performance SDWTs have control over "key variances." These variances represent the disturbances or interruptions in the work process that affect the quality or performance of the product or service. For instance, the mixture of ingredients would be a key variance for employees in food processing because the mixture is within the team's control and influences the quality of the final product.

Responsible for an Entire Work Process

STS theory suggests that self-directed teams work best when they are responsible for making an entire product, providing a service, or otherwise completing an entire work process. By making an entire product or service, the team is sufficiently independent that it can make adjustments without interfering, or having interference from, other work units. At the same time the primary work unit ensures that employees perform interdependent sub-tasks within their team so they have a sense of cohesiveness by working toward a common goal.

Conformity

Keeps team members aligned with team goals, but it also tends to suppress dissenting opinions. "Peer Pressures"

virtual teams

Teams whose members operate across space, time and organizational boundaries and who are linked through information technologies to achieve organizational goals.

brainstorming

Everyone in the team should be able to speak free-wheeling, face-to-face meeting where team members aren't allowed to criticize, but are encouraged to speak freely, generate as many ideas as possible, and build on the ideas of others. Example: One team member offer a crazy decision, members can't stop that member and say that's crazy. Two problems with this: Production Blocking and Evaluation Apprehension.

characteristics: self-directed work teams

Have substantial autonomy over the execution of their tasks. In particular, these teams plan, organize, and control work activities with little or no direct involvement of a higher-status supervisor. They tend to control most work input, flow, and output, such as work directly with suppliers and customers.

Sociotechnical systems (STS) theory

Identifies four main conditions for high-performance must be responsible for an entire work process have sufficient autonomy, have control over key variances, and operate under joint optimization. This theory has been widely supported since its origins in the 1950s. However, it is not very helpful at identifying the optimal alignment of the social and technical system. SDWTs also face crosscultural issues, management resistance, and labor union and employee resistance.

Group-think

Is the tendency of highly cohesive groups to value consensus at the price of decision quality. Team are highly cohesive make very bad decisions.

joint optimization

The notion that the work process needs to balance the social and technical subsystems. In particular, the technological system should be implemented in a way that encourages or facilitates team dynamics, job enrichment, and meaningful feedback. This idea of joint optimization was quite radical in the 1940s when many thought that technology dictated how employees should be organized. In many cases technology resulted in people working alone with little opportunity to directly coordinate their work or share knowledge and ideas. Sociotechnical systems theory, on the other hand, says that companies can and must introduce technology so that it supports a semi-autonomous, team-based structure.

groupthink

The tendency of highly cohesive groups to value consensus at the price of decision quality.

Group polarization

The tendency of teams to make more "extreme" decisions than individuals.

group polarization

The tendency of teams to make more extreme decisions than individuals working alone. Shift the responsibility from the individually to the team.

self-directed work teams

This high interdependence is important because the work clusters the team members together and minimizes their interdependence with employees outside the team. The result is a closely knit group that depends on each other to accomplish their individual tasks.

Virtual teams

This team is becoming more popular because information technology and knowledge based work make it easier to collaborate from a distance.

electronic brainstorming

Using special computer software, participants share ideas while minimizing the team dynamics problems inherent in traditional brainstorming sessions. "Share their idea using software. Put on a common screen and no one the idea of whom ideas is posting." Consumes the least amount of time and yields the biggest results and ideas in the group.

team processes

Virtual team development and cohesiveness require some face-to-face interaction, particularly when the team forms.

Team environment

Virtual teams need several communication channels available to offset lack of face-to-face communication.

Team tasks

Virtual teams operate better with structured rather than complex and ambiguous tasks.