INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY: Work Teams and Conflict

Donnellson's Five Categories of Teams

*Collaborative Teams *Emergent (True) Teams *Aversial Teams *Nominal Teams *Doomed (Non) Teams

How Teams are Formed: Tuckman's Stages of Group Development

*Forming *Storming *Norming *Performing *Adjourning

Types of Teams

*Work Teams *Crew *Parallel Teams (Cross-Functional Teams) *Project Teams *Management Teams

Parallel Teams (Cross-Functional Teams)

-Consists of representatives coming from various departments within an organization. -Must work with a clear purpose, recieve reports from each of the different functional areas, and take steps in order to increase the trust levels of its members.

Crew

-Most important type of work team. -Group of expert specialists who each have specific role positions perform brief actions that are closely synchronized with each other, and repeat these events accross different environmental conditions. -Group is affected less by changes in membership because they include highly trained specialists and often rely on technology.

Project Teams

-Produce one-time products or outputs, creating a new product. -Tasks may also include installing a new system or hiring a new employee. -Disbands once the project is done.

Performing

-Team executes plans and starts to accomplish goals gradually. -The team monitors progress towards the goals set, determine additional resources they might need, provide feedback and assistance from member to member, and make strategic adjustments that seem necessary.

Storming

-Team members start to disagree with one another. They may clash when it comes to ideas, and form tension and conflict. -This stage also generates energy for the team to perform well in the later stages.

Lack of Empowerment

-Teams are not given sufficient authority to conduct their business. -Managers worry that the job will notbe done properly, fears that the teams move too fast, and that the team will overstep boundaries, affecting the rest of the group. -Lack of authority needed when overcoming the political resistance of each affected department.

Excessive Metting Requirements

-Teams either meet to infrequently or meet too often. -If the team meets excessively, time may be wasted. -Teams meetings must limit topics to be discussed, and meet only when the team is needed to contribute.

Virtual Teams

Carry out their functions digitally.

Work Team

Collection of three or more individuals who interact intensively to provide an organizational product, plan, decision, or service.

Management Team

Coordinate, manage, advise, and direct employees. Responsible for providing direction and assistance to other teams.

Identification

Determines the extent to which members identify more with the team than with other groups. The use of we, us, and our are prevalent when referring to the collective.

Work Teams

Group or employees who manage themselves, assign jobs, plan and schedule work, make work-related decisions, and solve problems as a team.

Lack of Skill

Lack of basic skills such as communication skills, problem solving skills, and skills needed when working with a team. Lack of expertise needed in a task.

Distrust of the Team Process

Management does not trust the concept of teams. Managers also need to be trained in the team process.

Interdependence

Members need and desire the assistance, opinions, and expertise of other members of the team. If a team member is abole to perform their task without the assistance of another member, then the team is not considered a group.

Negotiation Process

Members negotiate in a win-win style in which the goal for all team members to win in their own ways.

Social Distance

Members try to decrease the presence of this factor by being causal; using nicknames, expressing empathy and appreciation for each other and sharing common interests or values.

Power Differentiation

Memebers try to decrease this factor by treating each others as equals and taking steps in ensuring the equality within the group. Members apologize for overstepping their roles, ask indirect questions to avoid challenges, and show courtesy and respect to each other.

Conflict Management Tactics

Responding to conflict through collaboration and trying to understand each other's views. Making attempts to compromise and use tones of speaking that are not intimidating or threatening.

Permanency

Some teams are designed to work together permanently while others are formed for the sake of one problem.

Forming

Team members get to meet or form a team while also deciding which roles go to which members.

Punctuated Equilibrium

Teams develop direction and strategy during the first meeting, go in the direction planned for some time, then drastically revise their strategy half way through the tema's progress.

Unclear Objectives

Teams work best when they know their purpose and what they are expected to accomplish. They must also know when they are expected to be finished with their output.

Why Teams don't always Work

The Team is not a Team Excessive Meeting Requirements Lack of Empowerment Lack of Skill Unclear Objectives Distrust of the Team Process

The Team is not a Team

The team only carries the title of team , but does not work well together due to misunderstandings or discord within the group.