Chapter 13: Teams and Teamwork

qualities of self-managed teams

- members manage themselves and do not report directly to a supervisor - the team shares responsibility for a significant task - each member may take turns in the leadership role - outcomes include higher job satisfaction, increased self-esteem, and opportunities to grow more on the job

teamwork benefits

- more resources for problem solving - improved creativity and innovation - improved quality of decision making - greater commitment to tasks - increased motivation of members - better control and work discipline - more individual need satisfaction

4 input foundations for team effectiveness

1. membership composition -- diversity of experiences 2. nature of task -- clear and defined vs. open ended and complex 3. organizational setting -- info, research, tech 4. team size -- small vs large, odd vs even # ppl

5 fundamental factors of group cohesion

1. similarity 2. stability 3. size 4. support 5. satisfaction

3 properties for designing effective teams

1. team composition (who are the best individuals for the team?) 2. team size (how large should my team be?) 3. team diversity (how diverse should my team be?)

norm

a behavior, rule, or standard expected to be followed by team members

conflict

a disagreement over issues of substance or clashing emotions

groupthink

a group pressure phenomenon that increases the risk of the group making flawed decisions occurs when teams work so hard to reach agreement that they avoid disagreement and end up making bad decisions

collective efficacy

a group's perception of its ability to successfully perform well

team

a particular type of group: a small cohesive coalition of people working together to achieve mutual goals for which they are mutually accountable

quality circle

a team of employees who meet periodically to discuss ways of improving work quality

cross-functional team

a team that appears in matrix organizations where individuals from different parts of the organization staff the team which may be temporary or long standing in nature

product development team

a team that can be temporary or ongoing

employee involvement team

a team that meets on a regular basis to help achieve continuous improvement

task force

a temporary team which is asked to address a specific issue or problem until it is resolved

competition

aka authoritative command, uses force and domination to win a conflict

task activity

an action taken by a team member that directly contributes to the group's performance purpose

member satisfaction

are we individually and collectively pleased with our participation in the process?

disruptive behaviors

behaviors that are self-serving and cause problems for team effectiveness

viability for future action

can this team be successful again in the future?

group

collection of individuals who interact with each other to achieve common goals

emotional conflict

conflict that results from feelings of anger and distrust, as well as personality clashes

task performance

did we accomplish our tasks and meet expectancy?

cohesive groups

groups in which members are attached to each other and act as one unit

formal groups

groups that are made up of managers, subordinates, or both with close associates among group members that influence the behavior of individuals in the group

informal groups

groups that are made up of two or more individuals who are associated with one another in ways not prescribed by the formal organization

team building

involves gathering and analyzing data, and making changes to improve teamwork and performance

centralized communication network

network where communication flows only between individual members and a hub or center point creates a coaching team

compromise

occurs when each party gives up something of value to the other

avoidance

pretends that a conflict doesn't really exist

storming

stage of team development where there is conflict over tasks and working as a team

norming

stage of team development where there is consolidation around tasks and operating agendas

forming

stage of team development where there is initial orientation and interpersonal testing

performing

stage of team development where there is teamwork and focused task performance

interacting team

team in which all members actively work together and share information. member satisfaction for this type of team is high

effective team

team that achieves high levels of task performance, membership satisfaction, and future viability

counteracting teams

team that, when unmanaged, deteriorates to the point where subgroups fail to adequately communicate with one another and even engage in outwardly antagonistic relations

coaching team

team whose members work independently and pass completed tasks to the hub, where it is then put together to create the finished task. the hub member usually experiences the highest satisfaction in this situation

virtual teams

teams where members are not located in the same physical place and instead interact through computers

self-managing teams

teams whose members have been given collective authority to make many decisions about how they share and complete their work

heterogeneous teams

teams with members of diverse personal characteristics

homogenous teams

teams with members of similar personal characteristics

team IQ

the ability of a team to perform well by using talent and emotional intelligence

synergy

the creation of a whole that is greater than the sum of its individual parts

cohesiveness

the degree to which members are attracted to and motivated to remain part of a team

performance norm

the efforts and performance contributions expected of team members

team virtuousness

the extent to which members adopt norms that encourage shared commitments to moral behavior

team diversity

the mix of skills, experiences, backgrounds, and personalities of team members

decision making

the process of making choices among alternative courses of action

teamwork

the process of people actively working together to accomplish common goals

conflict resolution

the removal of substantive or emotional causes of a conflict

social loafing

the tendency of individuals to put in less effort when working in a group context "others aren't putting in work, so why should I?"

distributed leadership

when any and all members contribute helpful task and maintenance activities to the team

employee empowerment

when employees have the responsibility and authority to achieve their goals

purpose of assembling a team

- accomplish larger, more complex goals, than what would be possible for an individual working alone - perform, get results and achieve victory in the workplace - combine multiple skills or where buy-in is required from several individuals - the best managers are those who can gather together a group of individuals and mold them into an effective team

3 key properties of a team

1. collaborative action 2. compensation based on shared outcomes 3. sacrifice for the common good

steps to building a cohesive team

1. establish common objectives 2. let members choose goals and participate fully 3. define clear roles and responsibilities 4. build familiarity through close proximity 5. give frequent praise and validate 6. treat all members with dignity and respect 7. celebrate differences 8. establish common rituals

5 stages of team development

1. forming 2. storming 3. norming 4. performing 5. adjourning

stages of group development

1. forming 2. storming 3. norming 4. performing 5. ajourning

3 types of task interdependence

1. pooled interdependence 2. sequential interdependence 3. reciprocal interdependence

collaboration

aka problem solving, works through differences so that everyone wins

maintenance activity

an action taken by a team member that supports the emotional life of the group

effects of too much cohesion

an internal pressure to conform may arise where some members modify their behavior to adhere to group norms cohesive groups will often disapprove of members who dare to disagree (groupthink can occur)

substantive conflict

conflict that involves disagreements over things like goals, tasks, and resources

committee

designated to work on a special task on a continuing basis

decentralized communication network

network that allows all members to communicate directly with one another using this network creates an interacting team

restricted communication network

network when the teams break up into subgroups, either on purpose or because members are experiencing issue-specific disagreements creates counteracting teams

accommodation

plays down the differences and highlights similarities

consensus

reached when all parties believe they have had their say and been listened to, and they all agree to support the group's final decision

adjourning

stage of team development where there is task completion and disengagement

team process

the way team members work together to accomplish tasks

challenges of virtual teams

- building trust is difficult - if individuals in a virtual team are not fully engaged and tend to avoid conflict, team performance can suffer

barriers to effective teams

- challenges knowing where to begin - dominating team members - poor performance of team members - poorly managed team conflict