MHR Unit 4: Teams

A person in the standard setter role will:

evaluate the quality of group processes

Informal Groups

exists when the members' overriding purpose of getting together is friendship or a common interest

Team Adaptive Capacity (adaptability)

important to meet changing demands and to effectively transition members in and out

Cross-Functionalism

occurs when specialists from different areas are put on the same team

Hybrid Rewards

those that include team and individual components (research shows these reduce social loafing)

Recent research shows that in early stages of team development, teams perform better when members have a high:

tolerance for uncertainty

Virtual Teams

work together over time and distance via electronic media to combine effort and achieve common goals

Performing

Activity during this vital stage is focused on solving task problems, as contributors get their work done without hampering others.

Norming

Groups that make it through Stage 2 generally do so because a respected member, other than the leader, challenges the group to resolve its power struggles so something can be accomplished.

Formal groups perform two basic functions: ________ and ________.

Organizational; individual

Adjourning

The work is done; it is time to move on to other things. The return to independence can be eased by rituals celebrating "the end" and "new beginnings."

Storming

This is a time of testing. Individuals test the leader's policies and assumptions as they try to determine how they fit into the power structure. Subgroups take shape, and subtle forms of rebellion, such as procrastination occur.

Groups routinely outperform individuals, particularly in quantitative tasks.

True

Teams are task groups that have matured to the performing stage.

True

The two types of roles that are very important to effective group functioning are task and maintenance.

True

To be a team, a group must be composed of members with complementary skills.

True

Competence Trust

Trust of capability

Contractual Trust

Trust of character

Communication Trust

Trust of disclosure

Teams that work together over time and distance via electronic media to combine efforts and achieve common goals are called:

Virtual teams

Trust

a reciprocal belief that another person will consider how his or her intentions and behaviors will affect you

Role

a set of expected behaviors for a particular position

Group Role

a set of expected behaviors for members of the group as a whole

3 Forms of Trust

a. Contractual b. Communication c. Competence

Norm

an attitude, opinion, feeling, or action--shared by two or more people--that guides behavior

Formal Groups

assigned by organizations or their managers to accomplish specific goals

Team Building

catchall term for a host of techniques aimed at improving the internal functioning of work groups

Group cohesiveness

defined as the "we feeling" that binds members of a group together principal by-product of stage 3

Team Performance Strategies

deliberate plans that outline what exactly the team is to do, such as goal setting and defining particular member roles, tasks, and responsibilities

Team Charters

describes how the team will operate, such as processes for sharing information and decision making (teamwork)

Team Composition

describes the collection of jobs, personalities, knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience of team members

Task Roles

enable the work group to define, clarify, and pursue a common purpose (keep the group on track)

A group member who says ________ is performing a task role.

"Let's focus on the main goal here. What are we trying to accomplish?"

5 Stages of Group Development Process

1. Forming 2. Storming 3. Norming 4. Performing 5. Adjourning

5 Criteria for a Group to become a Team

1. Leadership becomes a shared activity. 2. Accountability shifts from strictly individual to both individual and collective. 3. The group develops its own purpose or mission. 4. Problem solving becomes a way of life, not a part-time activity. 5. Effectiveness is measured by the group's collective outcomes an products.

Ways to combat social loafing include: .

1. Limit group size. 2. Assure equity of effort. 3. Hold people accountable. 4. Use hybrid rewards

Two basic functions that formal groups fulfill:

1. Organizational 2. Individual

Group

1. two or more freely interacting individuals who 2. share norms and 3. goals and have a 4. common identity

3 C's of Effective Teams

Charters and strategies Composition Capacity

3 C's of a Team Player

Committed Collaborative Competent

Which of the following is an organizational function of a group?

Coordinate interdepartmental efforts

Forming

During this "ice-breaking" stage, group members tend to be uncertain and anxious about such things as their roles, the people in charge, and the group's goals. Mutual trust is low, and there is a good deal of holding back to see who takes charge and how.

A norm is a set of expected behaviors for a particular position.

False

According to Schein, a crowd is a large group.

False The size of a group is . . . limited by the possibilities of mutual interaction and mutual awareness. Mere aggregates of people do not fit this definition because they do not interact and do not perceive themselves to be a group even if they are aware of each other as, for instance, a crowd on a street corner watching some event.

Which of the following is not a way to reduce social loafing?

Increasing group size

A person in the orienter role will:

Keep the group headed toward its stated goals

Tracy has been part of a work group for some weeks now. She has slowly become well-acquainted with the other members and even made some new friends. Although in the beginning there were a few arguments and fights, they were resolved with time and Tracy feels a definite sense of team spirit that gets her excited about work. According to Tuckman's five-stage model of group development, which of the following stages is Tracy's group experiencing?

Norming

Which of the following statements about norms is not true?

Norms are typically written down and discussed openly by groups

Which of the following is not a group maintenance role?

Procedural Technician

As part of a work team in his office, it is Larry's job to make photocopies of relevant materials and hand them out to the team members during meetings. Which of the following task roles is Larry performing in his work team?

Procedural technician

According to research, the most effective teams are those with:

Similar levels of conscientiousness and mixed extraversion

Deliberate plans that outline exactly what the team is to do, such as goal setting and defining roles, are called:

Team performance strategies

Teams in Terms of Group Development Stage

Teams are task groups that have matured to the performing stage.

How many members do EFFECTIVE teams have?

fewer than 10 members (8 is most common)

________ groups are assigned by organizations or managers, while ________ groups form when members' purpose of getting together is friendship or a common interest.

formal; informal

In which stage of the group development process are group members uncertain about their roles, who's in charge, and the group's goals?

forming

Maintenance Roles

foster supportive and constructive interpersonal relationships (keep the group together)

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a group?

four or more individuals

Self-managed Teams

groups of workers who are given administrative oversight for their task domains

As part of a work group, Bob's main job is to resolve conflicts between other group members. Whenever there is an argument, he tries to figure out a solution that benefits both parties, or he quickly defuses the tension with some jokes. Which of the following roles is Bob performing within his work group?

harmonizer

Sarah and Bill were recently hired at the local manufacturing plant. Before being hired, they were interviewed by the team members with whom they were going to work. The team contained members from various areas of the manufacturing process. As part of the training process, Sarah and Bill met the other team members a number of times, and learned how to perform several administrative tasks, including scheduling work assignments for the team. Sarah and Bill's new team is an example of a ________.

self-managed team

Team

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

Social Loafing

tendency for individual effort to decline as group size increases