Managing People in Organizations - Teams: Characteristics and Diversity

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the characteristics, types, development stages, interdependence, and diversity of teams in an organizational context.

Teams

Consists of two or more people who work interdependently over some time period to accomplish common goals related to some task-oriented purpose.

Work Teams

Relatively permanent teams whose purpose is to produce goods or services, generally requiring a full-time commitment from members.

Management Teams

Relatively permanent teams that participate in managerial-level tasks affecting the entire organization, such as coordinating sub-units or making strategic decisions.

Parallel Teams

Composed of members from various departments who provide recommendations to managers about important issues and run parallel to production processes.

Quality circles

A relatively permanent parallel team which meets regularly to identify production-oriented problems and develop solutions.

Committees/task forces

Parallel teams formed to deal with problems that arise periodically, such as non-routine hiring.

Project Teams

Teams formed to take on complex, $one-time$ tasks that require input from members with different types of training and experience; they last as long as the task takes.

Action Teams

Teams that perform tasks normally limited in duration, often quite complex, and taking place in a highly visible context, such as surgical or sports teams.

Virtual Teams

Teams in which the members are geographically dispersed and interdependent activity occurs through electronic communication.

Forming

The stage of development where members orient themselves, try to understand team boundaries, expectations, risk levels, and who is in charge.

Storming

The stage where conflict occurs as members work out differences related to accomplishments, methods, and power dynamics.

Norming

The stage where members realize they must work together and begin to cooperate, develop norms, and agree on roles.

Performing

The stage where the group actually works towards the accomplishment of its goals.

Adjourning

The stage where the group disbands, which may create anxiety and other emotions.

Punctuated Equilibrium

The point, usually around the mid-point of the team's existence, at which the team realizes it needs to increase its pace to achieve its purpose.

Task Interdependence

The degree to which team members interact with and rely on other team members for information, materials, and resources needed to accomplish work.

Pooled interdependence

A type of interdependence where group members complete assignments independently and work is simply accumulated from a common source.

Sequential interdependence

Interaction where tasks are done in a prescribed order; those later in the sequence rely on those earlier in the sequence to complete their task first.

Reciprocal interdependence

Interaction where members are specialized in their tasks and interact with a subset of other members to complete the team’s task.

Comprehensive interdependence

The highest level of interaction and coordination among members, common in product design teams and rock bands.

Goal interdependence

The degree to which members share a vision of the team’s goal and align their individual goals with that vision.

Outcome interdependence

The degree to which the team members share in the rewards that the team earns.

Equal outcomes

A form of outcome interdependence where every member receives equal compensation.

Individual-based rewards

Outcome interdependence where each team member is rewarded based on their level of contribution.

Compensation based on $$ of salary

Outcome interdependence where compensation is determined by base pay.

Roles

A pattern of behavior that a person is expected to display in a given context.

Task roles

Behaviors that facilitate the accomplishment of team tasks, such as the Initiator-contributor, Coordinator, or Devil's Advocate.

Team-building roles

Behaviors that influence the quality of the team's social climate and cohesion, such as the Encourager or Harmonizer.

Individualistic roles

Behaviors where a person pursues their own interests at the expense of the team, such as the Aggressor, Slacker, or Dominator.

Disjunctive tasks

Tasks with a verifiable best solution where group effectiveness relies on the person with the highest level of relevant ability.

Conjunctive tasks

Tasks where success is dependent on the group’s weakest link, requiring everyone to have relevant abilities.

Additive tasks

Tasks where successful output is dependent on each member contributing their share, with better performing members potentially making up for low contributors.

Value in diversity problem solving approach

A perspective stating diversity is beneficial because it provides a larger pool of knowledge and perspectives, stimulating learning and creativity.

Similarity-attraction approach

A perspective stating diversity could have detrimental effects if members avoid interacting with others who are different, leading to communication problems and conflict.

Surface level diversity

Differences in observable attributes such as race, gender, and age, which may cause initial conflict that typically declines over time.

Fault-lines

Rifts that develop when sub-groups form along observable traits, potentially preventing the group from unifying.

Deep level diversity

Diversity in attributes that are less easy to observe initially, such as underlying beliefs and values, which emerge over time through direct experience.