L4: High Performing Teams

Work teams

common goals, perform organisationally relevant tasks, interdependent, different roles and responsibilities in encompassing organisational system

Types of teams

Formal, informal, sefl directed/managed, virtual

Formal teams can be

vertical, horizontal, special-purpose, cross-functional, cross-cultural

5 stages of team development

forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning

traditional view of team functioning

inputs > mediators > outputs

team inputs include

composition, team/task characteristics, organisational context/culture

team mediators include

action processes (communication, leadership, adaptation), transition processes (planning, goal specification), interpersonal processes (conflict management, trust building)

team outputs include

effectiveness, team learning outcomes

2 types of team conflict

task (substantative), relationship conflict

task/substantative conflict includes

over processes and outcomes, can increase innovation

relationship conflict is about

personal styles, values, tastes… negative

4 conflict management styles, differ on concern about relationships/others outcomes and task/own outcomes

accomodation/yielding, avoiding/withdrawal, collaboration/problem solving, competing/forcing

Positive conflict can arise if (De Dreu)

conflicts are task related, not about relationships, moderate, inital position is suboptimal, high trust and psychological safety, problem solving approach

but ignores longer term/other effects

contemporary view of team functioning

venn diagram with 3 main circles: structural, mediating, compositional

Structural features include

task scope: no. of actions required for task

task complexity: component, coordination demands, dynamic

structural interdependence: features which can be manipulated by leaders/members

Team experiences can be

collective - shared experiences, psychological safety

individual - attitudes, reactions, learning…

Psychological safety

will others give you the benefit of the doubt when you take a risk?

how group members perceive group norm

Mediating mechanisms include

Team processes

• transition processes (goal specification, strategy forming…)

• action processes (monitoring progress, system monitoring and coordination…)

• interpersonal (conflict management, motivation…)

Emergent states

Compositional features include

workforce diversity (surface, deep level, functional)

faultlines: hypothetical dividing lines splitting group to subgroups

performance metrics

productivity (quantitative), efficiency (relative to standard), quality (value/worth of outputs)

Emergent states (psychological aspects)

Team cohesion, trust, climate, team potency

team potency is

collective belief about ability to be successful across tasks and situations