MGT CH. 11: TEAMS: CHARACTERISTICS & DIVERSITY

What is the definition of a team?

Two or more people who work interdependently over time to accomplish common goals related to some task-oriented purpose (Colquitt et al., 2018).

How is a team different from a group?

Teams have task interdependence and shared goals, while groups may share interests or proximity but not interdependent tasks.

What are key traits that define a team?

Clear boundaries, interdependence, stability, and authority.

Why are teams a competitive advantage?

They outperform individuals due to diverse perspectives, skills, and collaboration.

What are Cohen & Bailey's (1997) team types?

1. Work Teams

2. Management Teams

3. Parallel Teams

4. Project Teams

5. Action Teams

What is the flaw in Cohen & Bailey’s taxonomy?

It assumes teams are static and focuses on what teams do rather than their structure or composition.

What are Hollenbeck et al.'s (2012) 3 team characteristics?

Authority Differentiation, Skill Differentiation, and Temporal Stability.

What does Authority Differentiation mean?

Who has the authority to make decisions during team disagreements.

What does Skill Differentiation mean?

Which team members perform which tasks.

What does Temporal Stability mean?

How long the structural linkages of the team last—short-term or long-term.

What is a multi-team system?

A system where two or more teams work interdependently to achieve both team-specific and superordinate goals.

What are the six TREO roles by Mathieu et al. (2015)?

Organizer, Doer, Challenger, Innovator, Team Builder, Connector.

What does the TREO role Organizer do?

Structures the team’s activities and plans.

What does the TREO role Doer do?

Completes work and drives the team toward task completion.

What does the TREO role Challenger do?

Pushes the team to question assumptions and consider alternatives.

What does the TREO role Innovator do?

Creates new ideas and strategies for the team.

What does the TREO role Team Builder do?

Helps support team decisions and fosters a positive team climate.

What does the TREO role Connector do?

Links the team with external people or resources.

What factors make up team composition?

Team type, team size, member roles, member ability, team diversity.

What is disjunctive task interdependence?

Tasks where one member’s high ability most determines team success.

What is conjunctive task interdependence?

Tasks where the team depends on its weakest member.

What is additive task interdependence?

Tasks where performance is the sum of all members' contributions.

What are the 3 general types of interdependence?

Task interdependence, goal interdependence, and outcome interdependence.

What are the 4 types of task interdependence?

Pooled, sequential, reciprocal, and comprehensive.

What is pooled interdependence?

Each team member works independently, and outputs are combined.

What is sequential interdependence?

One member’s output becomes the next member’s input.

What is reciprocal interdependence?

Team members interact with a subset of others in a structured way.

What is comprehensive interdependence?

Each member interacts with every other member freely.

What is team diversity?

The degree to which team members differ in observable and unobservable attributes.

What is surface-level diversity?

Differences in observable attributes like race, gender, or age.

What is deep-level diversity?

Differences in values, personality, and attitudes.

What is the Value in Diversity Problem-Solving approach?

The view that diversity enhances team performance through greater knowledge and perspectives.

What is the Similarity-Attraction approach?

The idea that team diversity can be counterproductive due to people preferring to work with similar others.

What is Tuckman’s model of team development?

A linear model with stages: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning.

What is Gersick’s model of punctuated equilibrium?

A cyclical model where teams remain stable until a critical event triggers change.

How do Tuckman and Gersick’s models differ?

Tuckman focuses on internal pressures in a sequence; Gersick focuses on external triggers and changes.

Work Team

Produce goods or provide services

Management Teams

Integrate activities of subunits across business functions.

Parallel Teams

Provide recommendations and resolve issues.

Project Teams

Produce a one-time output (product, service, plan, design)

Action Team

Perform complex tasks that vary in duration and take place in highly visible or challenging circumstances.