Chapter 13 : Principles of Management

Self-managed work groups

teams given administrative oversight for their own tasks with no formal boss

Virtual teams

teams that work together through electronic media across time and distance

Benefits of virtual teams

global diversity

Drawbacks of virtual teams

physical distance and social distance

Work teams

groups work toward a shared goal

Project teams

teams formed to complete a specific project or solve a problem and disband afterward

Cross-functional teams

teams with members from different departments working together

Groups versus teams

groups are management-directed while teams are self-directed

Formal group

a group created by management to accomplish specific goals

Informal group

a group formed for friendship or shared interests

Forming stage

team members get oriented and set ground rules

Storming stage

individual roles emerge and conflicts occur

Norming stage

conflicts are resolved and unity develops

Performing stage

team focuses on task completion

Adjourning stage

team prepares for disbandment or transition

Group cohesiveness

the “we feeling” that binds group members together

Factors affecting cohesiveness

group size, spacing, dependence, goal achievement, status, and management pressure

Trust

reciprocal faith in others’ intentions and behaviors

Core drivers of trust

authenticity, logic, empathy

Collaboration

sharing information and coordinating efforts to achieve a common goal

Mutual accountability

shared responsibility among team members for results

Groupthink

when group members agree just to maintain harmony and avoid conflict

Devil’s advocate

assigning someone to play the role of critic to challenge ideas

Second-chance meeting

revisiting a decision to avoid groupthink and improve outcomes

Roles

expected behaviors for team members

Norms

unwritten rules guiding group behavior

Purpose of norms

help group survival, help group survival, clarify roles, prevent embarrassment, and reinforce values

Task roles

behaviors that focus on completing work

Maintenance roles

behaviors that support relationships and morale

Functional conflict

conflict that supports organizational goals and benefits performance

Dysfunctional conflict

conflict that hinders performance and threatens interests

Productive conflict

open discussion of disagreements in a healthy way

Avoiding conflict style

ignoring or withdrawing from conflict

Obliging conflict style

prioritizing relationships over the issue

Dominating conflict style

imposing one’s viewpoint

Compromising conflict style

each side gives up something to reach a solution

Integrating conflict style

collaborating for a win-win outcome

Group status

rank or position based on leadership

Group norm compliance

following norms due to group pressure

Punctuated equilibrium

stable functioning until a sudden change in norms

High-performing virtual teams

teams that build trust

Inattention to results

dysfunction managed by team reflexivity

Avoidance of accountability

dysfunction managed with performance goals and feedback

Lack of commitment

dysfunction managed by promoting collaboration

Fear of conflict

dysfunction managed by creating a team charter

Absence of trust

dysfunction managed by giving team members a voice