Ch. 12: Teams: Processes and Communication

Team Process

the different types of communication, activities, and interactions that occur within teams that contribute to their ultimate end goals

Process Gain

getting more from the team than you would expect according to the capabilities of its individual members

Process Loss

getting less from the team than you would expect based on the capabilities of its individual members

Coordination Loss

members have to work to not only accomplish their own tasks, but also coordinate their activities with the activities of their teammates

Production Blocking

members have to wait on one another before they can do their part of the team task

Motivational Loss

the loss in team productivity that occurs when team members don’t work as hard as they could

Social Loafing

feelings of reduced accountability which cause members to exert less effort when working on team tasks than they would if they worked alone on those same tasks

Taskwork Processes

the activities of team members that relate directly to the accomplishment of team tasks

Brainstorming

a face-to-face meeting of team members in which each offers as many ideas as possible about some focal problem or issue

Nominal Group Technique

a process that starts off by bringing the team together and outlining the purpose of the meeting, but the next steps take place on an individual level before each individual brings their ideas back to the group and share their ideas in a round-robin fashion

Decision Informity

whether members possess adequate information about their own task responsibilities

Staff Validity

the degree to which members make good recommendations to the leader

Hierarchical Sensitivity

the degree to which the leader effectively weighs the recommendations of the members

Boundary Spanning

three types of activities with individuals and groups other than those who are considered part of the team

Ambassador Activities

communications that are intended to protect the team, persuade other to support the team, or obtain important resources for the team

Task Coordinator Activities

communications that are intended to coordinate task-related issues with people or groups in other functional areas

Scout Activities

things team members do to obtain information about technology, competitors, or the broader marketplace

Teamwork Processes

the interpersonal activities that facilitate the accomplishment of the team’s work, but do not directly involve task accomplishment itself

Transition Processes

teamwork activities that focus on preparation for future work

Action Processes

teamwork processes that are sued while taskwork is being accomplished

Interpersonal Processes

teamwork processes that occur before, during, or between periods of taskwork, and each relates to the manner in which team members manage their relationships

Relationship Conflict

disagreements among team members in terms of interpersonal relationships or incompatibilities with respect to personal values or preferences

Task Conflict

disagreements among members about the team’s task

Communication

the process by which information and meaning get transferred from a sender to a receiver

Information Richness

the amount and depth of information that gets transmitted in a message

Network Structure

the pattern of communication that occurs regularly among each member of the team

Team States

specific types of feelings and thoughts that coalesce in the minds of team members as a consequence of their experience working together

Cohesion

strong emotional bonds to other members of their team and to the team itself

Groupthink

drive toward conformity