MGMT+542+ch07

Chapter 7: The Nature of Teams

  • Synergy drives a great team

Chapter 7 Study Questions

  • What are teams and how are they used in organizations?

  • When is a team effective?

  • What are the stages of team development?

  • What are the input foundations for teamwork?

Definition of Teams

  • Team: A group of people with complementary skills working towards a common goal for which they are collectively accountable.

  • Teamwork: Collaboration where members actively work together, accepting collective accountability to achieve team goals.

What Teams Do

  • Teams that Recommend: Study specific problems and propose solutions.

  • Teams that Run: Hold formal responsibility for leading organizations or parts thereof.

  • Teams that Make or Do: Perform ongoing operational tasks.

Types of Teams

Formal Teams

  • Created and designated for specific organizational purposes.

  • Can be permanent or temporary; size and composition vary.

Informal Groups

  • Emerge naturally as a shadow to formal structures, lacking assigned purposes.

  • Types include:

    • Friendship groups

    • Interest groups

Social Network Analysis

  • Identifies informal groups and networks of relationships active in an organization.

Cross-Functional and Problem-Solving Teams

  • Cross-Functional Teams: Composed of members from different departments to improve integration and relationships.

  • Problem-Solving Teams: Temporarily organized to address specific issues.

  • Employee Involvement Teams: Meet regularly to discuss workplace issues and opportunities for improvement, e.g., quality circles.

Challenges of Team Dynamics

Functional Silos Problem

  • Occurs when functional units focus on internal matters, minimizing interaction with other functions.

Self-Managing Teams

  • Empowered teams that manage their own day-to-day decisions; duties may replace those of traditional managers.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Self-Managing Teams

Advantages

  • Improved productivity and quality.

  • Enhanced flexibility and response to change.

  • Reduction in absenteeism and turnover.

  • Positive effects on work attitudes and quality of life.

Disadvantages

  • Some may struggle with self-management responsibilities.

  • Managers might face challenges regarding the absence of direct supervision.

Virtual Teams

  • Work together through computer mediation rather than face-to-face interactions, overcoming geographic barriers.

  • Advantages:

    • Brings together diverse individuals.

    • Offers cost and time efficiencies.

    • Focuses on task completion by reducing emotional dynamics.

  • Disadvantages:

    • Challenges in building strong relationships.

    • Limited emotional expression and non-verbal cues.

Characteristics of Effective Teams

Effective Team

  • Achieves high levels of task performance, member satisfaction, and viability.

  • Task Performance: Meeting quantity, quality, and timeliness goals.

  • Member Satisfaction: Positive participation and experiences.

  • Team Viability: Satisfaction that encourages ongoing collaboration.

Synergy

  • The outcome wherein teamwork results in a greater performance than individual efforts.

Benefits of Teams for Organizations

  • Learning environments for sharing skills and knowledge.

  • Opportunities for social interactions that provide support and security.

  • Contribution to individuals' self-esteem and engagement.

Common Team Challenges

  • Social Loafing: Reduced effort by team members due to anonymity.

  • Personality Conflicts: Issues in interpersonal relationships.

  • Uncertainty: Ambiguity in tasks or competing goals.

  • Poor Agendas: Lack of structured meetings.

  • Lack of Motivation: Low engagement from team members.

  • Perceptions of Purpose: Team members feel a lack of clear goals.

Social Loafing

  • Tendency for individuals to exert less effort in teams. Reasons include the anonymity of contributions.

Prevention Techniques

  • Keep team sizes small.

  • Define individual roles clearly.

  • Increase accountability through performance expectations.

  • Tie rewards directly to individual contributions.

Social Facilitation Theory

  • Individual performance influenced by others' presence.

  • Positive outcome: increased effort on familiar tasks.

  • Negative outcome: decreased performance on unskilled tasks.

Stages of Team Development

  1. Forming: Team members get acquainted and establish acceptable behaviors.

  2. Storming: High emotionality and tension; conflicts arise.

  3. Norming: Members begin to work cohesively; challenges in maintaining unity.

  4. Performing: Fully functioning and mature team focused on goals.

  5. Adjourning: Team disbanding after achieving its objectives.

Task Nature and Team Effectiveness

  • Quality of inputs impacts team effectiveness, determined by:

    • Team size, composition, and resources.

    • Nature and complexity of tasks.

Input Foundations for Teamwork

Team Composition

  • Refers to the mix of skills, abilities, experiences, and personalities in the team.

FIRO-B Theory

  • Examines interpersonal orientations in groups among members.

Status and Diversity in Teams

  • Status refers to social standing; can impact teamwork dynamics.

  • Diversity can enhance skills but also pose challenges to cohesion.

Diversity-Consensus Dilemma

  • Challenges arising from diversity leading to teamwork difficulties despite broader perspectives.

Conclusion

  • Group dynamics significantly affect team interactions and performance.