Team Effectiveness and Composition
Multi-Dimensional Construct of Team Effectiveness
Team effectiveness cannot be encapsulated by a single measure.
Need for Multiple Measures: Multiple indicators are essential to assess team performance comprehensively.
Example: Team performance is evaluated based on goal achievement—whether the team reaches the objectives set for them.
Individual Dimensions within a Team
A team is comprised of individuals, each with unique expectations from the team.
Individual Objectives: Different team members may have various aims:
Learning: A team member may seek opportunities for personal development and learning.
Support: Another member might want support and collaboration from peers.
Efficiency: Some members may be driven to perform their tasks more efficiently.
Importance of Individual Satisfaction: Individual fulfillment contributes to overall team effectiveness.
Social Nature of Teams
Teams function as social entities, and this dimension is critically important for long-term sustainability.
Dysfunctional Relationships: High performance does not guarantee healthy relationships. Teams may operate well while still developing toxic interpersonal dynamics.
Future Viability: The nature of relationships influences a team's ability to function and grow over time.
Key Variables Influencing Team Effectiveness
High-Performance Teams: What characteristics foster high-performing teams with satisfied individuals and healthy relationships?
Hypomodel of Team Effectiveness: This framework will help explore variables aiding team effectiveness:
Context: The environment and conditions surrounding the team.
Role and Task Design: How roles and tasks are structured within the team.
Team Composition: Composition concerning diversity and skills among members.
Important Processes: Establishing team norms and identity.
Establishing Team Identity
Team Identity Creation: Successful teams develop a robust sense of identity, which enhances effectiveness.
Example of Sports Teams: Members identify strongly with their teams, which drives motivation and commitment.
Reading Assignments and Exam Information
Assigned Chapters: Relevant content can be found in Chapters 9 and 10 of the course book, focusing on group functioning and team effectiveness.
Preparation for Assessment: Students are advised to study these chapters thoroughly before the upcoming exam on Wednesday.
Precedence of Effectiveness Inputs
Key Inputs Affecting Team Effectiveness: These include context, task and role design, and team composition:
Each of these inputs significantly influences how teams evolve over time.
Contextual Influence on Team Effectiveness
Teams operate within both organizational and broader social contexts.
Global Teams: Different geographical locations of team members (e.g., US vs. Finland) affect scheduling, cultural collaboration, and operational efficiencies.
Industry Differences: Team effectiveness can vary greatly across industries (e.g., automotive vs. AI startups) due to differing regulatory environments.
Organizational Culture:
Strong Team Culture: Organizations that foster collaboration and trust enhance team effectiveness.
Competitive Culture: In contrast, cultures where individual achievements are prioritized may hinder teamwork.
Role and Task Design
Defining Roles: Understanding and clearly defining roles is essential for teams to function effectively.
Distinct Expectations: Each role comes with expectations that team members must fulfill.
Perceptions of Role: Individuals’ perceptions of their own roles may differ from how managers or team members define them, leading to potential conflicts.
Task Interdependencies: Team tasks should be well-integrated to ensure cohesive outcomes, and there are various interdependence types:
Pooled Interdependence: Members work independently on separate tasks that are later combined (e.g., writing different sections of a report).
Sequential Interdependence: The output of one member becomes the input for another, requiring coordination (e.g., in software development).
Reciprocal Interdependence: Ongoing interaction among members for sharing knowledge and decision-making.
Advantages and Challenges of Task Interdependencies
Pooled Interdependence:
Advantage: Fast coordination, little interaction needed.
Disadvantage: Limited integration of knowledge, potentially disjointed outcomes.
Sequential Interdependence:
Advantage: Improved specialization and reduced room for error through checks.
Disadvantage: Time delays due to dependency on each other's timelines.
Reciprocal Interdependence:
Advantage: Continuous feedback and collaborative knowledge sharing.
Disadvantage: High coordination demand, potential for conflict.
Team Composition Factors
Diversity in Teams:
Types of Diversity: Includes surface-level (age, nationality) and deep-level (skills, personality) diversities.
Cognitive Diversity: Differences in thinking styles, key to innovation and problem-solving efficiency.
Team Size: Teams can range from a few members to hundreds:
Optimal size often considered to be between five and nine members, though context matters.
Smaller teams facilitate better communication, recognition of contributions, and reduced social loafing.
Configuration of Team: The physical distribution of members impacts teamwork dynamic, especially in hybrid settings.
Conclusion and Future Topics
The effectiveness of teams can be significantly improved by recognizing and managing the dimensions of effectiveness discussed. Future discussions will focus on the processes within teams that can further enhance team functionality and outcomes.
Multi-Dimensional Construct of Team Effectiveness
Team effectiveness requires multiple measures for comprehensive assessment, beyond a single indicator like goal achievement.
Individual Dimensions within a Team
Individuals have diverse expectations (e.g., learning, support, efficiency). Individual satisfaction is vital for overall team effectiveness.
Social Nature of Teams
Healthy relationships are critical for long-term team sustainability, even if performance is high.
Key Variables Influencing Team Effectiveness
High-performing, satisfied teams with healthy relationships are fostered by variables explored in the Hypomodel of Team Effectiveness:
Context
Role and Task Design
Team Composition
Important Processes
Establishing Team Identity
A strong team identity enhances effectiveness.
Reading Assignments and Exam Information
Chapters 9 and 10 cover group functioning and team effectiveness. Study these for the upcoming Wednesday exam.
Precedence of Effectiveness Inputs
Context, task/role design, and team composition are key inputs influencing team evolution.
Contextual Influence on Team Effectiveness
Both organizational and social contexts impact teams.
Global Teams: Geographical location affects scheduling and cultural collaboration.
Industry Differences: Effectiveness varies across industries.
Organizational Culture: Collaborative cultures boost effectiveness; competitive cultures can hinder it.
Role and Task Design
Clearly defining roles and expectations is crucial.
Task Interdependencies:
Pooled: Members work independently, outputs combined.
Sequential: Output of one member is input for another.
Reciprocal: Continuous interaction for knowledge sharing and decision-making.
Advantages and Challenges of Task Interdependencies
Pooled Interdependence:
Advantage: Fast coordination, minimal interaction.
Disadvantage: Limited knowledge integration, potentially disjointed outcomes.
Sequential Interdependence:
Advantage: Specialization, error reduction.
Disadvantage: Time delays due to dependencies.
Reciprocal Interdependence:
Advantage: Continuous feedback, collaborative knowledge sharing.
Disadvantage: High coordination demand, potential for conflict.
Team Composition Factors
Diversity: Includes surface-level (age), deep-level (skills, personality), and cognitive (thinking styles) diversity.
Team Size: Optimal size often 5-9 members; smaller teams improve communication and reduce social loafing.
Configuration of Team: Physical distribution impacts dynamics.
Conclusion and Future Topics
Managing the discussed dimensions improves team effectiveness. Future discussions will cover team processes.