Why are teams important in organizations? When is a team effective? What are the stages of team development?

How can we understand teams at work?

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Team
(roup of people with complementary skills%

)rought together to achieve a common purpose for which they hold themselves collectively accounta)le'

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Teamwork
+ccurs when team

mem)ers accept their collective responsi)ility to )est use their skills )y actively working together to achieve goals'

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Types of teams
-eams that recommend things
.sta)lished to study specific pro)lems and recommend solutions to them'

-eams that run things

Have formal responsi)ility for leading other groups'

-eams that make or do things

/unctional groups that perform ongoing tasks'

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+rganizations today consist of networks of teams% with team mem)ers serving multiple roles' 1ertical role 2 manager serves as team leader and team mem)er' Horizontal role 2 employee is a mem)er of more than one team and serves multiple roles'

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Formal teams
+fficially designated to serve a specific

organizational purpose'
4ay )e permanent or temporary and vary in size

and composition'

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Informal groups
.merge without )eing officially designated )y the

organization'
-ypes of informal groups
/riendship groups &nterest groups

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Social network analysis 2 identifies the informal groups and networks of relationships that are active in an organization'

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Formal groups
Cross-functional teams or task forces

.ngage in special pro)lem-solving efforts drawing on input of the functional areas7 can evolve into 8silos9
Problem-solving teams

/ormed to complete a specific task with a clear end point

Employee involvement team 2 meet regularly to e:amine workplace issues

;uality circle- makes recommendations related to <uality and productivity

irtual group 4em)ers work together via computers

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Cross-functional teams
Consist of mem)ers representing different

functional departments or work units'

/or e:ample% team may consist of mem)ers from manufacturing% marketing% human resources% and accounting'

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Functional silos problem

+ccurs when mem)ers of functional units focus

only on their internal functional matters and minimize their interactions with mem)ers dealing with other functions'

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Employee involvement team

-eams whose mem)ers meet regularly to

collectively e:amine important workplace issues'

!uality circle - small team that meets periodically to discuss and develop solutions relating to <uality and productivity'

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irtual Team
4em)ers convene and work

together electronically'
Can accomplish same tasks as face-to-face teams% )ut are free from geographic )arriers'

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"dvantages of virtual teams

Cost-effectiveness and speed' /ocuses task accomplishment and decision

making )y reducing the emotional considerations that may surface in face-to-face meetings'

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#isadvantages of virtual teams

-he lack of personal contact )etween team

mem)ers may impair development of work relationship and productivity'

(roup decisions are made in a limited social

conte:t'

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Self-managing teams
$mall teams empowered to make the decisions

needed to manage themselves on a day-to-day )asis'

=uties often replace those that were traditionally

done )y the manager'

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"dvantages of self-managing teams

>roductivity and <uality improvements' >roduction fle:i)ility and faster response to

technological change'
?educed a)senteeism and turnover' &mproved work attitudes and <uality of work life'

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#isadvantages of self-managing teams

$tructural changes in @o) classifications and

management levels eliminate the need for first-line supervisors'

4anagers must learn to deal with teams rather than

individuals'
$upervisors who are displaced )y self-managing

teams may feel threatened'

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$ultiple Skills
-eam mem)ers are trained in performing more

than one @o) on the team'

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Effective Team
+ne that achieves high levels of task

performance% mem)er satisfaction% and team via)ility'

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Effective teams achieve high levels of%

Task performance 4em)ers attain performance goals regarding <uantity% <uality% and timeliness of work results' $embers satisfaction 4em)ers )elieve that their participation and e:periences are positive and meet important personal needs' Team viability 4em)ers are sufficiently satisfied to continue working together on an ongoing )asis'

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Synergy
-he creation of a whole that is greater than the

sum of its parts'

&ndividual can accomplish more through

teamwork than )y working alone'

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Why teams are good for organizations

-eams are good for people' -eams can improve creativity' -eams can make )etter decisions' -eams can increase commitments to action' -eams help control their mem)ers' -eams help offset large organization size'

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Common team challenges

$ocial loafing >ersonality conflicts Ancertain or competing goals >oorly defined agendas >erceptions that team lacks progress

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Social loafing
-he tendency of people to work less hard in a

group than they would individually'

?easons for social loafing
&ndividual contri)utions are less noticea)le in the group conte:t' $ome prefer to see others carry the workload'

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Prevent social loafing

=efine roles and tasks to ma:imize individual

interests'
?aise accounta)ility )y making individuals9

performance e:pectations clear and identifia)le'

-ie individual rewards to performance contri)utions

to the group'

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Social facilitation theory

&ndividual )ehavior is influenced )y the presence

of others in a group or social setting'

>ositive result is e:tra effort when individual has the skills re<uired for the task' Begative result is an increase in social loafing and withdrawal from the group'

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Forming stage
&nitial entry of mem)ers to a group' 4em)er challenges
(etting to know each other =iscovering what is considered accepta)le )ehavior =etermining the group9s real task =efining group rules

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Storming stage
C period of high emotionality and tension among

group mem)ers'
4em)er challenges
Hostility and infighting /ormation of coalitions and cli<ues Clarification of mem)ers9 e:pectations

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&orming stage
-he point at which the mem)ers really )egin to come

together as a coordinated unit'

4em)er challenges
Holding team together may over supersede task accomplishment' $ense of cohesiveness may discourage minority views' Can result in false sense of team maturity'

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Performing stage
4arks the emergence of a mature% organized% and well-

functioning team motivated )y group goals'

4em)er challenges
=ealing with comple: tasks' 4aintaining effort toward performance'

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"d'ourning stage
C well-integrated team is a)le to
=is)and when its work is finished Work together in the future

>articularly important for temporary groups

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+pen $ystems 4odel of -eam .ffectiveness

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Team effectiveness is affected by the nature of the task

Well defined tasks contri)ute to effectiveness' Comple: tasks pose challenges of uncertainty% information needs% and team mem)ers interaction'
o >rovide intense satisfaction when achieved'

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&ature of task affects outcome -echnical demands

?outine or comple:

$ocial demands of a task

?elations% ego involvement% and controversies over ends and means

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Team composition
C team must have the right skills and competencies

availa)le for task performance and pro)lem solving'

&n homogeneous teams% mem)ers are very similar to

one another'
&n heterogeneous groups% mem)ers vary in age%

gender% race% and ethnicity'

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FI()-* Theory DEfundamental interpersonal orientationFG

&dentifies individual differences in how people

relate to one another in groups

&ndividual difference determine needs to e:press

and receive feelings of inclusion% control% and affection'

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Status C team mem)er9s relative rank or organizational position'

$tatus congruence 2 mem)er9s position or

authority within the team is e<uivalent to that outside the team'

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Team si+e
Can make a difference in a team9s effectiveness' Cs team size increases% performance and

mem)er satisfaction increase up to a point'

>ro)lem-solving teams should have 0 to 7

mem)ers'

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)rgani+ational setting and support

&mportant contri)utors to team effectiveness

includeH
Clear goals% communicated well' +ffice design Dopen spaces vs' small% isolated cu)iclesG' -echnology 2 accessi)ility and relia)ility

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#iversity-consensus dilemma
=iversity of the team mem)ers e:pands the skills

and perspectives availa)le for pro)lem solving

Iut% diversity can also pose challenges to

pro)lem solving due to differences in values% e:periences% demographics% and cultures'

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,roup dynamics
Required behaviors J those that are formally

defined and e:pected )y the team'

Emergent behaviors J those that team

mem)ers display in addition to what the organization asks of them'

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