Business Leadership and

Organizational Behavior

Business Leadership and

Organizational Behavior

Groups & Teams

Craig W. Fontaine, Ph.D.

Why Have Teams Become So PopularWhy Have Teams Become So Popular

Teams typically outperform individuals.

Teams use employee talents better.

Teams are more flexible and responsive to changes in the environment.

Teams facilitate employee involvement.

Teams are an effective way to democratize and organization and increase motivation.

Team Versus Group: What’s the DifferenceTeam Versus Group: What’s the Difference

Work Group

Two or more people who interact with each other to accomplish certain goals or meet certain needs.

Work Team

A group whose members work intensely with each other to achieve a specific, common goal or objective.

Are Groups and Teams the Same?Are Groups and Teams the Same?

Two characteristics distinguish teams from groups– Intensity with which team members work

together– Presence of a specific, overriding team goal or

objective

Synergy…the secret factorSynergy…the secret factor

Synergy defined:– Synergy is the working together of two things to

produce a result greater than the sum of their individual effects (chemistry, physics, biology)

– In the context of organizational behavior, synergy is the ability of a group to outperform even its best individual member.

Note: These conclusions are derived from the studies conducted by Jay Hall on a number of laboratory-based group ranking and prediction tasks

Synergy at WorkSynergy at Work

Factors that contribute to synergy– Ability of group members to bounce ideas off

one another– To correct one another’s mistakes– To bring a diverse knowledge base to bear on a

problem– To accomplish work that is too vast for any one

individual to achieve

Teams as Performance EnhancersTeams as Performance Enhancers

To take advantage of the potential for synergy, managers need to make sure groups are composed of members who have complementary skills and knowledge relevant to the group’s work

Contributions to Organizational EffectivenessContributions to Organizational Effectiveness

See how in the following example…..

Responsiveness to CustomersResponsiveness to Customers

Responsiveness to Customers– Difficult to achieve given the many constraints.

• Safety issues, regulations, costs.

– Teams can provide the wide variety of skills needed to meet customer demands.

• Teams can consist of members of different departments.

Teams and InnovationTeams and Innovation

Innovation– The creative development of new products, new

technologies, new services, or new organizational structures

• Individuals rarely possess the wide variety of skills needed for successful innovation.

• Team members can uncover each other’s flaws and balance each other’s strengths and weaknesses

• Managers should empower the team and make it accountable for the innovation process.

Groups and Teams as MotivatorsGroups and Teams as Motivators

Members of groups, and particularly teams, are often better motivated and satisfied than individuals.– Team members are more motivated and satisfied

than if they were working alone.– Team members can see the effect of their

contribution to achieving team and organizational goals.

– Teams provide needed social interaction and help employees cope with work-related stressors.

Summary of Comparision Summary of Comparision

Types of TeamsTypes of Teams

Problem-Solving Teams

Groups of 5 or more employees from the same department who regularly to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment.

Functional Work Teams

A work team composed of a manager and the employees in his or her unit formed to solve specific problems as they arise within particular functional unit

Types of Teams (cont’d)Types of Teams (cont’d)

•Task forces

•Committees

Cross-Functional Teams

Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task.

Types of TeamsTypes of Teams

Self-managed Work Teams

• The newest type of team

•“A team that operates without a manager and is responsible for a complete work process or segment that delivers a product or service to an external or internal customer”

•“A team of employees who supervise their own activities and monitor the quality of the goods and services they provide”

• There are clear implications for the role of manager

Self-Managed Work TeamsSelf-Managed Work Teams

Keys to effective self managed teams:– Give the team enough responsibility and autonomy

to be self-managing.– The team’s task should be complex enough to

include many different steps.– Select members carefully for their diversity, skills,

and enthusiasm.– Managers should guide and coach, not supervise.– Determine training needs and be sure it is

provided.

Types of Teams (cont’d)Types of Teams (cont’d)

Team Characteristics

1. The absence of nonverbal cues

2. A limited social context

3. The ability to overcome time and space constraints

Team Characteristics

1. The absence of nonverbal cues

2. A limited social context

3. The ability to overcome time and space constraints

Virtual Teams

Teams that use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal.

The Stages Of Team DevelopmentThe Stages Of Team Development

Stage 1: Forming– The team experiences

uncertainty about its purpose, structure, and leadership.

Stage 2: Storming– Intragroup conflict

predominates within the group

Stage 3: Norming– Close relationships

develop and group members begin to demonstrate cohesiveness.

Stage 4: Performing– The team develops a

structure that is fully functional and accepted by team members.

Stage 5: Adjourning– The team prepares

for its disbandment.

Type of Tasks as a factorType of Tasks as a factor

Group tasks impact how a group interacts.– Task interdependence shows how the work of

one member impacts another; as interdependence rises, members must work more closely together.

– The more interdependence , the more value of using a team.

A Team-Effectiveness

Model

A Team-Effectiveness

Model

Creating Effective TeamsCreating Effective Teams

Creating Effective Teams (cont’d)Creating Effective Teams (cont’d)

Group SizeGroup Size

Advantage of small groups– Interact more with each other and easier to

coordinate their efforts– More motivated, satisfied, and committed– Easier to share information– Better able to see the importance of their

personal contributions Advantages of large groups

– More resources at their disposal to achieve group goals

– Enables managers to obtain division of labor advantages

Group SizeGroup Size

Disadvantages of large groups– Problem of communication and coordination– Lower level of motivation– Members might not think their efforts are really

needed

Team TasksTeam Tasks

Group tasks impact how a group interacts.– Task interdependence shows how the work of

one member impacts another; as interdependence rises, members must work more closely together.

– The more task interdependence the more teams can be of value.

Key Roles of Teams

Key Roles of Teams

Creating Effective Teams (cont’d)Creating Effective Teams (cont’d)

Creating Effective Teams (cont’d)Creating Effective Teams (cont’d)

Social LoafingSocial Loafing

•Social loafing is the phenomenon of people exerting less effort to achieve a goal when they work in a group than when they work alone

• Karau, Steven J.; Williams, Kipling D. (1993). "Social loafing: A meta-analytic review and theoretical integration". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 65 (4): 681–706.

• Gilovich, Thomas; Keltner, Dacher; Nisbett, Richard E. (2006). Social psychology. W.W. Norton. p. 60

Teams and Quality ManagementTeams and Quality Management

Team Effectiveness and Quality Management Requires That Teams:

1. Are small enough to be efficient and effective.

2. Are properly trained in required skills.

3. Allocated enough time to work on problems.

4. Are given authority to resolve problems and take corrective action.

5. Have a designated “champion” to call on when needed.

Beware: Teams Aren’t Always the AnswerBeware: Teams Aren’t Always the Answer

Three tests to see if a team fits the situation:

– Is there enough time?

– Is the work complex and is there a need for different perspectives?

– Are members of the team involved in interdependent tasks?