Chapter 5:Groups and Teamwork

Amanda TumbachGary McInenly

Raynard EnriquezAdam Baker

Groups and Teams

Groups vs. Teams4 types of teams

Groups and Teams

used as a way to better utilize employee talents. outperform individuals potential for greater outputs without increasing

inputs more flexible & responsive

Groups vs. Teams

Group: 2 or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have a stable relationship, common goal and perceive themselves as a group

Team: groups that work close together to a common objective, and are accountable to one another

not all groups are teams, but all teams are groups

Problem-Solving (or Process-Improvement)Teams

groups of 5-12 employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency and the work environment.

ideas and suggestions are shared it is found that the use of teamwork varies by

organizational size

Quality Circles most problem-solving teams use quality circles a work group of employees (about 8-10) who meet

regularly to discuss their quality problems, investigate causes, recommend solutions, and take corrective actions

employees participating in quality circles are required to learn further skills and methods to analyze and solve quality problems

Self-Managed (or Self-Directed) Work Teams

a group of 10-15 employees who take on responsibilities of their former managers

These responsibilities include: planning & scheduling of work assigning tasks to members collectively controlling the pace of work making operating decisions taking action on problems

teams select their own members and make evaluations on each other

Cross-Functional (or Project) Teams

a team made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas who come together to accomplish a task

an effective means of allowing individuals from diverse areas within an organization or between organizations to exchange info, develop new ideas and solve problems, and to coordinate complex projects

downfall occurs in developmental stages

Includes: Task forces: temporary cross-functional teams Committees: groups composed of members from

across departmental lines Skunkworks: cross-functional teams that develop

spontaneously to create new products or work on complex problems

work in isolation

Virtual Teams

use of computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal

collaborate online using communication links can do all things that other teams do, and can often

be more efficient due to ease of sharing info downfall in absence of paraverbal cues, nonverbal

cues, and social contact

From Individual to Team Member

RolesNormsStatus

In order for a team to function, individuals have to achieve some balance between their own needs and the needs of the team.

Individuals bring: Personality Previous Experience

Possible pressures individual group members put on each other through expectations. Roles Norms Status

Roles

A set of expected behaviour patterns attributed to someone occupying a given position in a social unit. Role Identity Role Perception Role Expectation Role Conflict

Psychological Contract

An unwritten agreement that sets out what management expects from the employee and vice versa.

Norms

acceptable standards of behaviour within a group that are shared by the group’s members means of influencing behaviour differ among groups, communities and societies but all entities have norms formalized norms are written up in organizational

manuals that set out rules and procedures most norms in organizations are informal

Conformity

adjusting your behaviour to align with the norms of a group

Reference Groups

Status

a socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others

motivation acquired, ascribed significance?

Stages Of Group and Team Development

The Five-Stage Model The Punctuated-Equilibrium Model

Five-Stage Model

1. Forming The first stage of development, Characterized

form the saying “testing the waters”

2. Storming The second stage of development, know as the

power struggle or intragroup conflict stage

3. Norming The third stage of development, Characterized by

close relationships and cohesiveness

4. Performing The fourth stage of development, were the group of

team is fully functional and accepted

5. Adjourning The final stage of development for temporary

groups or teams, characterized by concern with wrapping up activities rather than task performance

The Punctuated-Equilibrium Model

Phase 1 The first meeting in which members of a team

gather to set the direction of the group. These direction become “ written in stone ”, Known as the period of inertia

Phase 2 Team moves out of the inertia stage and

recognizes that work needs to be completed

Transition

This stage is in between phase 1 and 2. The stage acts like a alarm clock, heightening members awareness to get thing done. This stage is characterized by a concentrated burst of changes. That revise the direction of the team for phase 2

Creating Effective Teams

Model of Team Effectiveness

- Work Design - Composition- Process - Context

Model of Team Effectiveness

Work Design

AutonomySkill VarietyTask IdentityTask significance

Composition

AbilityPersonalityRoles and DiversitySizeFlexibilityPreference for teamwork

Process

Common PurposeSpecific goals Team efficacyConflict

Context

Adequate ResourcesLeadershipPerformanceEvaluation and Rewards

Team Effectiveness

Work Design

Work together and collectively take responsibility for a goal or task.

This includes: Autonomy: independence Skill Variety: using different skills and talents Task Identity: ability to complete a whole and

identifiable task Task Significance: participation that has a substantial

impact

Composition

Select members with their strengths in mind and supply task that fit.

This includes: Ability Personality Roles and Diversity Size Flexibility Preference for teamwork

Ability

technical expertise problem solving and decision making skills interpersonal skills

Personality Must be careful of team selection based on

personality. This includes:

Extroversion Agreeableness Conscientiousness Emotional Stability

Groups with these characteristics are most likely to be successful.

Roles There are two types of roles:

1. Task oriented roles: performed by group members to

ensure that tasks are accomplished Ex. initiators, Information seekers, information

providers, elaborators, summarizers, consensus makers

2. Maintenance roles: carried out to ensure that group members maintain good relations Ex. harmonizers, compromisers, gatekeepers,

encouragers

Size

The smaller the group the faster the productivity. (groups consisting of 7 individuals)

The larger the group the slower the productivity, but better for gaining diverse input.

(groups consisting of 12 or more individuals)

Flexibility

Individuals who can complete more then one task or another individual’s task.

Context

Three factors that are most significant:

1. Presence of adequate resources

2. Effective leadership

3. Performance evaluation/Reward system

Adequate Resources support from management and the organization This includes:

Technology Staffing Assistance Encouragement Information

Leadership This includes looking after such things as:

Scheduling Workload Skill Development Conflict resolve How to make/modify decisions

higher expectation/positive mood = greater productivity, lower turnover, better performance

Performance Evaluation and Rewards

getting a member to be individually/jointly accountable

Some evaluations of performance: Team results Effectiveness/Team functioning Personal effectiveness

Process

Variables of the group include: Common purpose Specific Goals Efficacy Accountability: Conflict and Social Loafing

Common Purpose provides direction, momentum, and commitment for

members broader then a goal

Specific Goals facilitate clear communication help maintain employees focus on achieving results set milestones

Team Efficacy Success breads success Cohesiveness helps build team efficiency

High Productivity

Moderate Productivity

Low Productivity

Moderate to Low Productivity

Cohesiveness

Performance Norms

Low

Hig

h

What can be done to increase team efficiency?1. helping the team to achieve small successes and skill training

2. provide training to improve workers technical and

interpersonal skills

Conflict Levels Relationship conflict can effect a teams performance both

positively and negatively. Task conflict can improve team effectiveness.

Social Loafing and Accountability Social loafing is related to the size of the group. Social loafing: tendency for individuals to expend less effort

when working collectively then when working individually Successful teams make members individually and jointly

accountable.

Teams and Workforce Diversity

Advantages & Disadvantages

Teams and Work Force Diversity

Advantages Disadvantages Multiple Perspectives Ambiguity Greater openness to new ideas Complexity Multiple interpretations Confusion Increase creativity Miscommunication Increase Flexibility Difficulty reaching agreements Increase problem-solving skills Difficulty agreeing on

specific actions

Beware! Teams Aren’t Always the Answer

How do you know if teams are for you ?

Three tests can be applied

1. Can the work be done better by more then one person.

2. Does the work create a common purpose or set of goals for the people in the group that is more than aggregate of individual goals.

3. Are members of the group interdependent.