MGT 120 – Organizational BehaviorTeams and Communication

Lecture 9

Week 10

Outline• The Difference: Groups vs. Teams• Types of Teams• Effective Teams and their Processes• Team Players• Communication and Communication Process• Direction of Communication• Interpersonal Communication• Organizational Communication• Communication Channels: Choosing the Correct One• Barriers to Communication• Improving Communication.

Understand how to utilize teams and communication to optimize organizational

performance

The Difference: Groups vs. Teams

Work Groups

Work Teams

The Difference: Groups vs. Teams

Types of Teams

Characteristics?

Challenges?

Beware: Teams Aren’t Always the Answer

• Three tests to see if a team fits the situation:– Is the work complex and is there a need for

different perspectives?– Does the work create a common purpose

or set of goals for the group that is larger than the aggregate of the goals for individuals?

– Are members of the group involved in interdependent tasks?

Effective Teams and their Processes

• Key Components of Teams to Manage

Composition

Work Design

Process

ContextWhere?

How?

What?

Which?

Effective Teams and their Processes

• Key Components of Teams to Manage

– Presence of adequate resources– Effective leadership and structure– Climate of trust in the team– Performance evaluation and reward system

that reflects team contributions

Where?Context

Effective Teams and their Processes

• Key Components of Teams to Manage

– Abilities of members• Technical expertise• Problem-solving• Interpersonal

– Personality• Conscientious and open-minded

– Diversity– Size of teams– Member preferences

Which?Composition

Effective Teams and their Processes

Key Roles of Teams

Effective Teams and their Processes

• Key Components of Teams to Manage

– Job Characteristics Model?

What?Work Design

FeedbackAutonomySkill varietyTask identityTask significance

Enhances Motivation

Effective Teams and their Processes

• Key Components of Teams to Manage

– Common plan and purpose– Specific goals– Team efficacy– Common mental models– Low levels of conflict– Minimized social loafing

Process How?

Potential Effectivenes

sProcess Gains

Process Losses

Actual Effectivenes

s

Effective Teams and their Processes

A Team-Effectiveness

Model

Team Players

• Selection– Make team skills one of the interpersonal skills in

the hiring process.• Training

– Individualistic people can learn• Rewards

– Rework the reward system to encourage cooperative efforts rather than competitive (individual) ones

– Continue to recognize individual contributions while still emphasizing the importance of teamwork

Team Players – Contemporary Issues

– Extent of Teamwork• Although work teams are pervasive in India, some

evidence suggests that most Indians are individual players rather than team players

– Self-Managed Teams• Do not work well in countries with low tolerance for

ambiguity and uncertainty and a high power distance– Team Cultural Diversity and Team Performance

• Diversity caused by national differences interferes with team efficiency, at least in the short run

• After about three months, the differences between diverse and non-diverse team performance disappear

Effective teams have common characteristics such as???

Communication and Communication Process

• Communication Functions– Control member

behaviour– Foster motivation for

what is to be done– Provide a release for

emotional expression– Provide information

needed to make decisions

Communication

Communication and Communication Process

• Communication Process– The steps between a source and a receiver that result

in the transference and understanding of meaning

Downward CommunicationGoals, StrategiesJob RestructuringPolicies and ProceduresPerformance Feedback

Influence

Direction of CommunicationFormal and Informal Communication

Upward CommunicationProblemsSuggestionsReportsFinancial and Accounting Information

Interpret

Formal: Endorsed/Controlled

Informal: Not Officially Authorized

Interpersonal Communication

• Oral Communication– Advantages: Speed and feedback.– Disadvantage: Distortion of the message.

• Written Communication– Advantages: Tangible and verifiable.– Disadvantages: Time consuming and lacks feedback.

• Nonverbal Communication– Advantages: Supports other communications and provides

observable expression of emotions and feelings.– Disadvantage: Misperception of body language or gestures

can influence receiver’s interpretation of message

Organizational Communication

Three Common Formal Small-Group Networks

Gives best accuracy

Facilitates leadership

development

Provides satisfaction

Organizational Communication

Small-Group Networks and Effectiveness

Organizational Communication

• Grapevine– Not controlled by management– Largely used to serve the self-interests of

those who use it– Advantages?

• Electronic Communication– Computer-Aided Communication– Emoticons– Slangs – YOLO, LOL

Communication Channels: Choosing the Correct One

• Characteristics of Rich Channels– Handle multiple cues

simultaneously.– Facilitate rapid feedback.– Are very personal in

context

Channel Richness

Communication Channels: Choosing the Correct One

Routine Nonroutine

Barriers to Communication• Filtering

– A sender’s manipulation of information so that it will be seen more favourably by the receiver

• Selective Perception– People selectively interpret what they see on the basis of their

interests, background, experience, cultures, and attitudes• Information Overload

– A condition in which information inflow exceeds an individual’s processing capacity

• Emotions– How a receiver feels at the time a message is received will influence

how the message is interpreted• Language

– Words have different meanings to different people

Barriers to Communication Men vs. Women

• Men talk to:–Emphasize status,

power, and independence.–Complain that

women talk on and on.–Offer solutions.–To boast about

their accomplishments.

• Women talk to:–Establish

connection and intimacy.–Criticize men for

not listening.–Speak of problems

to promote closeness.–Express regret and

restore balance to a conversation.

Improving Communication – Global Implications

• Knowledge Management• Cross-cultural factors increase communication

difficulties• Cultural Barriers:

• Semantics: some words aren’t translatable• Word Connotations: some words imply multiple meanings

beyond their definitions• Tone Differences: the acceptable level of formality of

language• Perception Differences: language affects worldview

• Cultural Context: • The importance of social context to meaning• Low-context cultures (like the U.S.) rely on words for meaning• High-context cultures (like India) gain meaning from the

whole situation

Improving Communication – Global Implications

10-29

• Removing the uncertainty leads to greater satisfaction:– Communicate via multiple channels– Reduce distortion and incongruities for clarity

• Use electronic media wisely and carefully• Cultural communication barriers can be

overcome with understanding

Improving Communication – Global Implications

DISCUSSION

Article: Why don’t Teams Work Like They’re Supposed To?

TEAM ACTIVITYDrop the Ball

• Supplies per Team:• 1 ball• 8 Straws• Tape

TEAM ACTIVITY – 5 CP MARKSDrop the Ball

• Instructions• Each team receives 8 straws and 12 inches

of tape. You get ten minutes to build a container that will catch a ball dropped from about ten feet

• Select a ‘ball dropper’ at eye level. The team places its container on the floor under where it thinks the ball will land.

• Each group gets one attempt. • The team that gets a ball to go in and stay

in its container will receive 5 marks in their CP

TEAM ACTIVITYDrop the Ball

• What did you learn?

• Team Effectiveness• Communication• Barriers?