Ch. 9: Groups and Teams

Group & Team defined, compared

Formal group functionsGroup developmentMember roles, normsTeams and trustSelf-managed, virtual teamsEffectiveness and obstacles

Group vs. Team

Group Two or more freely interacting people with shared norms and goals and a common identity.

Team Small group with complimentary skills who hold themselves mutually accountable for common purpose, goals, and approach

McGraw-Hill

Types of Groups

Formal: Formed by the organization

Informal: Formed by members

Formal Group Functions

Organizational Functions Complete

interdependent tasks

Ideas, solutions Coordinate Complex

decisions Socialize

newcomers

Individual Functions Affiliation Self-esteem Identity Share/test

ideas, perceptions

Empowerment Problem-

solving vehicle

Group Development Process

Tuckman’s 5-Stage ModelForming: Ice-breakingStorming: TestingNorming: BondingPerforming: Completing

goalsAdjourning: Parting

Member Roles

Roles = Expected behaviors for positionTask roles

Task-related group behaviorsMaintenance roles

Relationship-building and maintaining behaviors

(See Table 9-2)

NORMS

Shared attitudes, opinions, feelings, actions, behaviors

Development: Explicit statements Critical events and carryover Primacy or first pattern that emerges

Purpose: Group/team maintenance and survival Define/enforce behavioral expectations Define group’s core values and identity

A group becomes a team when…

Evolution of a teamShared leadership Individual and collective

accountabilityPurpose or missionRoutine problem solvingEffectiveness defined by

collective outcomes

Types of Work Teams

Advice teamsAdvice teams (help broaden information base for managerial decisions)

Production teamsProduction teams (perform day-to-day operations)

Project teamsProject teams (apply specialized knowledge for creative problem solving)

Action teamsAction teams (collection of highly-coordinated specialists who exhibit peak performance on demand)

McGraw-Hill

Teams and Trust

Cooperation vs. CompetitionTrust

Reciprocal faith in others’ intentions and behavior

DimensionsOverall trust = expecting fairness,

truth, empathyEmotional trust = expecting

confidenceReliableness = commitments kept

Building Trust

Knowledge sharingTransparencySupport/active participation RespectFairnessPredictabilityCompetence

Self-Managed Teams

Self-Managed Teams Members given

administrative oversight for their work

Cross-functionalism team made up of technical specialists from different areas

13-21

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Empowering Self-Managed Teams

1) Make team members responsible and accountable for the work they do

2) Ask for and use team suggestions when making decisions

3) Encourage team members to take control of their work

4) Create an environment in which team members set their own team goals

5) Stay out of the way when team members attempt to solve work-related problems

6) Generate high team expectations7) Display trust and confidence in the team’s abilities

External Leader BehaviorExternal Leader Behavior

McGraw-Hill

Empowering Self-Managed Teams

1) The team gets paid, at least in part, as a team

2) Team members are cross-trained on jobs within their team

3) Team members are cross-trained on jobs in other teams

4) Team members are responsible for hiring, training, punishment, and firing

5) Team members use peer evaluations to formally evaluate each other

Via HR SystemsVia HR Systems

McGraw-Hill

Empowering Self-Managed Teams

1) The team gets support from other teams and departments when needed

2) The team has access to and uses important and strategic information

3) The team has access to and uses the resources of other teams

4) The team has access to and uses resources inside and outside the organization

5) The team frequently communicates with other teams

6) The team makes its own rules and policies

Social Structure/CultureSocial Structure/Culture

McGraw-Hill

Virtual Teams: How to Manage Start with a face-to-face Establish regular times for

interaction Set firm rules for

communication Use visual forms of

communication where possible

Offer support, feedback consistently

Team members evaluate each other

Reach agreement on technology and/or provide a virtual meeting room

McGraw-Hill

Virtual Teams: How to Manage

Team members evaluate each other

Provide a virtual meeting room via intranet, web site, or bulletin board

Be available to employees, but don’t wait for them to seek you out

Encourage informal, off-line conversations between team members

McGraw-Hill

Characteristics of an Effective Team

Clear purpose Informality Participation Listening Civilized disagreement Consensus decisions Open communication Clear roles and work

assignments Clear values, norms, identity Shared leadership External relations Self-assessment

McGraw-Hill

Why Do Teams Fail?

Mistakes Made by Management Weak strategies and poor business practices. Hostile environment for teams Teams adopted as a quick-fix with no long-term commitment. Unchanged bad habits Vague or conflicting team assignments Inadequate team skills training Poor staffing of teams Lack of trust--CULTURE

McGraw-Hill

Why Do Teams Fail?

Potential Problems Within Teams

Unrealistic expectations Conflict over differences in work styles Emphasis on results only, not on processes Lack of persistence, overcoming obstacles Resistance to change Poor interpersonal/team skills Poor member fit Lack of trust Power struggles

McGraw-Hill

Why Do Teams Fail?

Potential Problems Within Teams

Groupthink: Cohesiveness leading to

unwillingness to view all alternativesSocial loafing:

Lack of effort from member over-relying on other members