Managing Work Teams

Chapter 17

Learning Objectives Explain the importance of work teams. Identify four types of work teams. State the meaning and determinants of

team effectiveness. Describe the internal team processes

that can affect team performance. Explain how to diagnose and remove

barriers to poor team performance.

Work Teams and Other GroupsWork Teams and Other Groups A A groupgroup is two or more individuals who is two or more individuals who

come into personal and meaningful come into personal and meaningful contact on a continuing basis.contact on a continuing basis.

A A work teamwork team consists of a small consists of a small numbers of employees with numbers of employees with complementary skills who collaborate on complementary skills who collaborate on a project, are committed to a common a project, are committed to a common purpose, and are jointly accountable for purpose, and are jointly accountable for performing tasks that contribute to performing tasks that contribute to achieving an organization’s goals.achieving an organization’s goals.

Terms for Work Teams(adapted from Figure 17.1)

Empowered teamsAutonomous work groups

CrewsSelf-managing teams

Cross-functional teamsQuality circlesProject teams

Task forcesHigh-performance teams

Emergency response teams

CommitteesCouncils

Work Teams and Other Groups (cont.)

An informal group consists of a small number of individuals who frequently participate in activities and share feelings for the purpose of meeting their mutual needs.

Increase innovationand creativity

Improve speed ofproduct development

and other tasks

Increase quality ofgoods and services

Reduce costs

Types of Work Teams A problem-solving work team consists of

employees from different areas of an organization whose goal is to consider how something can be done better. Quality Circles Task Forces

Types of Work Teams (cont.)

A functional work team includes members from a single department who have the common goal of considering issues and solving problems within their area of responsibility and expertise.

A multidisciplinary work team consists of employees from various functional areas and sometimes several organizational levels who collectively work on specific tasks.

A self-managing work team consists of employees who work together daily to make an entire product or deliver an entire service.

Members of a Self-Managing Work Team (adapted from Figure 17.2)

Other teamleaders andmanagers

Communicationsteam

Software team

Budget team

Recognitionand compensation

team

Training team

Self-managing team-Participate in selection of new members-Train new members-Order supplies and obtain other needed resources-Communicate with suppliers and customers-Set goals-Schedule work-Design work processes

Effectiveness CriteriaEffectiveness criteria measure the outcomes achieved by individual members and the team as a whole.

TeamPreparedness

For Future

Satisfaction ofIndividual Members

Team Processes

TeamPerformance

Cohesiveness

Trust

Managing conflict

Decision making

Innovation

Quality

Speed

Cost

Trust inteam

Ability to adapt to change

With team process

With team members

With own development

Effectiveness Criteria for Work Teams (adapted from Figure 17.3)

Team EffectivenessTask completion Team development Stakeholder satisfactionAccuracy Team cohesiveness Customer satisfaction with

team’s procedures and outputsSpeed Team flexibility Team satisfaction with team’s

outputs and outputsCreativity Team preparedness for Satisfaction of other team’s with

new tasks the team’s procedures and outputsCost

Individual EffectivenessTask Performance Relationships with others Personal developmentSpeed Increased understanding of Develop competencies (teamwork,

other perspectives communication, strategic action, global awareness, planning, and administration, and self-awareness)

Accuracy Build other’s trust in you Develop network of colleagues within and outside the organization

Creativity New friendships Gain technical knowledge and skillsEfficiency

Effectiveness Determinates

Effectiveness is determined by three main sets of influences; the external context in which the team

operates, team design, and internal team processes.

A Model of Work Team Functioning(adapted from Figure 17.4)

Team Design - Team Size - Team Location

EffectivenessCriteria - Team - Individual

InternalProcesses - Development stages - Feelings - Behavioral Norms

External Context

Culture RewardSystem

TeamTraining

MemberSelection

Internal Team Processes

Work teams may develop along:

Development of the work team over time, personal feelings, and behavioral norms

a continuum of maturity, which ranges from low or immature (e.g., inefficient and ineffective) to high or mature (e.g., efficient and effective) AND

a continuum of time together, which ranges from start (e.g., the first team encounter) to end (e.g., the point at which the team adjourns)

The Development of Work Teams (adapted from Figure 17.5)D

egre

e of

Mat

urity

Time Together

High

Low

Start End

End orrecycle

End orrecycle

End orrecycle

End orrecycle

Forming

Adjourning

Performing

Norming

Storming

Rules of behavior that are widely shared and enforced by members of a work team

Norms may specify:

How much work to doHow customers should be treatedImportance of high qualityWhat members should wearWhat kinds of jokes are acceptableHow members should feel about the organizationHow they should deal with their managers, and so on

Exists When Three Criteria Have Been Met

There is a performance standard of appropriate behavior for team members

Members must generally agree on the standard

Members must be aware that the team supports the particular standard through a system of rewards and punishments

Free rider: a team member who isn’t contributing fully to team performance but still shares in team rewards

Peer pressure to conform is great A highly directive leader presses for a particular

interpretation of the problem and course of action Need exists to process a complex and unstructured

issue under crisis conditions Group is isolated

Groupthink: an agreement-at-any-cost mentality that results in ineffective work team decision making and may lead to poor solutions; Likelihood increases when:

Productive controversy: when team members value different points of view and seek to draw them out to facilitate creative problem solving

Focus on issues rather than peopleDefer decisions until issues and ideas are

exploredFollow procedures that equalize sharing

of power and responsibility

Managers can help shape norms

Internal Processes External System:

Memberselection

Teamtraining

Team design Culture

Rewardsystem

Causes of Poor Team Performance: Team Design

Team Size

For innovative decision making, ideal work team is probably between five and nine members

(continued)

If large teams required, consider useof subteams

With large teams be aware of backlash through clique lobbies

Team size—large team size tends to have the following effects

Demands on leader time and attention are greater; leader becomes more psychologically distant from the team members

Team’s tolerance of direction from the leader is greater and team’s decision making becomes more centralized

Team atmosphere is less friendly, communications are less personal, more cliques form within the team

Team’s rules and procedures become more formalized Likelihood of some members being free riders increases

Team proximity Proximity to other work teams and members

of the organization

Team members’ proximity to each other

Ideal proximity among teams depends on work being done

Virtual teams often create special challenges

Differences in societal cultures

Language differences

Weak or poor organizational culture

Incompatible personality traits among members

Traits of agreeableness and conscientiousness needed

Communication and teamwork competencies needed

Causes of Poor Team Performance:Team Training

Poor or no team training

Leadership development for managers or team leaders needed

Team training needed for:

how to manage meetings how to support disagreement how to commit to a decision how to use group-based technologies

(continued)

Choices in Designing Reward Systems for Work Teams

How can nonmonetary rewards be used to recognize excellent team performance?

What portion of a person’s total monetary rewards should be linked to performance of the team (versus the performance of the individual or the business unit)?

If rewards are to be linked to results, which effectiveness criteria should be used to evaluate team results? Individual results?

Choices in Designing Reward Systems for Work Teams (cont’d)

How should rewards be distributed among the members of a team? Should they all receive equal rewards? If not, on what basis should people receive differential rewards?

Who should be responsible for the allocation of rewards among team members: team members, a team leader, someone outside the team?

For global teams, how should cultural differences among members of the team and the pay systems used in different countries be addressed?

Causes of Poor Team Performance

Team Design Team Size Team Location

Virtual Work Team Information Technology

Culture Team Member Selection Team Training Reward Systems

Examples of Tasks Performed in Self-Managing Work Teams (from Figure 17.6)

Lev

el o

f Tea

m S

elf-

Man

agem

ent

Degree of Managerial Competencies Required

ModerateModerate

High

High

• Monitor spending• Arrange work and

vacation schedules• Monitor team

performance• Cross-train team members

• Dismiss members• Discipline members• Allocate monetary rewards• Select suppliers

• Appraise member performance• Share leadership tasks• Select new members• Select effectiveness criteria to measure• Determine team budget• Determine production/service schedules• Purchase equipment and supplies