Lesson 9: Understanding Work Teams

Learning Objectives

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Analyze the growing popularity of teams in organizations.

2. Contrast groups and teams.

3. Contrast the five types of teams.

4. Identify the characteristics of effective teams.

5. Show how organizations can create team players.

6. Decide when to use individuals instead of teams.

Analyze the Growing Popularity of Teams in Organizations

• To better compete, organizations are using teams.

• Teams:•Offer a better way to use employee talents•Are more flexible and responsive to changing events • Can quickly assemble, deploy, refocus, and disband• Facilitate participation in operating decisions

LO 1

Contrast Groups and TeamsLO 2

Contrast the Five Types of TeamsLO 3

Identify the Characteristics of Effective Teams

•Context: What factors determine whether teams are successful?•Adequate Resources• Leadership and Structure•Climate of Trust•Performance Evaluations and Rewards

LO 4

Identify the Characteristics of Effective Teams

• Team Composition: How should teams be staffed?•Abilities of members• Personality•Allocating roles•Diversity• Size of teams•Member preferences

LO 4

LO 4 Identify the Characteristics of Effective Teams

LO 4 Identify the Characteristics of Effective Teams

Identify the Characteristics of Effective Teams

•Team Processes•Common Plan and Purpose•Reflexivity

•Specific Goals•Team Efficacy•Mental Models•Conflict Levels•Social Loafing

LO 4

Show How Organizations Can Create Team Players

•Creating Team Players

•Selecting: hire team players•Training: create team players•Rewarding: incentives to be a good team player

LO 5

Decide When to Use Individuals Instead of Teams

•When not to use teams…

•Ask:•Can the work be done better by one person?•Does the work create a common goal or purpose?•Are the members of the group interdependent?

LO 6

Implications for Managers

•Effective teams have common characteristics.

•They have adequate resources, effective leadership, a climate of trust, and a performance evaluation and reward system that reflects team contributions.

•They have individuals with technical expertise as well as problem-solving, decision-making, and interpersonal skills, and the right traits, especially conscientiousness and openness.

Implications for Managers

•Effective teams also tend to be small – with fewer than 10 people, preferably of diverse backgrounds.

•They have members who fill role demands and prefer to be part of a group.

•The work that members do provides freedom and autonomy, the opportunity to use different skills and talents, the ability to complete a whole and identifiable task or product, and work that has a substantial impact on others.

Implications for Managers

•Effective teams have members who believe in the team’s capabilities and are committed to a common plan and purpose, have an accurate shared mental model of what is to be accomplished, share specific team goals, maintain a manageable level of conflict, and show a minimal degree of social loafing.

Implications for Managers

•Because individualistic organizations and societies attract and reward individual accomplishments, it can be difficult to create team players in these environments.•To make the conversion, management should try to

select individuals who have the interpersonal skills to be effective team players, provide training to develop teamwork skills, and reward individuals for cooperative efforts.

TEAM GAMES