Chapter 6 Groups and Teams

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 2 Purpose and Overview Purpose –To understand effective management through motivation, leadership, and conflict management

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 3 Purpose and Overview Overview –The Importance of Groups and Teams in Health Services Organizations –Understanding and Improving Team Performance

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 4 Purpose and Overview Overview –Team Processes –Team Characteristics –Nature of the Task –The Environmental Context

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 5 The Importance of Groups and Teams Types of Groups Two or more persons interacting to influence each other

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 6 The Importance of Groups and Teams Types of Groups –Informal –Formal

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 7 The Importance of Groups and Teams Types of Teams –Interdependent –Share responsibility for outcomes –Intact social entity embedded in larger social systems –Manage relationships across organizational boundaries –Formal group

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 8 The Importance of Groups and Teams Types of Teams –Work Teams –Parallel Teams –Project Teams –Management Teams

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 9 Understanding and Improving Team Performance Effective Teams –Drive to improve –Mechanisms to facilitate improvement –Flexible and adaptive –Improves their performance

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 10 Understanding and Improving Team Performance A Model of Team Effectiveness

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 11 Team Processes Leadership –Ability to influence others toward achieving team's goals

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 12 Team Processes Communication Network and Patterns: –A team cannot function effectively unless members can share information Ambassador activities Task-coordinator activities Scout activities

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 13 Team Processes Decision Making –Exchanging information and making decisions is critical Free-riding Groupthink

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 14 Team Processes Decision Making –Groupthink Symptoms: Illusion of invulnerability Collective rationalization Belief in inherent morality of the team Stereotyping others

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 15 Team Processes Decision Making –Groupthink Symptoms: Pressures to conform Use of mind guards Self-censorship Illusion of unanimity

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 16 Team Processes Learning –Team's ability to learn is essential to effectiveness –Process enabled by climate of psychological safety

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 17 Team Processes Stages of Team Development –Forming –Storming –Norming –Performing –Adjourning

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 18 Team Processes Team Process as an Intermediary –Team processes can be improved by team members and leaders

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 19 Team Characteristics Every team influences and determines members’ interaction with each other

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 20 Team Characteristics Team Composition and Size Dimensions –Age and gender –Occupation –Tenure –Abilities –Personality –Nationality, Race, Ethnicity or Culture –Experience

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 21 Team Characteristics Team Composition and Size –Affects team process and effectiveness

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 22 Team Characteristics Status Differences –Worth conferred on individual by group –Motivates people –Provides means of identification –Stabilizing force

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 23 Team Characteristics Psychological Safety –Individuals’ perceptions about consequences of risks –“If I make a mistake…won’t be penalized” –Confidence to experiment –Confidence to discuss mistakes and problems –Confidence to ask others for help

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 24 Team Characteristics Team Norms –Standard to regulate member behavior Behavior norms Performance norms –Powerful influence –Necessary for effective group functioning –Group members socialize other members

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 25 Team Characteristics Team Cohesiveness –Attraction to other members –Motivated to stay –Committed to group task

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 26 Team Characteristics Highly Cohesive –May have higher performance –Improved satisfaction –Lower levels of turnover Conflict –May be beneficial to group performance

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 27 Nature of the Task Group Behaviors Critical to Success –Individual effort –Collaboration –Interdependent effort

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 28 Nature of the Task Team Goals –Categorized according to goal clarity, complexity, and diversity Predictable, understandable Ambiguous or ill-structured goals Task Complexity

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 29 Nature of the Task Task Interdependence –Degree to which team members rely on one another –Interdependence increases uncertainty

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 30 Nature of the Task Task Interdependence –Pooled –Sequential –Reciprocal –Team

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 31 Environmental Context Effects of External Pressures –Organizational factors –Factors in external environment

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 32 Environmental Context Intergroup Relationships and Conflict –Team effectiveness depends on ability to interact with other teams in a positive and productive manner

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 33 Environmental Context Conflict –Inevitable –Often emerges from factors related to interdependence among work groups

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 34 Environmental Context Common Causes of Conflict –Competition for limited resources –Ambiguity about teams’ respective task responsibilities and roles –Emerges from factors related to interdependence among work groups

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 35 Environmental Context Conflict –Strategies to reduce intergroup conflict Intergroup training using team-building techniques Structuring relationships between teams Examining interfaces between teams Establishing self-contained teams

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 36 Environmental Context Organizational Culture Top management’s goal Organizational reward system

Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 37 Environmental Context External Environment –Areas of low resource availability vs. areas of high resource availability –Local collaborative history –Rural and urban differences