HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Topics HRM: Leading teams

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Road map for HRM: Leading teams MotivationSatisfaction Performance Personnel selection Performance appraisal / Compensation Personnel development Task / Work process

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Core concept of job design: Self-regulating teams Teams: several people who work together over a period of time to reach common goals and who share a sense of belonging together Self-regulation: individual and collective autonomy in order to coordinate work processes and to cope with process variances and uncertainties locally

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Advantages of teams developing ideas discovering and compensating individual errors furthering systems view supporting shared task orientation offering reciprocal support alleviating individual work load

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Disadvantages of teams friction conformity levelling of individual performance diffusion of responsibility devaluation of other groups

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Psychological group phenomena: Social comparison theory (Festinger, 1954) We have a need to assess own attitudes and abilities. If objetictive standards for these comparisons are missing, we compare ourselves with other people. We favor comparisons with people similar to ourselves.

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Psychological group phenomena: Bystander-effect (Latané & Darley, 1970) The more people are present the less likely individuals are to take initiatives (e.g. helping someone who very obviously is in need of help). Underlying processes: –Diffusion of responsibility –Reinterpretation of the situation (necessity for action is negated) –evaluation anxiety

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Psychological group phenomena: Conformity (Asch, 1956) As soon as three or more group members express an opinion that is different from the opinion of another single member, there is a strong tendency for that member to adapt his/her opinion. Pressure to conform can lead to a change in the publicly expressed opinion without necessarily changing the privately held conviction.

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Psychological group phenomena: Groupthink (Janis, 1972)

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Psychological group phenomena: Phases of team development (Tuckman, 1965) Forming (Orientation phase): –All new – insecurity –Test behaviors –Search for acceptable behaviors Storming (Conflict phase): –Fight for roles/positions ("Hackordnung") –Power struggles Norming (Organisation phase): –Agreeing on team rules and cooperation forms –Developing a sense of belonging together Performing (Performance phase): –Constructive task distribution and flexible role behavior –Energy is focused on task completion and goal attainment

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Prerequisites for good team work Adequate common task –Complexity higher than individual competencies –Clear performance criteria –Collective decision competence Shared goal orientation –Positive goal coupling –Goal transparency and feedback Adequate group composition –Different perspectives on the task –Shared language Development of group rules –Adequate group size –Support for team development (form, storm, norm, perform) –Explicit handling of conflicts between individual and collective autonomy

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Team diagnosis: Characteristics of effective teams Goals are clear and accepted Individual and team goals melt together Responsibilities are clear and change depending on situational demands Leadership is seen as a shared responsibility Conflicts are dealt with Team learns and develops Contributions are recognized and valued Communication is open and engaged Group processes are reflected upon and discussed

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Team diagnosis: Critical team situations Different interests cannot be integrated Team is overloaded or underloaded Mistrust among team members Hierarchy impedes development of cohesion Little interaction and knowledge exchange Fear of mistakes and responsibility Non-complementary team composition Goals are lost sight of Problematic roles of some team members (wingers, freeloaders, talkers, silent people etc.)

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Instruments for team diagnosis: Example 1

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Instruments for team diagnosis: Example 2 Questionnaire on working in teams (F-A-T, Kauffeld, 2001) –Person orientation: Cohesion: trusting and open behaviors, social support, sense of belonging. Taking on responsibility: Sense of responsibility, taking initiatives, showing commitment. –Structure orientation: Task fulfillment: Distribution of tasks and work processes. Goal orientation: Clarity, attainability, importance and identification with team goals. General recommendation: In case of team problems analyze structural dimensions first!

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Team roles Leadership roles visionary, strategist, networker, coach, integrator, motivator, controller, planner, power promotor... Member roles expert, helper, unconventional thinker, advocatus diaboli, social promotor, scape goat...

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Sources of power as basis for different leadership roles (French & Raven, 1959) Gratification power Influence based on positive reinforcement through rewards or prevention of harm Coercive power Influence through possibilities for punishment or taking away rewards Position power Influence based on the position in the organization Expert power Influence based on personal competence Charismatic power Influence based on the followers' identification with the leader due to personal attraction

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 Changing leadership roles depending on stage in work processes Providing structure at the start of a process Deciding in critical phases Coach/motivator in on-going work processes Team member (= no leadership) in routine processes Moderator in decision processes Evaluator at the end of a process

HRM: Leading teams – G. Grote ETHZ, Spring Semester 09 New demands on leadership in distributed teams Increasing complexity of situation also requires increasingly complex leadership behaviors: situated and shared leadership