MGMT 371 Groups and Teams  Group & Team defined, compared  Formal group functions, benefits  Group development  Member roles, norms  Teams and trust  Self-managed, virtual teams  Effectiveness 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 Model (Figure 9-1) Forming: Ice-breaking Storming: Testing Norming: Bonding Performing: Completing goals Adjourning: Parting

Member Roles  Roles = Expected behaviors for position Task roles Task-related group behaviors Maintenance 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 team Shared leadership Individual and collective accountability Purpose or mission Routine problem solving Effectiveness defined by collective outcomes

Types of Work Teams  Advice teams  Advice teams (help broaden information base for managerial decisions)  Production teams  Production teams (perform day-to-day operations)  Project teams  Project teams (apply specialized knowledge for creative problem solving)  Action teams  Action teams (collection of highly- coordinated specialists who exhibit peak performance on demand)

Teams and Trust  Cooperation vs. Competition  TRUST Reciprocal faith in others’ intentions and behavior Dimensions Overall trust = expecting fairness, truth, empathy Emotional trust = expecting confidence Reliableness = commitments kept

Building Trust  Knowledge sharing  Transparency  Support/active participation  Respect  Fairness  Predictability  Competence

Self-Managed Teams  Self-Managed Teams Members given administrative oversight for their work Cross-functionalism = team made up of technical specialists from different areas Empowerment Competence skills Process skills Helping behaviors

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 expectations 7) Display trust and confidence in the team’s abilities External Leader Behavior

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 Human Resource Systems

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/Culture

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

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

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

Factors that Influence Group Effectiveness  Task and Maintenance Roles  Structure  Process  Diversity  Creativity

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

Why Do Teams Fail?

Potential Problems Within Teams  Groupthink: Cohesiveness leading to unwillingness to view all alternatives  Social loafing: Lack of effort from member over-relying on other members

Teams at the Top  Upper Echelons  Diversity at the Top  Multicultural Top Teams