Understanding Work Teams Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 8/e Stephen P. Robbins Chapter 8 Understanding Work Teams © 2005 Prentice-Hall

After reading this chapter, you should be able to: Explain the growing popularity of teams in organizations Contrast teams with groups Describe four types of teams Identify resources and other contextual influences that make teams effective Explain composition variables that determine team effectiveness © 2005 Prentice-Hall

After reading this chapter, you should be able to: Describe the role of work design in making effective teams Identify process variables that affect team performance Explain how organizations can create team players Identify the role that teams play in quality management Describe conditions when teams are preferred over individuals © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Why have teams become so popular? Outperform on tasks requiring multiple skills, judgment, and experience Better utilization of employee talents More flexible and responsive to changing events © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Why have teams become so popular? Facilitate employee participation in operating decisions Effective in democratizing the organization and increasing employee motivation © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Work Group A group who interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help one another perform within each member’s area of responsibility © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Work Team Generates positive synergy through coordinated effort Individual efforts result in a level of performance that is greater than the sum of those individual inputs © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Comparing Work Groups and Work Teams Share information Neutral (sometimes negative) Individual Random and varied Goal Synergy Accountability Skills Collective performance Positive Individual and mutual Complementary © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Four Types of Teams © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Problem-Solving Teams Share ideas or offer suggestions on how work processes and methods can be improved © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Problem-Solving Teams Rarely given authority to unilaterally implement any of their suggested actions Typically composed of 5-12 hourly employees from the same department Example: Quality Circles © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Self-Managed Work Teams Collectively control pace of work Determine work assignments Organize breaks © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Self-Managed Work Teams Collectively choose inspection procedures Select their own members and evaluate each other’s performance Generally composed of 10-15 people © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Cross-Functional Teams Members from diverse areas within and between organizations Exchange information Develop new ideas and solve problems © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Cross-Functional Teams Coordinate complex projects Development is time-consuming due to complexity and diversity Examples: Task Force and Committees © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Virtual Teams Computer technology ties physically dispersed members together to achieve a common goal © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Virtual Teams Differentiating factors from other teams Absence of para-verbal and non-verbal cues Limited social context Ability to overcome time and space constraints © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Creating Effective Teams Effectiveness of teams is defined by: Objective measures of the team’s productivity Manager’s ratings of team performance Aggregate measures of member satisfaction © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Key Components of Teams Context Composition Work Design Process © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Context Presence of adequate resources Effective leadership Climate of trust Performance evaluation and reward system that reflects team contributions © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Composition Abilities of members Personality Allocating roles Diversity Size of teams Member flexibility Member preferences © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Work Design Freedom & Autonomy Skill variety Task identity Task significance © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Process Member commitment to a common purpose Establishment of specific team goals Team efficacy Managed level of conflict Minimizing social loafing © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Shaping Team Players Selection Training Rewards © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Teams and Quality Management Teams provide the natural vehicle for employees to share ideas and to implement improvements © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Teams and Quality Management Teams should: (1) be small enough to be efficient and effective (2) be properly trained in the skills their members will need (3) be allocated enough time to work on the problems they plan to address © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Teams and Quality Management Teams should: (4) be given the authority to resolve the problems and implement corrective action (5) have a designated “champion” © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Can the work be done better by more than one person? How do you know if the work of your group would be better done in teams? Can the work be done better by more than one person? Does the work create a common purpose or set of goals for the people in the group? Are the members of the group interdependent? © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Summary Explained the growing popularity of teams in organizations Contrasted teams with groups Described four types of teams Identified resources and other contextual influences that make teams effective Explained composition variables that determine team effectiveness © 2005 Prentice-Hall

Summary Described the role of work design in making effective teams Identified process variables that affect team performance Explained how organizations can create team players Identified the role that teams play in quality management Described conditions when teams are preferred over individuals © 2005 Prentice-Hall