Business Leadership and Organizational Behavior Groups & Teams Craig W. Fontaine, Ph.D.

Why Have Teams Become So Popular  Teams typically outperform individuals.  Teams use employee talents better.  Teams are more flexible and responsive to changes in the environment.  Teams facilitate employee involvement.  Teams are an effective way to democratize and organization and increase motivation.

Team Versus Group: What’s the Difference Work Group Two or more people who interact with each other to accomplish certain goals or meet certain needs. Work Team A group whose members work intensely with each other to achieve a specific, common goal or objective.

Are Groups and Teams the Same?  Two characteristics distinguish teams from groups –Intensity with which team members work together –Presence of a specific, overriding team goal or objective

Synergy…the secret factor  Synergy defined: –Synergy is the working together of two things to produce a result greater than the sum of their individual effects (chemistry, physics, biology) –In the context of organizational behavior, synergy is the ability of a group to outperform even its best individual member. Note: These conclusions are derived from the studies conducted by Jay Hall on a number of laboratory-based group ranking and prediction tasks

Synergy at Work  Factors that contribute to synergy –Ability of group members to bounce ideas off one another –To correct one another’s mistakes –To bring a diverse knowledge base to bear on a problem –To accomplish work that is too vast for any one individual to achieve

Teams as Performance Enhancers  To take advantage of the potential for synergy, managers need to make sure groups are composed of members who have complementary skills and knowledge relevant to the group’s work

Contributions to Organizational Effectiveness See how in the following example…..

Responsiveness to Customers  Responsiveness to Customers –Difficult to achieve given the many constraints. Safety issues, regulations, costs. –Teams can provide the wide variety of skills needed to meet customer demands. Teams can consist of members of different departments.

Teams and Innovation  Innovation –The creative development of new products, new technologies, new services, or new organizational structures Individuals rarely possess the wide variety of skills needed for successful innovation. Team members can uncover each other’s flaws and balance each other’s strengths and weaknesses Managers should empower the team and make it accountable for the innovation process.

Groups and Teams as Motivators  Members of groups, and particularly teams, are often better motivated and satisfied than individuals. –Team members are more motivated and satisfied than if they were working alone. –Team members can see the effect of their contribution to achieving team and organizational goals. –Teams provide needed social interaction and help employees cope with work-related stressors.

Summary of Comparision

Types of Teams Problem-Solving Teams Groups of 5 or more employees from the same department who regularly to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment. Functional Work Teams A work team composed of a manager and the employees in his or her unit formed to solve specific problems as they arise within particular functional unit

Types of Teams (cont’d) Task forces Committees Cross-Functional Teams Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task.

Types of Teams Self-managed Work Teams The newest type of team “A team that operates without a manager and is responsible for a complete work process or segment that delivers a product or service to an external or internal customer” “A team of employees who supervise their own activities and monitor the quality of the goods and services they provide” There are clear implications for the role of manager

Self-Managed Work Teams Keys to effective self managed teams: –Give the team enough responsibility and autonomy to be self-managing. –The team’s task should be complex enough to include many different steps. –Select members carefully for their diversity, skills, and enthusiasm. –Managers should guide and coach, not supervise. –Determine training needs and be sure it is provided.

Types of Teams (cont’d) Team Characteristics 1.The absence of nonverbal cues 2.A limited social context 3.The ability to overcome time and space constraints Team Characteristics 1.The absence of nonverbal cues 2.A limited social context 3.The ability to overcome time and space constraints Virtual Teams Teams that use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal.

The Stages Of Team Development  Stage 1: Forming –The team experiences uncertainty about its purpose, structure, and leadership.  Stage 2: Storming –Intragroup conflict predominates within the group  Stage 3: Norming –Close relationships develop and group members begin to demonstrate cohesiveness.  Stage 4: Performing –The team develops a structure that is fully functional and accepted by team members.  Stage 5: Adjourning –The team prepares for its disbandment.

Type of Tasks as a factor  Group tasks impact how a group interacts. –Task interdependence shows how the work of one member impacts another; as interdependence rises, members must work more closely together. –The more interdependence, the more value of using a team.

A Team- Effectiveness Model

Creating Effective Teams

Creating Effective Teams (cont’d)

Group Size  Advantage of small groups –Interact more with each other and easier to coordinate their efforts –More motivated, satisfied, and committed –Easier to share information –Better able to see the importance of their personal contributions  Advantages of large groups –More resources at their disposal to achieve group goals –Enables managers to obtain division of labor advantages

Group Size  Disadvantages of large groups –Problem of communication and coordination –Lower level of motivation –Members might not think their efforts are really needed

Team Tasks  Group tasks impact how a group interacts. –Task interdependence shows how the work of one member impacts another; as interdependence rises, members must work more closely together. –The more task interdependence the more teams can be of value.

Key Roles of Teams

Creating Effective Teams (cont’d)

Social Loafing Social loafing is the phenomenon of people exerting less effort to achieve a goal when they work in a group than when they work alone Karau, Steven J.; Williams, Kipling D. (1993). "Social loafing: A meta-analytic review and theoretical integration". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 65 (4): 681–706. Gilovich, Thomas; Keltner, Dacher; Nisbett, Richard E. (2006). Social psychology. W.W. Norton. p. 60

Teams and Quality Management  Team Effectiveness and Quality Management Requires That Teams: 1.Are small enough to be efficient and effective. 2.Are properly trained in required skills. 3.Allocated enough time to work on problems. 4.Are given authority to resolve problems and take corrective action. 5.Have a designated “champion” to call on when needed.

Beware: Teams Aren’t Always the Answer  Three tests to see if a team fits the situation: –Is there enough time? –Is the work complex and is there a need for different perspectives? –Are members of the team involved in interdependent tasks?