1. Team Dynamics
Chapter 16

2. What is a team? Team Teamwork
A small group of people with complementary skills, who work together to achieve a shared purpose and hold themselves mutually accountable for performance results.
Teamwork
The process of people actively working together to accomplish common goals

3. Stages of Team Development

4. Synergy
The creation of a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
A team uses its membership resources to the fullest and thereby achieves through collective action far more than could be achieved otherwise.
Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

5. Advantages of Teams More resources for problem solving.
Improved creativity and innovation.
Improved quality of decision making.
Greater commitments to tasks.
Higher motivation through collective action.
Better control and work discipline.
More individual need satisfaction.

6. Types of Teams Formal groups Informal groups
Teams that are officially recognized and supported by the organization for specific purposes.
Informal groups
Not recognized on organization charts.
Include interest, friendship, and support groups.

7. Types of Teams Committees
People outside their daily job assignments work together in a small team for a specific purpose.
Task agenda is narrow, focused, and ongoing.
Projects teams or task forces
People from various parts of an organization work together on common problems, but on a temporary basis.
Official tasks are very specific and time defined.
Disbands after task is completed.

8. Common problems in teams:
Personality conflicts.
Individual differences in work styles.
Ambiguous agendas.
Ill-defined problems.
Poor readiness to work.
Lack of motivation.
Conflicts with other deadlines or priorities.
Lack of team organization or progress.
Meetings that lack purpose or structure.
Members coming to meetings unprepared.
Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

9. Disadvantages of Teams
Conformity with the majority - “groupthink”
Domination by individual or minority
Pursuit of secondary goals
Diffused responsibility, low accountability
Counter-cultural - We live in a “me society”
Time, time and more time…

10. Behavioural Norms
Norms are standards of behaviour that the group accepts and expects for its members
Norm Generalization What works in one group may not work in another
Norm Variation –may be allowed as long as it is not taken to an extreme
Norm Conformity – those who accept and conform are welcomed, while those who ignore the norm may be ostracized

11. Cohesiveness
Is the extent to which members are loyal and committed to the group
Factors that Increase Cohesiveness –
intergroup competition, (different groups)
personal attraction to the group,
favourable evaluations of the group
members agreeing on group goals
frequent interaction between members

12. Guidelines for increasing team cohesion:
Induce agreement on team goals.
Increase membership homogeneity.
Increase interaction among members.
Decrease team size.
Introduce competition with other teams.
Reward team rather than individual results.
Provide physical isolation from other teams.
Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

13. Cohesiveness Factors that Reduce Cohesiveness –
large group size,
disagreement on goals,
intragroup competition, (within a community)
domination by one or two group members
unpleasant experiences that the group shared
Consequences of Cohesiveness – include more group interaction, more norm conformity, and increased group performance

14. Cohesiveness and Performance Norms
High
Performance Norms
Moderate
Performance
High
Performance
Low
Performance
Lowest
Performance
Low
Cohesiveness
Low
High

15. Groupthink
Groupthink is a tendency for high cohesive teams to lose their evaluative capabilities
Symptoms:
Illusions of Invulnerability –team assumes it is too good for criticism
Rationalizing unpleasant data – members refuse to accept contradictory data or to consider alternatives
Belief on inherent group mortality – members act as though it is inherently right

16. Groupthink
Symptoms:
Stereotyping competitors as weak, evil, and stupid
Applying direct pressure to deviants to conform to group wishes
Self-censorship by members – members refuse to communicate personal concerns to team
Illusions of unanimity – members accept consensus prematurely
Mind Guarding – members protect the team from hearing outside viewpoints

17. How to Avoid Groupthink
Don’t seem partial to one course of action
Invite outside experts to observe team activities and react to decisions
Assign one member to play a “devil’s advocate” role
Hold a “second-chance” meeting after consensus is achieved to review the decision