1. Work Teams

2. The Need for Teams Increased amount of information and specialization
More educated workforce
Need for new approach to management
Increased rate of change in environment and jobs

3. Types of Teams Larson and La Fasto (1989) Problem-solving teams
Creative teams
Tactical teams
Ad hoc team

4. Challenges of Working in Groups
Social Loafing
Free Riding
Extreme Decisions
Groupthink
Destructive Conflict
Lack of Proximity (virtual teams)

5. Staffing Effective Teams
Ability-based selection
Gain group acceptance
Increase group cohesion
Be aware of the group consciousness
Share the group identification
Impression management
Personality-based selection
Extraversion (influence)
Conscientiousness (performance)
Agreeableness (interpersonal skills)
General mental ability

6. Managing Key Team Processes
Shared Mental Models
Similarity in how team members understand and try to solve problems
Decision Making
Team informity
Staff validity
Member sensitivity
Interpersonal Processes

7. Elements of Group Structure
Norms - implicit or explicit rules that regulate the behavior of group members.
Prescriptive - tell members how to behave.
Proscriptive - tell members how NOT to behave.
Cohesiveness - “forces” that bind group members together
Task Cohesion
Interpersonal cohesion

8. Elements of Group Structure
Goals - a desired state of affairs
Direct and motivate group effort
Provide a vision of what the group could/should be
Aid in solving group conflict
Used to evaluate effectiveness of group processes/procedures Latham & Baldes (1975)
Roles - differentiation of function within groups.
Task-oriented roles - focus on getting the group’s job done.
Relations-oriented roles - focus on reducing interpersonal friction and maintaining good relationships within the group.

9. Distributed Actions Theory of Leadership
Goal-oriented Actions (Task)
Information and Opinion Giver
Information and Opinion Seeker
Direction and Role Definer
Summarizer
Energizer
Comprehension Checker

10. Distributed Actions Theory of Leadership
Relationship-oriented Actions (Maintenance)
Participation Encourager
Communication Facilitator
Tension Reliever
Process Observer
Interpersonal Problem Solver
Supporter and Praiser

11. Stages of Group Development
Stage 5 Adjourning - Groups disband and focus on closure.
Stage 4 Performing - Group focuses on accomplishing task
Stage 3 Norming - Members develop shared expectations about
group member’s behavior.
Stage 2 Storming - Members struggle for leadership, confront the
issue of how much individuality to relinquish to
belong to group.
Stage 1 Forming - Members focus on each other, being accepted,
learning more about the group.

12. Characteristics of Effective Work Teams
Informal, relaxed atmosphere
Lot of “on-task” discussion (all members participate)
Well-defined tasks or objectives
Group members listen to one another
There IS disagreement
Criticism is frequent, frank, comfortable and constructive
Ideas and feelings are freely expressed
Clear assignments are made and accepted
Group leadership shifts to members from time to time
The group is aware of how it is operating
From Douglas McGregor, The Human Side of Enterprise, pp Copyright © 1960

13. Guidelines for Effective Groups
Establish clear, operational, relevant group goals
Establish effective two-way communication
Ensure that leadership and participation are distributed among all group members
Ensure power is distributed and influence tactics vary to fit the situation
Ensure decisions are made using the appropriate method
Encourage structured controversies to facilitate creativity
Ensure conflict of interests are addressed and resolved constructively
Adapted from Johnson, D.W. & Johnson, F. P. (2000) Joining Together: Group Theory and Group Skills , p. 13