1. Understanding Work Teams
Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 9/e
Stephen P. Robbins/Timothy A. Judge
Chapter 9
Understanding Work Teams

2. After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
Explain the growing popularity of teams in organizations
Contrast teams with groups
Identify four types of teams
Specify the characteristics of effective teams
Explain how organizations can create team players
Describe conditions when teams are preferred over individuals

3. Why have teams become so popular?
Individuals perform better in a team on tasks requiring multiple skills, judgment, and experience
Better utilization of employee talents
More flexible and responsive to changing events
Effective way for management to democratize the organization and increase employee motivation

4. Comparing Work Groups and Work Teams

5. Four Types of Teams

6. Problem-Solving Teams
Share ideas or offer suggestions on how work processes and methods can be improved
Rarely given authority to implement any of their suggested actions

7. Self-Managed Work Teams
Typically employees
Team takes on supervisory responsibilities in addition to job tasks
Select and evaluate members
Effectiveness is situationally dependent

8. Cross-Functional Teams
Members from diverse areas within and between organizations
Exchange information
Develop new ideas and solve problems
Coordinate complex projects
Development may be time-consuming due to complexity and diversity

9. Virtual Teams
Computer technology ties physically dispersed members together to achieve a common goal
Differentiating factors from other teams
Absence of para-verbal and non-verbal cues
Limited social context
Ability to overcome time and space constraints

10. Key Components of Effective Teams
Context
Composition
Work Design
Process

11. Context Presence of adequate resources Effective leadership
Climate of trust
Performance evaluation and reward system that reflects team contributions

12. Composition Abilities of members Personality Allocating roles
Diversity
Size of teams
Member flexibility
Member preferences

13. Work Design Freedom & Autonomy Skill variety Task identity
Task significance

14. Process Member commitment to a common purpose
Establishment of specific team goals
Team efficacy
Managed level of conflict
Minimizing social loafing

15. Shaping Team Players
Selection – in addition to technical skills, managers must select employees who have the interpersonal skills to be team players
Training – workshops on problem-solving, communications, negotiation, conflict-management and coaching skills help build team members
Rewards – rework to encourage cooperative efforts rather than competitive ones

16. Teams and Quality Management
Teams provide the natural platform for employees to share ideas and to implement improvements

17. Is a Team the Answer?
Questions to consider when determining if work is better done by a team:
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 that is more than the aggregate of individual goals?
Are the members of the group interdependent?

18. Implications for Managers
Common characteristics of effective teams:
Individuals with technical and interpersonal skills
Have 10 or fewer members with diverse backgrounds
Members fill roles but are flexible and prefer to be part of a group
Members are committed to a common purpose

19. Summary Explained the growing popularity of teams in organizations
Contrasted teams with groups
Identified four types of teams
Specified the characteristics of effective teams
Explained how organizations can create team players
Described conditions when teams are preferred over individuals