1. Chapter 6 Work Teams and Groups

2. Groups and Teams Group – two or more people with common interests, objectives, and continuing interaction Work Team – a group of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common mission, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable

3. Characteristics of a Well-Functioning, Effective Group Relaxed, comfortable, informal atmosphere Task well understood and accepted Members listen well and participate People express feeling and ideas

4. Characteristics of a Well-Functioning, Effective Group Conflict and disagreement center around ideas or methods Group aware of its operation and function Consensus decision making Clear assignments made and accepted

5. Group Behavior Norms of Behavior – the standards that a work group uses to evaluate the behavior of its members Group Cohesion – the “interpersonal glue” that makes members of a group stick together

6. Group Behavior Social Loafing – the failure of a group member to contribute personal time, effort, thoughts, or other resources to the group Loss of Individuality – a social process in which individual group members lose self-awareness and its accompanying sense of accountability, inhibition, and responsibility for individual behavior

7. 3 Issues Addressed by Groups v Interpersonal issues (Matters of trust, personal comfort, and security) v Task issues (Mission or purpose, methods, expected outcomes) v Authority issues (Leadership, managing power and influence, communication flow)

8. Group Formation Formal Groups – official or assigned groups gathered to perform various tasks need ethnic, gender, cultural, and interpersonal diversity need professional and geographical diversity Informal Groups – unofficial or emergent groups that evolve in the work setting to gratify a variety of member needs not met by formal groups

9. Stages of Group Formation Emphasis on interpersonal concern and awareness Emphasis on task planning, authority, and influence Emphasis on task accomplishment, leadership, and performance Emphasis on rewards and punishment Mutual acceptance Decision making Motivation and commitment Control and sanctions Copyright ©2006 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved

10. Tuckman’s Five-Stage Model of Group Development Forming Storming Adjourning Performing Norming Conflict increased clarity of purpose Power struggles Coaching Little agreement Unclear purpose Guidance and direction Clear vision and purpose Focus on goal achievement Delegation Agreement and consensus Clear roles and responsibili- ties Facilitation Task completion Good feeling about achievements Recognition Copyright ©2006 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved

11. Punctuated Equilibrium Model – Groups do not progress linearly – Alternate between periods of inertia and bursts of energy

12. Mature Group Characteristics Purpose and Mission v May be assigned or may emerge from the group v Group often questions, reexamines, and modifies mission and purpose v Mission converted into specific agenda, clear goals, and a set of critical success factors

13. Productivity Norms – may be consistent or inconsistent, supportive or unsupportive of organization’s productivity standards Mature Group Characteristics Behavioral Norms – well-understood standards of behavior within a group Formal and written Ground rules for meetings Informal but well understood Intragroup socializing Dress codes

14. Mature Group Characteristics Group Cohesion – interpersonal attraction binding group members together Enables groups to exercise effective control over the members

15. Mature Group Characteristics v Groups with high cohesiveness v demonstrate lower tension and anxiety v demonstrate less variation in productivity v demonstrate better member satisfaction, commitment, and communication

16. Cohesiveness and Work-Related Tension Group Cohesiveness 7 16 52 65 57 19 12 Number of groups “Does your work ever make you jumpy or nervous?” Low score = high tension “The measure at work is based on group mean response to the question “Does your work ever make your feel ‘jumpy’ or nervous?” A low numerical score represents relatively high tension. SOURCE: From S. E. Seashore, Group Cohesiveness in the Industrial Work Force, 1954. Research conducted by Stanley E. Seashore at the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan. Reprinted by permission. Tension at work LowHigh Low Copyright ©2006 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved

17. Mature Group Characteristics Status Structure – the set of authority & task relations among a group’s members v Hierarchical or egalitarian v Often team leadership is shared

18. Mature Group Characteristics Contributor Data/Info Collaborator Mission Communicator Facilitator Challenger Devil’s advocate Diversity Styles Members contribute in diverse ways

19. Team Task Functions Task Functions – those activities directly related to the effective completion of the team’s work

20. Team Task Functions Summarize Ideas Test Ideas Elaborate Concepts Seek Information Give Information Diagnose Problems Evaluate Effectiveness Coordinate Activities Initiate Activities Team Tasks

21. Team Task Functions Maintenance Functions – those activities essential to the effective, satisfying interpersonal relationships within a team or group

22. Team Maintenance Functions Express Member Ideas Harmonize Conflicts Test Consensus Set Standards Follow Others’ Lead Reduce Tension Gatekeep Communication Test Group Decisions Support Others Maintenance Tasks

23. v Good when performing complicated, complex, interrelated and/or more voluminous work than one person can handle v Good when knowledge, talent, skills, and abilities are dispersed across organizational members v Empowerment and collaboration; not power and competition v Basis for total quality efforts Why Teams?

24. Teamwork Teamwork – joint action by a team of people in which individual interests are subordinated to team unity

25. New vs. Old Team Environments New Team Environment Old Work Environment Person generates initiatives Person follows orders Team charts its own steps Manager charts course Right to think for oneself. People rock boat; work together People conformed to manager’s direction. No one rocked the boat. People cooperate using thoughts and feelings; direct talk People cooperated by suppressing thoughts and feelings; wanted to get along SOURCE: Managing in the New Team Environment, by Hirschhorn, © 1991. Reprinted by permission of Prentice-Hall, Inc.,Upper Saddle River, N. J.

26. Work Team Structural Issues v Goals and objectives v Operating guidelines v Performance measures v Role specification

27. Work Team Structural Issues v Goals and objectives v Operating guidelines v Performance measures v Role specification v Managers who oversee the team v Work team leaders v Team members

28. Work Team Process Issues v Managing cooperative behaviors v Managing competitive behaviors Both of these can be positive How are these managed in global teams? In virtual teams?

29. Quality Circles and Teams Quality Team – a team that is part of an organization’s structure and is empowered to act on its decisions regarding product and quality service Quality Circles (QC) – a small group of employees who work voluntarily on company time, typically one hour per week, to address work-related problems QC’s deal with substantive issues v Do not require final decision authority v QC’s need periodic reenergizing

30. Social Benefits of Teams Psychological Intimacy – emotional and psychological closeness to other team or group members Integrated Involvement – closeness achieved through tasks and activities

31. Diversity in Teams Diversity v Focuses on effects of dissimilarity within the team v May have positive or negative effects v Value dissimilarity v Positively relates to task and relationship conflict v Negatively related to team involvement

32. Diversity in Teams Diversity v Demographic dissimilarity influences v Absenteeism v Commitment v Turnover intentions v Beliefs v Workgroup relationships v Self-esteem v Organizational citizenship behavior

33. Creativity in Teams Creativity v Focuses on new and/or dissimilar ideas or ways of doing things in teams Can team creativity be enhanced by greater team diversity? Can social loafing, conformity, and downward norm setting be overcome?

34. An attribute of a person or of an organization’s culture Preparation and careful planning focuses empowered employees Encourages participation Solve specific and global problems Foundations for Empowerment

35. Empowerment Skills Competence Skills Process Skills Cooperative and Helping Behaviors Communication Skills Self- Management or Team Skills

36. Self-Managed Teams Self-Directed Teams Autonomous Work Groups – teams that make decisions that were once reserved for managers How does an organization capitalize on the advantages and avoid the risks of self managed teams?

37. Upper Echelons: Teams at the Top Upper Echelons – a top-level executive team in an organization Leadership style, composition, and dynamics influences the organizations performance Their background characteristics predict organizational characteristics Organization reflects their values, ethics, competence, and unique characteristics

38. 5 Seasons of CEO Tenure 1. Response to a mandate 2. Experimentation 3. Selection of an enduring theme 4. Convergence 5. Dysfunction

39. Executive Tenure and Organizational Performance Organizational performance relative to the industry average High Low 1714 CEO tenure (years) SOURCE: D. Hambrick. The Seasons of an Executive’s Tenure, keynote address, the Sixth Annual Texas Conference on Organizations, Lago Vista, Texas, April, 1991.

40. Diversity at the Top v Types of diversity needed v Functional diversity v Intellectual diversity v Demographic diversity v Temperamental diversity v And more and more and more Diversity develops strength

41. Multicultural Top Teams Multicultural groups represent three or more ethnic backgrounds. Diversity may increase uncertainty, complexity, and inherent confusion in group processes. Culturally diverse groups may generate more and better ideas, and limit groupthink. Copyright ©2006 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved

42. Triangle for Managing in the New Team Environment Manager Individuals Team SOURCE: Managing in the New Team Environment by Hirschhorn, © 1991 Reprinted by permission of Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, N.J. Copyright ©2006 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved