Managing Groups And Teams

Front 1

Formal Group

Back 1

Defined by the organization's structure with designated work assignments establishing tasks

Front 2

Informal Group

Back 2

Appear naturally in response to the need for social contact; deeply affect behavior and performance

Front 3

Command Group

Back 3

Report directly to a given manager

Front 4

Task Group

Back 4

Work together to complete a task in an organization but not limited by hierarchical boundaries

Front 5

Interest Group

Back 5

Work together to achieve specific objective with which each member is concerned

Front 6

Friendship Group

Back 6

Brought together because they share one or more common characteristics

Front 7

Work Teams (Examples)

Back 7

Functional, Cross-Functional, Self-Managing, Problem-Solving

Front 8

Functional Team

Back 8

Manager and subordinates from a particular functional area or department

Front 9

Cross-Functional Team

Back 9

Manager and subordinates from different functional area or departments brought together to accomplish a task (ex: task forces, committees)

Front 10

Self-Managing

Back 10

Formal group of employees that operate without a manager and are responsible for a complete work process or segment

Front 11

Problem-Solving

Back 11

Groups of members from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment

Front 12

Virtual Teams

Back 12

Use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal.

Front 13

Characteristics of Virtual Teams

Back 13

Limited socializing; the ability to overcome time and space constraints

Front 14

What Virtual Teams Need to be Effective

Back 14

Trust among members; close monitoring; to be publicized

Front 15

Essentials of Team Design

Back 15

Goals: Define team's goal to gain focus and urgency.
Size: Smallest team that can do the job.
Leadership: Choose an enabling, credible, and powerful leader.
Rewards: Reward the team, not the individual.

Front 16

Role

Back 16

A set of expected behavior patterns attributed to someone occupying a given position in a social unit

Front 17

Role Conflict

Back 17

A situation in which an individual is confronted by divergent role expectations

Front 18

Adviser*

Back 18

Encourages the search for more information

Front 19

Linker*

Back 19

Coordinates and integrates

Front 20

Creator*

Back 20

Initiates creative ideas

Front 21

Promoter*

Back 21

Champions ideas after they're initiated

Front 22

Assessor*

Back 22

Offers insightful analysis of options

Front 23

Organizer*

Back 23

Provides structure

Front 24

Producer*

Back 24

Provides direction and followthrough

Front 25

Controller*

Back 25

Examines details and enforces rules

Front 26

Maintainer*

Back 26

Fights external battles

Front 27

Adviser*

Back 27

Encourages the search for more information

Front 28

Norms

Back 28

Acceptable standards or expectations shared by the group's members (ex: working hours, behavior rules, & output quotas)

Front 29

Classes of Norms

Back 29

Performance: level of acceptable work
Appearance: what to wear
Social arrangement: friendships and the like
Allocation of resources: distribution and assignments of jobs and material

Front 30

(Reasons for) Conformity

Back 30

Compliance with norms to obtain rewards, imitate respected members, and because they feel the behavior is right

Front 31

Pros of Deviance

Back 31

Excessive conformity reduces flexibility; deviance allows for new ideas in the group

Front 32

Low Conformity + High Deviance

Back 32

Too much deviance and a lack of conformity result in low performance because the group can't control its members' behavior

Front 33

Moderate Conformity + Moderate Deviance

Back 33

Good balance results in high performance

Front 34

High Conformity + Low Deviance

Back 34

Too much conformity and a lack of deviance result in low performance because the group fails to change dysfunctional norms

Front 35

Group Norm Research Conclusions

Back 35

Group influences were significant in affecting individual behavior. Group standards were highly effective in establishing individual worker output. Money was less a factor in determining worker output than were group standards, sentiments, and security.

Front 36

Group Properties

Back 36

Status, Size, Cohesiveness

Front 37

Status

Back 37

A socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others - it differentiates group members (significant motivator)

Front 38

Status Effects

Back 38

On norms and conformity: high-status members are less restrained by norms and pressure to conform.
On group interaction: high-status members are more assertive, and large status differences limit diversity of ideas and creativity.

Front 39

Size: Large Group

Back 39

Twelve or more members; best used for problem solving, diverse input, and fact-finding goals

Front 40

Size: Small Group

Back 40

Seven or fewer members; best used for speed, individual performance, and overall performance

Front 41

Social Loafing

Back 41

Tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually, caused by equity concerns and free riders

Front 42

How to Reduce Social Loafing

Back 42

Keep the group no larger than necessary.
Make individual efforts identifiable and accountable.
Emphasize each member's valuable contributions.
Set group goals.
Use peer evaluation.

Front 43

Cohesiveness

Back 43

Degree to which members are attracted to a group and share the group's goals; usually good for performance unless group's goals are not aligned with organization's goals

Front 44

How to Build Cohesiveness

Back 44

Smaller groups.
Group identity - name the group, engage in competition with other groups.
Success - small initial successes.

Front 45

Relationship Between Cohesiveness (1) and Alignment of Group and Organizational Goals (2)

Back 45

(1) High (2) High - Strong increase in productivity
(1) High (2) Low - Decrease in productivity
(1) Low (2) High - Moderate increase in productivity
(1) Low (2) Low - No significant effect on productivity

Front 46

Key Components of Effective Teams

Back 46

Context, Composition, Work Design, Process Variables

Front 47

Context

Back 47

Adequate resources.
Effective leadership and structure.
Climate of trust.
Performance and rewards systems that reflect team contributions.

Front 48

Composition

Back 48

Abilities of members.
Personality of members.
Allocating roles.
Size of team.
Members' preference for teamwork.

Front 49

Work Design

Back 49

Autonomy.
Skill variety.
Task significance.

Front 50

Process

Back 50

Commitment to a common purpose.
Establishment of team goals.
A managed level of conflict.
Minimized social loafing.

Front 51

Turning Individuals into Team Players

Back 51

Selection.
Training.
Rewards - encourage cooperative efforts rather than competitive ones, both extrinsic and intrinsic rewards matter.

Front 52

Essentials of Team Process

Back 52

Stages of development.
Conflict.
Cohesiveness.
Norms.

Front 53

Team Development Stages

Back 53

Forming - existence.
Storming - control.
Norming - norms.
Performing.
Adjourning.

Front 54

Forming

Back 54

Aimed at answering key questions:
Who are we?
What do we do?
Who is our leader?

Front 55

Storming

Back 55

Conflict arises through the promotion of agendas and challenges to leadership.

Front 56

Norming

Back 56

Characterized by cooperation, consensus, and shared understanding of goals and rules.

Front 57

Performing

Back 57

Focus on achievement of goals.

Front 58

Conflict

Back 58

Perceived incompatible differences resulting in interference or opposition

Front 59

Types of Conflict and Levels of Dysfunction

Back 59

Task conflict - Low to medium functioning levels.
Relationship conflict - Usually dysfunctional.
Process conflict - Low functioning levels.

Front 60

Functional vs. Dysfunctional Conflict

Back 60

Functional conflict resolution occurs when the conflict is settled by compromise or collaboration.

Front 61

Conflict and Performance Relationship

Back 61

See slide 38.