Ch. 11 - Team Characteristics & Processes Flashcards
Team
Two or more people who work interdependently over some time period to accomplish common goals related to some task-oriented purpose
List the types of teams in the workplace
Work Teams
Management Teams
Parallel Teams
Project Teams
Action Teams
Work Teams
Relatively permanent teams in which members work together to produce goods and/or provide services
Management Teams
Relatively permanent teams that participate in managerial-level tasks that affect the entire organization
Parallel Teams
Teams composed of members from various jobs within the organization that meet to provide recommendations about important issues
Project Teams
Teams formed to take on one-time tasks, most of which tend to be complex and require input from members from different functional areas. Tend to disband after the project is finished
Action Teams
Teams of limited duration that perform complex tasks in contexts that tend to be highly visible (to an audience) and challenging
Multiple team membership
A work arrangement in which employees are assigned to multiple teams simultaneously. Usually, people do not identify with each team equally influencing how much effort and commitment they bring to each of their teams
Virtual Teams
Teams in which members are geographically dispersed, and interdependent activity occurs through electronic communications
Tuckman Model of Team Development
Consists of 5 stages that occur in a linear/predictable fashion:
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Adjourning (Reforming)
Gersick Model of Team Development
Illustrates that teams develop less linearly. A period of punctuated equilibrium arises at the halfway point of the project
Punctuated Equilibrium
A sequence of team development during which not much gets done until the halfway point of a project, after which teams make necessary changes to complete the project on time
Task Interdependence
The degree to which team members interact with and rely on other team members for information, materials, and resources needed to accomplish work for the team
What are the four primary types of task interdependence?
Comprehensive Interdependence
Reciprocal Interdependence
Sequential Interdependence
Pooled Interdependence
Pooled Interdependence
Members work independently and then pool the results. Requires little coordination between team members
Sequential Interdependence
Members work on specialized tasks in a prescribed order. The group is structured such that each member specializes in their assigned task. Members only interact with the teammate performing the next task.
Reciprocal Interdependence
Members perform specialized tasks and then interact with other members to complete work.
Comprehensive Interdependence
Members interact to a high degree to coordinate and perform tasks. Each member has a great deal of discretion in terms of what they do and whom they interact with. Requires more time/listening
Goal Interdependence
The degree to which team members have a shared vision of the team’s goal and align their individual goals with that vision
How can high levels of goal interdependence be created?
The team can create a formalized mission statement to help clarify actions needed by the team. All members of the team should buy into the mission statement.
Outcome Interdependence
The degree to which team members share in the rewards that a team earns
Team Composition
The mix of the various characteristics (i.e. knowledge, skills, abilities, personalities) that describe the individuals who work in the team
What are the five aspects of team composition?
Member Roles
Member Ability
Member Personality
Team Diversity
Team Size
Member Roles
Patterns of behaviour members are expected to display in a given context. A variety of roles in team contexts are based on task, decision-making, and leadership activities. A detailed list of roles is given on Pg. 308 of the text
Team task roles
Behaviours that directly facilitate the accomplishment of team tasks (a detailed list is given on Pg. 308 of the text)
Team-building roles
Behaviours that influence the quality of the team’s social climate (a detailed list is given on Pg. 308 of the text)
Individualistic roles
Behaviours that benefit the individual at the expense of the team (a detailed list is given on Pg. 308 of the text)
Disjunctive Tasks
A task that is completed when single solution, decision, or recommendation is adopted by the group. The team’s performance is determined by the most skilled member
Conjunctive Tasks
A task that cannot be completed successfully until all members of the team have completed their portion of the job. The team’s performance is determined by the least skilled member
Additive Tasks
Contributions resulting from the abilities of every member add up to determine team performance
What three traits of member personality are especially critical in teams?
Agreeableness (more cooperative and trusting)
Conscientiousness (dependable hard workers)
Extraversion (better interpersonal skills, more positive/optimistic)
What is a potential issue of having only agreeable people on a team?
Agreeable people tend to prefer harmony and cooperation over conflict. Thus, they may be less likely to speak up and offer constructive criticisms that might help the team improve
Team Diversity
The degree to which team members are different from one another
Surface-level diversity
Diversity of observable attributes such as race, gender, ethnicity, and age
Fault Lines
The development of informal subgroups based on similarity in surface-level attributes
Deep-level diversity
Diversity of attributes that are inferred through observation or experience, such as one’s values or personality
Value in diversity problem-solving approach
A theory that supports team diversity because it provides a larger pool of knowledge and perspectives
Similarity-attraction approach
A theory explaining that team diversity can be counterproductive because people tend to avoid interacting with others who are unlike them
What is the team size that leads to the greatest team satisfaction?
Research says between 4 and 5 members
(note that in reality it depends on various factors)
True or False: Having more team members is always preferable
It Depends
Management/project teams benefit from the additional resources and expertise contributed by additional members. However, production teams (less complex work) tends to result in unnecessary coordination and communication problems
Team Process
The different types of activities and interactions that occur within a team as the team works towards its goals.
Team characteristics affect team processes
Team processes have a strong impact on team effectiveness
Process Gain
Getting more from the team than you would expect according to the capabilities of its individual members
Process Loss
Getting less from the team than you would expect according to the capabilities of it individual members
What factors create process loss?
Coordination loss
Motivation loss
Coordination Loss
Extra effort needed to work as a team (eg. resolution of conflicts and disagreements) that takes up time that could have been devoted to task activity
Motivation Loss
Loss in team productivity that occurs when team members don’t work as hard as they could.
Social Loafing
Phenomenon of a person exerting less effort to achieve a goal when they work in a group than when working alone
Taskwork Processes
The activities of team members that relate directly to the accomplishments of team tasks
What are the 3 taskwork processes?
Creative Behaviour
Decision Making
Boundary Spanning
Brainstorming Steps
- Express all ideas that come to mind
- Go for quantity of ideas rather than quality
- Don’t criticize or evaluate the ideas of others
- Build on the ideas of others
Following these steps will develop a large pool of ideas to address the issue at hand
What factors affect team decision making?
Decision informity
Staff validity
Hierarchical sensitivity
Decision Informity
Whether members possess adequate information about their own task responsibilities
Staff Validity
The degree to which members make good recommendations to the leader
Hierarchical Sensitivity
The degree to which the leader effectively weighs the recommendations of the members
Boundary Spanning
Taskwork processes that involve individuals and groups who are not considered part of the team. Includes:
Ambassador Activities
Task Coordinator Activities
Scout Activities
Ambassador Activities
Communications that are intended to protect the team, persuade others to support the team, or obtain important resources for the team
Task Coordinator Activities
Communications that are intended to coordinate task-related issues with people or groups in other functional areas
Scout Activities
Things team members do to obtain information about technology, competitors, or the broader marketplace
Teamwork Processes
Interpersonal activities that facilitate the accomplishment of the team’s work but do not directly involve task accomplishment
Transition Processes
Teamwork processes that focus on preparation for future work in the team (eg. mission analysis and planning). Includes:
Mission Analysis
Strategy Formulation
Goal Specification
Action Processes
Teamwork processes that aid in the accomplishment of teamwork as the work is taking place (eg. helping & coordination). Includes:
Monitoring progress toward goals
Systems Monitoring
Helping Behaviour
Coordination
Interpersonal Processes
Teamwork processes that focus on managing relationships among team members. Includes:
Motivating & confidence building
Conflict Management
Motivating & Confidence Building
Things team members do or say that affect the degree to which members are motivated to work hard on the task
Conflict Management
Involves activities that the team uses to manage conflicts that arise during work activities. Includes:
Relationship Conflict
Task Conflict
Relationship Conflict
Disagreements among team members in terms of interpersonal relationships or incompatibilities with respect to personal values or preferences.
Task Conflict
Disagreements among team members about the team’s task
Systems Monitoring
Keeping track of things that the team needs to accomplish its work
Mission Analysis
An analysis of the team’s task, the challenges that face the team, and the resources available for completing the team’s work
Strategy Formulation
The development of courses of action and contingency plans, and then adapting those plans in light of changes that occur in the team’s environment
Goal Specification
The development and prioritization of goals related to the team’s mission and strategy
What are the different team states discussed in the textbook?
Cohesion
Potency
Mental Models
Transactive Memory
Cohesion
Exists when team members develop strong emotional bonds to other members of their team and to the team itself
Potency
The degree to which members believe that the team can be effective across a variety of situations and tasks
Mental Models
The level of common understanding among team members about important aspects of the team and its task
Transactive Memory
The degree to which team members’ specialized knowledge is integrated into an effective system of memory for the team
What is the relationship between task interdependence and team performance?
Moderate positive relationship
What is the relationship between task interdependence and team commitment?
Weak positive relationship
What is the relationship between teamwork processes and team performance?
Moderate positive relationship
What is the relationship between teamwork processes and team commitment?
Strong positive relationship
What steps can organizations take to improve team processes?
-Transportable Teamwork Competencies
-Cross-Training
-Team Process Training
-Team Building
Transportable Teamwork Competencies
Team training that involves helping people develop general teamwork competencies that they can transport from one team context to another
Cross-Training
Training team members in the duties and responsibilities of their teammates. Three different depths:
Personal Clarification
Positional Modelling
Positional Rotation
Personal Clarification
Members receive information regarding other team members’ roles (shallow cross-training)
Positional Modelling
Involves team members observing how other members perform their roles
Positional Rotation
Hands-on experience carrying out teammate’s responsibilities (deepest cross-training)
Team Process Training
The use of team experiences that facilitates the team’s ability to function and perform more effectively as an intact unit
Action Learning
A team is given a real problem that’s relevant to the organization and then held accountable for analyzing the problem, developing an action plan, and finally carrying out the action plan
Team Building
Fun activities that facilitate team problem solving, trust, relationship building, and the clarification of role responsibilities
Groupthink
Behaviours that support conformity and team harmony at the expense of other team priorities. Team members strive toward a consensus rather than considering alternative perspectives
