CH. 6: Groups and Teamwork Flashcards
groups vs. teams
groups: 2/+ ppl with a common relationship
teams: sm. # of ppl w. complementary skills- committed to a common purpose, performance goals, & approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable
-groups of 5 to 12 employees from same department that meet for a few hrs each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency & work envt
Problem- Solving Teams
10-15 ppl that take on responsibilities of former managers (planning, scheduling work, assigning tasks, taking action on problems
Self- managed/ Directed teams
Employees from about the same hierarchical lvl, but from diff. work areas, who come together to accomplish a task
Cross- Functional Teams
Types of Cross- Functional Teams
Task force- temporary
Committee- group composed of members from diff. departments (L-T in nature)
Skunkworks- dvlp spontaneously to create new products/ work on complex problems
use comp. tech. to tie together physically dispersed members to achieve common goal
Virtual Teams
set of expected behaviour patterns associated w. someone occupying a given position in a soc. unit
Roles
how others believe a person should act in a given situation
Role Expectations
Situation in which an individual is confronted by divergent role expections
Role Conflict
Person is unclear about his/ her role
Role Ambiguity
Too much is expected of someone
Role Overload
little is expected of someone, therefore person feels they are not contributing
Role Underload
Acceptable standards of behaviour w/in a group–> shared by group’s members
Norms
What Norms Cover
Performance, Appearance, Social Arrangement (interaction b/w team members), & Allocation of resources (pay, assignments, tools & equipment)
How Norms Develop
- STATEMENTS made by a group member
- critical EVENTS in groups history
- PRIMACY: initial patterns of behaviour
- CARRY OVER BEHAVIOUR from past situation
Why Norms are enforced
- facilitates group’s survival
- predictable behaviour
- minimizes embarrassment
- expresses central values & clarifies group’s identity
Stages of Group & Team Development
Forming (uncertainty & anxiety) Storming (intra-group conflict) Norming (close rtnships & cohesiveness) Performing (fully functional group) Adjourning
Five- Stage Model into Perspective
- groups do not progress clearly through stages 1 at a time
- groups can go back to an earlier stage
- conflict can be helpful to group
- context matters
Phase1: 1st meeting sets group direction
Transition: takes place @ end of 1st phase, which initiates major change
Phase 2: 2nd phase of inertia, last meeting characterized by markedly accelerated act.
The Punctuated Equilibrium Model
Effective Team characteristics
- Clear Purpose
- Informality
- Participation
- Listening
- Civilized disagreement
- Consensus decisions
- Open communication
- Clear rules & work assignments
- Shared leadership
- External relations
- Style diversity
- Self- assessment
Creating effective teams- Context
- Climate of Trust
- Leadership & Structure
- Adequate Resources
- Performance Evaluation & Rewards
Composition of an Effective Team
Skills Personality Roles Diversity Size Members' Preference for Teamwork
Skills needed w/in teams to perform effectively
Prob. Solving & decision- making skills
Interpersonal skills
Tech. expertise
tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually
Social Loafing
Process of Creating Effective Teams
- Common purpose
- Spec. Goals
- Team Efficacy
- Mental Models
- Managed Lvl. of Conflict
- Accountability
