Ch.10 Understanding Work Teams Flashcards
work group
A group that interacts primarily to share information, make decisions, and help each group member perform within his or her area of responsibility.
work team
A group whose individual efforts result in performance that is greater than the sum of the individual inputs.
problem-solving teams
Groups of 5 to 12 employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment
self-managed work teams
Groups of 10 to 15 employees who take on responsibilities of their former supervisors.
The responsibilities usually include planning and scheduling work, assigning tasks to members, making operating decisions, taking action on problems, and working with suppliers and customers. Fully self-managed work teams even select their own members who evaluate each other’s performance. When these teams are established, former supervisory positions take on decreased importance and are sometimes eliminated.
cross-functional teams
Employees from about the same hierarchical level but from different work areas who come together to accomplish a task.
virtual teams
Teams that use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal.
They collaborate online—using communication links such as wide-area networks, corporate social media, videoconferencing, and e-mail—whether members are nearby or continents apart. Nearly all teams do at least some of their work remotely.
multiteam system
A collection of two or more interdependent teams that share a superordinate goal; a team of teams.
Factors Determine Whether Teams Are Successful- Adequate Resources
“perhaps one of the most important characteristics of an effective work group is the support the group receives from the organization.”This support includes timely information, proper equipment, adequate staffing, encouragement, and administrative assistance.
Factors Determine Whether Teams Are Successful- Leadership and Structure
Here, leaders need to delegate responsibility to teams and play the role of facilitator, making sure the teams work together rather than against one another.
Factors Determine Whether Teams Are Successful- Climate of Trust
The overall level of trust in a team is important, but the way trust is dispersed among team members also matters. Trust levels that are asymmetric and imbalanced between team members can mitigate the performance advantages of a high overall level of trustin such cases, coalitions form that often undermine the team as a whole.
Factors Determine Whether Teams Are Successful- Performance Evaluation and Reward System
Group-based appraisals, profit sharing, small-group incentives, and other system modifications can reinforce team effort and commitment.
organizational demography
The degree to which members of a work unit share a common demographic attribute, such as age, sex, race, educational level, or length of service in an organization, and the impact of this attribute on turnover.
reflexivity
A team characteristic of reflecting on and adjusting the master plan when necessary.
Some evidence suggests that teams high in reflexivity are better able to adapt to conflicting plans and goals among team members.
team efficacy
A team’s collective belief that they can succeed at their tasks. In addition, teams that have a shared knowledge of individual capabilities can strengthen the link between team members’ self-efficacy and their individual creativity because members can solicit informed opinions from their team-mates more effectively.
Team identity
A team member’s affinity for and sense of belongingness to his or her team.
when team identity is strong, team members who are highly motivated by performance goals are more likely to direct their efforts toward team goals rather than individual goals.
