Chapter 10: Teams

Question 1

What is a team?

Answer 1

A team is a group of people with a common, collective goal

Question 2

Rationale behind a team

Answer 2

• social need to belong
• two or more heads is better than one
• team > sum individuals
• positive peer pressure

Question 3

Necessary conditions for teams

Answer 3

1. agreement as to the mission
2. members adhere to ground rules
3. fair distribution of responsibility and authority
4. people adapt to change

Question 4

Classification of teams

Answer 4

• department teams
• process improvement teams
• task force teams

Question 5

Critical success factors of teams

Answer 5

1. mutual support
2. challenge
3. singleness of purpose
4. trust
5. participation
6. people skills
7. accountability
8. reinforcement

Question 6

Building a team

Answer 6

• makeup and size
• team members
• charter
• responsibility of team members
• mutual supportive peers
• diversity

Question 7

Team-building programme

Answer 7

1. assess team needs
2. plan team-building activities
3. execute team-building activities
4. evaluate team-building activities

Question 8

Teams are coached, not bosses

Answer 8

1. clearly defined charter
2. team development / building
3. mutual respect
4. mentoring
5. human diversity

Question 9

Responses to team conflicts

Answer 9

1. personally negative response: harmful for individual
2. team positive response: difference in team are settled in a way that promotes team unity and serves the team’s mission
3. Team negative response: individual involved attack each other

Question 10

Structural inhibitors of teamwork

Answer 10

Structural = administrative procedure, organizational principle or cultural element

Traditional VS team

1. unit structure
   functional units vs cross-functional environment
2. accountability
   to management vs to customers
3. unit goals
   task orientation vs overall process effectiveness
4. responsibility
   individual performance vs team performance
5. compensation and recognition
   individually vs team AND individually
6. planning and control
   managers and supervisors VS managers and team together

Question 11

Challenges in leading multicultural teams

Answer 11

1. approaches to decision making
2. attitudes towards authority
3. attitudes toward work
4. approaches to communicating

Question 12

Strategies in leading multicultural teams

Answer 12

1. adaption: willingness to adapt attitudes and practices to accommodate cultural differences
2. structural intervention: reorganizing, reassigning, often for conflicts concerning fluency or status
3. managerial guidance:
   ground rules on team interaction
4. exit:
   practical, not desirable
   opt-out strategy