Creating Effective Teams

Question 1

Define SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY

Answer 1

Social identity theory was developed in the 1970s. It looks at how group norms affect individual behaviour. The self-esteem of the individual is tied to the performance of the group - if the team does well, the self-esteem of the individual is boosted.

Question 2

Define IN-GROUP FAVOURITISM

Answer 2

In-group favouritism occurs when we see members of our group as better than other people and people not in our group as all the same.

Question 3

Define SOCIAL IDENTITY THREAT

Answer 3

Social identity threat occurs when the perceived competence of the group is devalued. It may also be when the moral behaviour of the group is called into question or when the group is not acknowledged as a separate entity.

Question 4

Define ROLES

Answer 4

Roles are a set of expected behaviour patterns attributed to someone occupying a given position in a social unit.

Question 5

Define ROLE IDENTITY

Answer 5

Role identity is the ability to recognise attitudes and behaviours consistent with a role.

Question 6

Define ROLE PERCEPTION

Answer 6

Role perception is one’s perception of how to act in a given situation. It is linked to role expectation.

Question 7

Define ROLE EXPECTATION

Answer 7

Role expectation is how others believe one should act in a given situation. It is linked to role perception.

Question 8

Define PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT

Answer 8

Psychological contact is an unwritten agreement that exists between employees and their employer. It helps employees to improve performance due to feedback. Employers will also expect employees to be loyal to the company and follow procedures.

Question 9

Define ROLE CONFLICT

Answer 9

Role conflict is a situation in which an individual faces divergent role expectations. The employee will have different roles to play in different situations and may struggle with the work/life balance. For example, managers must both evaluate and mentor employees at the same time.

Question 10

Define NORMS

Answer 10

Norms are the acceptable standard of behaviour within a group that are shared by the group’s members.

Question 11

Define STATUS

Answer 11

Status relates to the hierarchy of the business. It is a socially defined rank or position given to groups or group members by others.

Question 12

Define STATUS CHARACTERISTICS THEORY

Answer 12

Status characteristics theory is the idea that status is derived from one of three sources:

• the power a person wields over others
• a person’s ability to contribute to the groups goals/success
• an individual’s personal characteristics.

Question 13

What are Tuckman’s 5 stages of team development?

Answer 13

Forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning

Question 14

Describe the forming stage

Answer 14

This is the first stage of team development. The group members are unsure of the structure, leadership and goals, but will be positive and polite about the goals and tasks ahead. Leader plays a dominant role.

Question 15

Describe the storming stage

Answer 15

This is the second stage of team development. The group members will start to push against boundaries made in the forming stage. Increased group purpose but different working styles mean inevitable conflict.

Question 16

Describe the norming stage

Answer 16

This is the third stage of team development. The group members begin to resolve their differences, appreciate the strengths of others and authority of the leader. People get to know each other and socialise. Progress is made towards the group’s goals. Overlap between storming and norming as new tasks arise.

Question 17

Describe the performing stage

Answer 17

This is the fourth stage of team development. The group members have clear visions/purpose and are able to work together well without friction to achieve goals. Much of the work is delegated and it is easy to work as a team.

Question 18

Describe the adjourning stage

Answer 18

This is the fifth stage of team development. Many teams reach this stage as they were only set up to achieve a specific task.

Question 19

Why are teams so popular?

Answer 19

• Teams can achieve feats an individual cannot accomplish alone.
• Teams are flexible and responsive to changing events.
• They can quickly assemble, deploy, refocus and disband.

Question 20

Define SOCIAL LOAFING

Answer 20

Social loafing is the concept that people are prone to exert less effort when they are in a group versus when they work alone. The larger the group, the more likely it is social loafing will occur.

Question 21

Define the ‘SUCKER EFFECT’

Answer 21

The sucker effect is the idea that some people will reduce their individual effort when working in a group because they fear becoming or being seen as a sucker. This would be someone who contributes more to the group than the others yet receives the same level of reward.

Question 22

What are the 4 types of teams?

Answer 22

Problem solving, self-managed, cross functional, virtual

Question 23

Describe a problem solving team

Answer 23

Contains 10-12 people.

• often from the same department
• share ideas and suggest improvements
• rarely given the authority to unilaterally implement any of their suggested actions.

Question 24

Describe a self-managed team

Answer 24

Contains 10-15 people.

• all members are in highly related jobs
• the team takes on supervisory responsibilities
• may select and evaluate its own members
• its effectiveness depends o the situation

Question 25

Describe a cross functional team

Answer 25

• members are the same level of expertise, but from different departments
• they work together to achieve tasks
  they meet to exchange information and use each other’s skills to develop new ideas and solve problems
• coordinate complex projects

Question 26

Describe a virtual team

Answer 26

These teams don’t meet face to face.
- computer technology ties the dispersed team together
Special challenges:
- less social rapport and direct interaction
- difficulty dispersing information

Question 27

Define TEAM ROLES

Answer 27

Team roles are a tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way.

Question 28

What are the 3 thinking orientated roles?

Answer 28

1. Plant - comes up with new ideas and approaches. Tend to be poor communicators, introverted and bad at accepting criticism.
2. Monitor-evaluator - best at analysing ideas other people have come up with. Critical thinkers who weight up pros/cons.
3. Specialists - those with specialist knowledge needed to get the job done. Have high skills/qualifications and work hard to maintain their professional status.

Question 29

What are the 3 people orientated roles?

Answer 29

1. Coordinator - take on the traditional team leader role. Guide the team towards objectives. Calm, good natured, good listeners, able to delegate.
2. Team worker - provide support for other workers. They are negotiators who are flexible, diplomatic and perceptive. Tend to be popular people, focused on team cohesion.
3. Resource investigator - innovative and curious. Enthusiastic and able to work with external stakeholders to help accomplish team goals. Extroverted and outgoing.

Question 30

What are the 3 action orientated roles?

Answer 30

1. Shapers - they challenge the team to improve. They are dynamic, extroverted and enjoy stimulating others.
2. Implementer - people who get things done. Turn ideas and concepts into practical actions and plans. Well organised, systematic and disciplined.
3. Completer-finisher - people who see that projects are completed. They ensure that there are no errors or omissions. Concerned with deadlines and encourage the team to meet them. Perfectionists.

Question 31

What are the characteristics of effective teams?

Answer 31

• adequate resources, effective leadership and a climate of trust
• tend to be small
• members believe in the team’s capabilities
• members are carefully selected