Organizational Behavior: Understanding Work Teams

Robbins, Judge, and Vohra
Organizational Behavior
14th Edition
Understanding Work Teams

Kelli J. Schutte
William Jewell College Copyright 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational Behavior, 14e
10-0
Why Have Teams Become So Popular?

Great way to use employee talents Teams are more flexible and responsive to changes in the environment Facilitate employee involvement Increase employee participation in decision making Democratize an organization and increase motivation Note: Teams are not ALWAYS effective
Copyright 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational Behavior, 14e
10-1
Differences between Groups and Teams

Work Group
A group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each group member perform within his or her area of responsibility
No joint effort required
Work Team
Generates positive synergy through coordinated effort. The individual efforts result in a performance that is greater than the sum of the individual inputs
10-2
Comparing Work Groups and Work Teams
E X H I B I T 10-1 Copyright 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational Behavior, 14e
10-3
Types of Teams
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
Merrill lynch to figure out ways to reduce the number of days to open a new cash management system
Self-Managed Work Teams

Groups of 10 to 15 people who take on the responsibilities of their former supervisors
10-4
Copyright 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd See E X H I B I T 10-2
Types of Teams (Continued)

Cross-Functional Teams
Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task Very common
Task forces-temporory
Eg.IBM, Toyota..
See E X H I B I T 10-2 Copyright 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational Behavior, 14e
10-5
Types of Teams (Continued)

Virtual Teams
Teams that use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal eg., Dell, HP, Ford, Motorola
Characteristics
Limited socializing The ability to overcome time and space constraints
To be effective, needs:
Trust among members Close monitoring
10-6
A Team-Effectiveness Model
E X H I B I T 10-3 Copyright 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational Behavior, 14e
10-7
Key Components of Effective Teams
Context Composition Process Variables
10-8
Creating Effective Teams: Context

Adequate Resources
(Need the tools to complete the job) every team relies on resources, outside the group to sustain Support from organization Timely information Proper equipment, technology, staff, admin support Support from management
10-9
Effective Leadership and Structure

Agreeing to the specifics of work and how the team fits together to integrate individual skills Even self-managed teams need leaders Leadership especially important in multi-team systems
Climate of Trust
Members must trust each other and the leader Trust is the foundation of leadership
Performance and Rewards Systems that Reflect Team Contributions

Individual wise as well as group wise Rewards, incentives motivation, reinforcement
Creating Effective Teams: Composition

Abilities of Members
Need technical expertise, problem-solving, decision-making, and good interpersonal skills Teams performance depends on the skills, knowledge, and abilities of the members (status)
Personality of Members
Conscientiousness, openness to experience, and agreeableness all relate to team performance
10-11
Allocating Roles and Diversity

Many necessary roles must be filled Diversity can often lead to lower performance
Size of Team
The smaller the better: 5 to 9 is optimal
Members Preference for Teamwork

Do the members want to be on teams?
Creating Effective Teams: Team Processes

Commitment to a Common Purpose
Create a common purpose that provides direction Have reflexivity: willing to adjust plan if necessary
Establishment of Specific Team Goals

Must be specific, measurable, realistic, and challenging
Team Efficacy
Team believes in its ability to succeed
Mental Models
Have an accurate and common mental map of how the work gets done
A Managed Level of Conflict

Task conflicts are helpful; interpersonal conflicts are not
Minimized Social Loafing

Team holds itself accountable both individually and as a team
10-13
Turning Individuals into Team Players

Selection
Make team skills one of the interpersonal skills in the hiring process.
Training
Individualistic people can learn
Rewards
Rework the reward system to encourage cooperative efforts rather than competitive (individual) ones
Continue to recognize individual contributions while still emphasizing the importance of teamwork
10-14

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Robbins, Judge, and Vohra

Understanding Work Teams

Why Have Teams Become So Popular?

Differences between Groups and Teams

Comparing Work Groups and Work Teams

Self-Managed Work Teams

Types of Teams (Continued)

Types of Teams (Continued)

Key Components of Effective Teams

Context Composition Process Variables

Creating Effective Teams: Context

Effective Leadership and Structure

Performance and Rewards Systems that Reflect Team Contributions

Creating Effective Teams: Composition

Allocating Roles and Diversity

Members Preference for Teamwork

Creating Effective Teams: Team Processes

Establishment of Specific Team Goals

A Managed Level of Conflict

Minimized Social Loafing

Turning Individuals into Team Players

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