Work Team

o r g a n i z a t i o n a l b e h a v i o r

o r g a n i z a t i o n a l b e h a v i o r

stephen p. robbins

e l e v e n t h e d i t i o n

e l e v e n t h e d i t i o n

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIORORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIORS T E P H E N P. R O B B I N SS T E P H E N P. R O B B I N S

E L E V E N T H E D I T I O NE L E V E N T H E D I T I O N

W W W . P R E N H A L L . C O M / R O B B I N SW W W . P R E N H A L L . C O M / R O B B I N S© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

PowerPoint Presentation by Charlie Cook

PowerPoint Presentation by Charlie Cook

Chapter 9

Understanding Work Teams


Why Have Teams Become So PopularWhy Have Teams Become So Popular

Teams typically outperform individuals.

Teams use employee talents better.

Teams are more flexible and responsive to changes in the environment.

Teams facilitate employee involvement.

Teams are an effective way to democratize and organization and increase motivation.


Team Versus Group: What’s the DifferenceTeam Versus Group: What’s the Difference

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.Work Team

A group whose individual efforts result in a performance that is greater than the sum of the individual inputs.


Comparing Work Groups and Work TeamsComparing Work Groups and Work Teams

E X H I B I T 9–1E X H I B I T 9–1


Peter Drucker on Teams….Peter Drucker on Teams….

“[One] problem is that management is becoming ever more fashion-conscious. Managers implement strategies like down-sizing and reengineering just because they seem like the thing to do. Managers are fashion-conscious because, in reality, 90% of running an organization is routine. Teenagers are fashion-conscious because most of what goes on at school is boring. The same goes for managers.

Perhaps the worst example of this is the emphasis on teams. It takes years to build a successful team, but companies are rushing into it expecting instant results. In most cases, teams don’t even work. Teams are difficult to manage. Who is the boss? The team leader or the engineering boss that assigns the project to the team? It’s never a good idea to create a conflict of interest and loyalties. Teams are the right strategy only for a very small number of situations.”


Team Effectiveness: Some Impressive ResultsTeam Effectiveness: Some Impressive Results

Wilson Sporting Goods - Kodak Customer Service - Corning - Sealed Air - Exxon - Carrier - Xerox - Westinghouse - Texas Instruments -

Avg. annual cost savings: $5 million Response accuracy increase: 100% Defect reduction: 1,800 ppm to 3 ppm Waste reduced by 50% $10 million saved in 6 months Unit turnaround: 2 weeks to 2 days Productivity increased by 30% Product costs down 60% Cost reduction: over 50%


Types of TeamsTypes 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.Self-Managed Work Teams

Groups of 10 to 15 people who take on the responsibilities of their former supervisors.


Types of Teams (cont’d)Types of Teams (cont’d)

•Task forces

•Committees

Cross-Functional Teams

Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task.


Types of Teams (cont’d)Types of Teams (cont’d)

Team Characteristics

1. The absence of paraverbal and nonverbal cues

2. A limited social context

3. The ability to overcome time and space constraints

Team Characteristics

1. The absence of paraverbal and nonverbal cues

2. A limited social context

3. The ability to overcome time and space constraints

Virtual Teams

Teams that use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal.


A Team-Effectiveness

Model

A Team-Effectiveness

Model



Creating Effective TeamsCreating Effective Teams


Creating Effective Teams (cont’d)Creating Effective Teams (cont’d)


Key Roles of Teams

Key Roles of Teams



Effects of Group ProcessesEffects of Group Processes

+

–

=E X H I B I T 9–4

E X H I B I T 9–4


Creating Effective Teams: DiversityCreating Effective Teams: Diversity

Group Demography

The degree to which members of a group share a common demographic attribute, such as age, sex, race, educational level, or length of service in the organization, and the impact of this attribute on turnover.

Cohorts

Individuals who, as part of a group, hold a common attribute.


Turning Individuals Into Team PlayersTurning Individuals Into Team Players

The Challenges

– Overcoming individual resistance to team membership.

– Countering the influence of individualistic cultures.

– Introducing teams in an organization that has historically valued individual achievement.

Shaping Team Players

– Selecting employees who can fulfill their team roles.

– Training employees to become team players.

– Reworking the reward system to encourage cooperative efforts while continuing to recognize individual contributions.


Teams and Quality ManagementTeams and Quality Management

Team Effectiveness and Quality Management Requires That Teams:

1. Are small enough to be efficient and effective.

2. Are properly trained in required skills.

3. Allocated enough time to work on problems.

4. Are given authority to resolve problems and take corrective action.

5. Have a designated “champion” to call on when needed.


Beware: Teams Aren’t Always the AnswerBeware: Teams Aren’t Always the Answer

Three tests to see if a team fits the situation:

– Is the work complex and is there a need for different perspectives?

– Does the work create a common purpose or set of goals for the group that is larger than the aggregate of the goals for individuals?

– Are members of the group involved in interdependent tasks?


Group dynamics is the study of groups, and also a general term for group processes. Because they interact and influence each other, groups develop a number of dynamic processes that separate them from a random collection of individuals. These processes include norms, roles, relations, development, need to belong, social influence, and effects on behavior. The field of group dynamics is primarily concerned with small group behavior.


Group dynamics, the phrase "group process" refers to the understanding of the behaviour of people in groups, such as task groups, that are trying to solve a problem or make a decision.

An individual with expertise in 'group process, such as a trained facilitator, can assist a group in accomplishing its objective by diagnosing how well the group is functioning as a problem-solving or decision-making entity and intervening to alter the group's operating behaviour.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facilitator


Groupthink SymptomsGroupthink Symptoms An illusion of invulnerability, which leads to unwarranted optimism and

excessive risk taking by the group. Unquestioned assumption of the group’s morality and therefore an absence of

reflection on the ethical consequences of group action. Collective rationalization to discount negative information or warnings. Stereotypes of the opposition as evil, weak, or stupid. An illusion of unanimity such that greater consensus is perceived than really

exists. Direct pressure on dissenting members, which reinforces the norm that

disagreement represents disloyalty to the group. Mindguards, who protect the group from adverse information.

Work Team

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