Understanding Work Teams Chapter 9 Understanding Work Teams

Why 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.

As a team leader put it in Fortune magazine: “A team is like having a baby tiger given to you at Christmas. It does a wonderful job of keeping the mice away for about 12 months, and then it starts to eat your kids”. (Ferguson, 1999)

Team 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.

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. Self-Managed Work Teams Groups of 10 to 15 people who take on the responsibilities of their former supervisors.

Self-Managing Teams Percentage of Companies Saying Their Self-Managing Teams Perform These Traditional Management Functions by Themselves (Krietner & Kinicki, 2001). Schedule work assignments 67% Work with outside customers 67 Conduct training 59 Set production goals/quotas 56 Work with suppliers/vendors 44 Purchase equipment/services 43 Develop budgets 39 Do performance appraisals 36 Hire co-workers 33 Fire co-workers 14

Types of Teams (cont’d) Cross-Functional Teams Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task. Task forces Committees

Types of Teams (cont’d) Virtual Teams Teams that use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal. Team Characteristics The absence of paraverbal and nonverbal cues A limited social context The ability to overcome time and space constraints

Creating 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 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 Management Team Effectiveness and Quality Management Requires That Teams: Are small enough to be efficient and effective. Are properly trained in required skills. Allocated enough time to work on problems. Are given authority to resolve problems and take corrective action. Have a designated “champion” to call on when needed.

Beware: 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?

Dysfunctional Teams (Parker, 2006) You cannot easily describe the team’s mission The meetings are formal, stuffy, or tense There is much participation but little accomplishment There is talk but not much communication Disagreements are aired in private after the meeting Decisions are made by the formal leader with little meaningful involvement by others

Dysfunctional Teams (Parker, 2006) Members are not open with each other because trust is low There is confusion or disagreement about roles or work assignments People in other parts of the organisation who are critical to the team’s success are uncooperative The team is overloaded with people who have the same team-player style The team has been in existence for at least 3 months and has never assessed its functioning

Building great teams (out of terrible teams) at Continental Airlines (Bethune, 1998) Bad teams don’t play together Good teams win together Running plays the team believes in: buy-in Everything is relative – even winning If the coach wins, the team wins You gotta be a leader The psychology of horses and the psychology of humans

Leadership – a key factor for team success Group dynamics are partly a product of leader style Empowerment is a key issue in leadership (eg. self-managed teams) Leaders need: “people skills” – versatility, pyramid learning, feedback “character skills” – charisma, integrity, altruism “action skills” – decision-making, initiating activities “thinking skills” – problem-solving, fostering linkages, assisting in evolution and change

Creating and maintaining effective team processes (Schein, 2006) In particular, choose the group decision-making method carefully. Options include: Decision by lack of response (“plop”) Decision by formal authority Decision by self-authorisation or minority Decision by majority rule Decision by consensus Decision by unanimous consent

Teams - Conclusions Sometimes individuals are preferable to teams, but teams are preferable when the combined expertise and skill of a team is greater than that of an individual. Nonetheless, teams are subject to problems such as social loafing, process losses, and do not work well where systems and culture are not aligned with the team environment.