Chapter 9 Work Teams and Groups

Learning Outcomes Define group and work team Explain the benefits organizations and individuals derive from working in teams Identify the factors that influence group behavior Describe how groups form and develop

Learning Outcomes Explain how task and maintenance functions influence group performance Discuss the factors that influence group effectiveness Describe how empowerment relates to self- managed teams Explain the importance of upper echelons and top management teams

Groups and Teams Group: Two or more people with common interests, objectives, and continuing interaction Work team: Group of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common: Mission Performance goals Approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable

Table 9.1- New Team Environment versus Old Work Environment

Group Behavior Norms of behavior: Group standards to evaluate the behavior of its members Group cohesion: Interpersonal glue that makes members of a group stick together Social loafing: Failure of a member to contribute personal time, effort, thoughts, or other resources Loss of individuality: Individual group members' loss of self-awareness, sense of accountability, inhibition, and responsibility for individual behavior

Figure 9.1 - The Five Stage Model

Mature Group Characteristics Purpose and mission Questioned, reexamined, and modified by groups for its mission and purpose Mission converted into specific agenda, clear goals, and a set of critical success factors Behavioral norms Well-understood standards of behavior in a group Evolve around performance and productivity

Mature Group Characteristics Groups with high cohesiveness demonstrate: Lower tension and anxiety and less variation in productivity Better member satisfaction, commitment, and communication Status structure: Set of authority and task relations among a group’s members Hierarchical or egalitarian, depending on the group

Table 9.2- Task and Maintenance Functions in Teams or Groups

Factors that Influence Group Effectiveness Work team structure Goals and objectives, guidelines, performance measures, and role specification Work team process Managing cooperative and competitive behaviors Diversity Enhances group effectiveness Types of member contribution - Contributor, collaborator, communicator, and challenger Creativity Enhanced through encouraging greater diversity within the team

Cooperative and helping behaviors Empowerment Skills Competence skills Process skills Cooperative and helping behaviors Communication skills

Upper Echelons Self-managed teams at the top-level of an organization Upper echelon theory Background characteristics of top management team predict organizational characteristics Set standards for values, competence, ethics, and unique characteristics in the organization Key to the strategic success of the organization

Upper Echelons Diversity at the top Multicultural top teams Help sustain high levels of organizational performance at the peak Help maintain the CEO’s vitality Multicultural top teams Diversity increases uncertainty, complexity, and inherent confusion in group processes Culturally diverse groups generate more and better ideas and limit groupthink