Chapter 8 - Groups Pt 2: March 20, 2007

Performance & Task Type Do larger groups perform better? Depends: –Additive tasks – what is this? –Disjunctive – –Conjunctive – –What does research indicate?

Group Size & Perf

Research Issues What are the boundaries of the group? –Difficulties w/identifying a group Limited amount of field research on groups –Most are lab studies of nominal groups…does that matter? Potential disadvantages of this - –Can still examine process variables that may not change

What is group ‘effectiveness’? Problem w/identifying appropriate DV for group effectiveness studies –Most operational defs of ‘effectiveness’ have included:

Teams Collection of people w/complementary skills –What are basic dimensions? –Different from groups? See dimensions of teams in book

Cross-functional teams Traditional org structure based on function Cross-functional teams use employees at identical org levels w/different specialties –Advantages? –Disadvantages? All major auto manufacturers use these for complex projects

Problem Solving Teams Employee involvement teams – examine impt workplace issues Quality circle – What do they do? What special training is useful for these? –Cultural differences?

Team Building Appropriate when high team turnover or loss of focus (most common in existing teams) 4 main types of team building –Role definition – –Interpersonal processes – –Goal setting – –Problem solving –

Team Selection Issues Campion & Stevens (’94) developed ‘Teamwork KSA’ test to use as indicator for team selection –What dimensions are assessed? Some orgs use Assessment Center methodology for team selection

Virtual Teams Boeing ex. of ‘electronic brainstorming’ – share ideas while minimizing team dynamics –How does it work? Procedure? –Study of 64 elec brainstorming groups at Boeing Results?

Criticisms of virtual teams? Social concerns? Political issues? Differences between face-to-face vs. computer interactions -

Application: Flight Crews as Teams Foushee’s “Dyads & Triads in the Cockpit” –Prevalence of human error Why does this occur? –Potomac River accident example… ATC & pilot communication

Flight Crews (cont.) Simulation study of pre-duty (well-rested) vs post-duty (possibly fatigued) crews –Who performed better? Teamwork principles that apply: –1. –2. –3. –4.