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CHAPTER 6
Groups and Teamwork
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2. Teams vs. Groups: What’s the Difference?
Two or more people with a common relationship.
Teams
A small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.
LO1; Material pertinent to this discussion is found under “Teams vs. Groups: What’s the Difference.”
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3. Why Have Teams Become So Popular?
It’s a better way to use employee talents
Teams are more flexible and responsive to changing events
Teams have the capability to quickly assembly, deploy, refocus, and disband
Can be more motivational, allow for greater task identity
Teams typically outperform individuals if require multiple skills, judgment, experience
LO2; Material pertinent to this discussion is found under “Why Have Teams Become So Popular.”
A Conference Board of Canada report found that over 80 percent of its 109 respondents used teams in the workplace. This is similar to the United States where 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies have half or more of their employees on teams. And 68 percent of small U.S. manufacturers are using teams in their production areas.
The evidence suggests that teams typically outperform individuals when the tasks being done require multiple skills, judgment, and experience. As organizations have restructured themselves to compete more effectively and efficiently, they have turned to teams as a way to better utilize employee talents. Teams can quickly assemble, deploy, refocus, and disband. Teams are an effective means for management to democratize their organizations and increase employee motivation.
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Types of Teams
Problem-Solving (Process-Improvement) Teams
Groups of 5 to 12 employees from the same department
Meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment.
Self-Managed (Self-Directed) Teams
Groups of 10 to 15 people
Take on responsibilities of their former managers
Planning, scheduling work, assigning tasks, taking action on problems etc.
Cross-Functional Teams
Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task.
Virtual Teams
Use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal.
LO3; Material pertinent to this discussion is found under “Types of Teams.”
Problem-Solving (Process-Improvement) Teams: are made up of groups of 5 to 12 employees from the same department. They meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment.
Self-Managed teams: Are made up of groups of 10 to 15 people who take on responsibilities of their former managers. This includes tasks such as planning, scheduling, addressing problems with the work process, perhaps even team member selection and discipline.
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5. From Individual To Team Member - Roles
a set of expected behaviour patterns associated with someone occupying a given position in a social unit.
Role Expectations
How others believe a person should act in a given situation.
Role Conflict
A situation in which an individual is confronted by divergent role expectations.
Role Ambiguity
A person is unclear about his or her role.
Role Overload
Too much is expected of someone.
Role Underload
Too little is expected of someone
That person feels that they are not contributing
LO4; Material pertinent to this discussion is found under “From Individual To Team Member.” 5

6. From Individual To Team Member - Norms
Norms: Acceptable standards of behaviour within a group that are shared by the group’s members.
What Norms Cover
Performance: work ethic, work quality, levels of tardiness
Appearance: personal dress, when to look busy, when to "goof off," how to show loyalty
Social arrangement: how team members interact
Allocation of resources: pay, assignments, tools & equipment
LO5; Material pertinent to this discussion is found under “From Individual To Team Member.”
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How Norms Develop
Explicit statements made by a group member
Critical events in the groups history
Primacy: initial patterns of behaviour
Carry-over behaviour from past situations
LO5; Material pertinent to this discussion is found under “From Individual To Team Member.”
Explicit statements made by a group member: Often instructions from the group’s supervisor or a powerful member. The group leader might, for instance, specifically say that no personal phone calls are allowed during working hours or that coffee breaks must be no longer than 10 minutes.
Critical events in the group’s history: These set important precedents. A bystander is injured while standing too close to a machine and, from that point on, members of the work group regularly monitor each other to ensure that no one other than the operator gets within two metres of any machine.
Primacy: The first behaviour pattern that emerges in a group frequently sets group expectations. Groups of students who are friends often stake out seats near each other on the first day of class and become upset if an outsider takes “their” seats in a later class.
Carry-over behaviours from past situations: Group members bring expectations with them from other groups of which they have been members. This can explain why work groups typically prefer to add new members who are similar to current ones in background and experience. This is likely to increase the probability that the expectations they bring are consistent with those already held by the group.
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Why Norms Are Enforced
Facilitates group’s survival.
Makes behaviour predictable.
Minimizes embarrassment.
Expresses central values and clarifies the group’s identity.
LO5; Material pertinent to this discussion is found under “From Individual To Team Member.”
A norm is enforced if:
It facilitates the group’s survival. Groups don’t like to fail, so they seek to enforce those norms that increase their chances for success. This means that they’ll try to protect themselves from interference from other groups or individuals.
It increases the predictability of group members’ behaviours. Norms that increase predictability enable group members to anticipate each other’s actions and to prepare appropriate responses.
It reduces embarrassing interpersonal problems for group members. Norms are important if they ensure the satisfaction of their members and prevent as much interpersonal discomfort as possible.
It allows members to express the central values of the group and clarify what is distinctive about the group’s identity. Norms that encourage expression of the group’s values and distinctive identity help to solidify and maintain the group.
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9. From Individual To Team Member - Conformity
Desire acceptance by the group
Adjusting one’s behaviour to align with the norms of the group
LO5; Material pertinent to this discussion is found under “From Individual To Team Member.”
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10. Stages of Group and Team Development
Stage I: Forming
Characterized by uncertainty and anxiety
Stage II: Storming
Characterized by intra-group conflict
Stage III: Norming
Characterized by close relationships and cohesiveness
Stage IV: Performing
The stage when the group is fully functional
Stage V: Adjourning
Concern with wrapping up activities rather than task performance for temporary groups
LO6; Material pertinent to this discussion is found under “Stages of Group and Team Development.”
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11. Stages of Group Development and Accompanying Issues
Groups do not necessarily progress clearly through the stages one at a time.
Groups can sometimes go back to an earlier stage.
Conflict can sometimes be helpful to the group.
Context can matter: airline pilots can immediately reach performing stage.
LO6; Material pertinent to this discussion is found under “Stages of Group and Team Development.”
Forming is characterized by a great deal of uncertainty about the group’s purpose, structure, and leadership. Members are “testing the waters” to determine what types of behaviour are acceptable. This stage is complete when members have begun to think of themselves as part of a group.
The storming stage is one of intra-group conflict. Members accept the existence of the group, but resist the constraints that the group imposes on individuality. When this stage is complete, a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership will emerge within the group.
In the third stage, norming, close relationships develop and the group demonstrates cohesiveness. There is now a strong sense of group identity and camaraderie. This norming stage is complete when the group structure solidifies and the group has assimilated a common set of expectations of what defines correct member behaviour.
This fourth stage, when significant task progress is being made is called performing. The structure at this point is fully functional and accepted. Group energy has moved from getting to know and understand each other to performing the task at hand.
For permanent work groups, performing is the last stage in their development. However, for temporary committees, teams, task forces, and similar groups that have a limited task to perform, there is an adjourning stage. In this stage, the group prepares for its disbandment.
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12. Characteristics of an Effective Team
LO7; Material pertinent to this discussion is found under “Creating Effective Teams.” 12

13. A Model of Team Effectiveness
LO7; Material pertinent to this discussion is found under “Creating Effective Teams.”
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Exhibit 6-9 Relationship among Team Cohesiveness, Performance Norms, and Productivity
LO9; Material pertinent to this discussion is found under “Creating Effective Teams.”
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15. Beware! Teams Aren’t Always the Answer
Teams work best when the answer is yes:
Can the work be done better by more than one person?
Does work create a common purpose or set of goals for the people in the group that is more than the sum of individual goals?
Are members of the group interdependent?
L10; Material pertinent to this discussion is found under “Beware! Teams Aren’t Always the Answer.”
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Summary
A good team will achieve balance between individudal needs and team needs.
To create effective teams, members should be rewarded for engaging in team behaviour rather than individual behaviour.
Teams should not be created for tasks that could be better done by individuals.
Material pertinent to this discussion is found at the end of the chapter.
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OB at Work: For Review
1. Define group and team. What are the different types of teams?
2. How do you explain the growing popularity of teams in organizations?
3. What are the five types of teams?
4. Do role requirements change in different situations? If so, how?
5. How do group norms influence an individual’s behaviour? Contrast virtual and face-to-face teams.
Material pertinent to this discussion is found at the end of the chapter.
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18. Copyright © 2016 Pearson Canada Inc.
OB at Work: For Review
6. What are the five stages of group development?
7. What characteristics contribute to the effectiveness of a team?
8. What are the implications of diversity for group effectiveness?
9. How does group size affect group performance?
10. When is work performed by individuals preferred over work performed by teams?What are the characteristics of an effective team?
Material pertinent to this discussion is found at the end of the chapter.
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19. OB at Work: For Managers
■ Effective teams have common characteristics. They have adequate resources, effective leadership, a climate of trust, and a performance evaluation and reward system that reflects team contributions. These teams have individuals with technical expertise as well as problem-solving, decision- making, and interpersonal skills and the right traits, especially conscientiousness and openness.
■ Effective teams also tend to be small—with fewer than 10 people, preferably of diverse backgrounds. They have members who fill role demands and who prefer to be part of a group. The work that members do provides freedom and autonomy, the opportunity to use different skills and talents, and the ability to complete a whole and identifiable task or product. It also has a substantial impact on others.
Material pertinent to this discussion is found at the end of the chapter.
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20. OB at Work: For Managers
■ Effective teams have members who believe in the team’s capabilities and are committed to a common plan and purpose, have an accurate shared mental model of what is to be accomplished, share specific team goals, maintain a manageable level of conflict, and show a minimal degree of social loafing.
■ Because individualistic organizations and societies attract and reward individual accomplishments, it can be difficult to create team players in these environments. Try to select individuals who have the interpersonal skills to be effective team players, provide training to develop teamwork skills, and reward individuals for cooperative efforts.
Material pertinent to this discussion is found at the end of the chapter.
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