Chapter 6 Work Teams and Groups Groups and

Chapter 6 Work Teams and Groups

Groups and Teams Group – two or more people with common interests, objectives, and continuing interaction Work Team – a group of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common mission, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable

Characteristics of a Well-Functioning, Effective Group Relaxed, comfortable, informal atmosphere Task well understood and accepted Members listen well and participate People express feeling and ideas

Characteristics of a Well-Functioning, Effective Group Conflict and disagreement center around ideas or methods Group aware of its operation and function Consensus decision making Clear assignments made and accepted

Group Behavior Norms of Behavior – the standards that a work group uses to evaluate the behavior of its members Group Cohesion – the “interpersonal glue” that makes members of a group stick together

Group Behavior Social Loafing – the failure of a group member to contribute personal time, effort, thoughts, or other resources to the group Loss of Individuality – a social process in which individual group members lose self-awareness and its accompanying sense of accountability, inhibition, and responsibility for individual behavior

3 Issues Addressed by Groups v Interpersonal issues (Matters of trust, personal comfort, and security) v Task issues (Mission or purpose, methods, expected outcomes) v Authority issues (Leadership, managing power and influence, communication flow)

Group Formation Formal Groups – official or assigned groups gathered to perform various tasks • need ethnic, gender, cultural, and interpersonal diversity • need professional and geographical diversity Informal Groups – unofficial or emergent groups that evolve in the work setting to gratify a variety of member needs not met by formal groups

Stages of Group Formation Copyright © 2006 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved Mutual acceptance Decision making Emphasis on interpersonal concern and awareness Emphasis on task planning, authority, and influence Motivation and commitment Control and sanctions Emphasis on task accomplishment, leadership, and performance Emphasis on rewards and punishment

Tuckman’s Five-Stage Model of Group Development Forming Storming Norming Performing Little agreement Conflict increased clarity of purpose Agreement and consensus Clear vision and purpose Task completion Focus on goal achievement Good feeling about achievements Delegation Recognition Unclear purpose Guidance and direction Power struggles Coaching Copyright © 2006 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved Clear roles and responsibilities Facilitation Adjourning

Punctuated Equilibrium Model – Groups do not progress linearly – Alternate between periods of inertia and bursts of energy

Mature Group Characteristics Purpose and Mission v May be assigned or may emerge from the group v Group often questions, reexamines, and modifies mission and purpose v Mission converted into specific agenda, clear goals, and a set of critical success factors

Mature Group Characteristics Behavioral Norms – well-understood standards of behavior within a group Formal and written Ground rules for meetings Informal but well understood Intragroup socializing Dress codes Productivity Norms – may be consistent or inconsistent, supportive or unsupportive of organization’s productivity standards

Mature Group Characteristics Group Cohesion – interpersonal attraction binding group members together Enables groups to exercise effective control over the members

Mature Group Characteristics v Groups with high cohesiveness v demonstrate lower tension and anxiety v demonstrate less variation in productivity v demonstrate better member satisfaction, commitment, and communication

Cohesiveness and Work-Related Tension Copyright © 2006 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved Low Group Cohesiveness High Tension at work High Low 7 16 52 65 57 Number of groups 19 12 “Does your work ever make you jumpy or nervous? ” Low score = high tension “The measure at work is based on group mean response to the question “Does your work ever make your feel ‘jumpy’ or nervous? ” A low numerical score represents relatively high tension. SOURCE: From S. E. Seashore, Group Cohesiveness in the Industrial Work Force, 1954. Research conducted by Stanley E. Seashore at the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan. Reprinted by permission.

Mature Group Characteristics Status Structure – the set of authority & task relations among a group’s members Hierarchical or egalitarian v Often team leadership is shared v

Mature Group Characteristics Members contribute in diverse ways Diversity Styles Data/Info Contributor Mission Collaborator Facilitator Communicator Devil’s advocate Challenger

Team Task Functions – those activities directly related to the effective completion of the team’s work

Team Task Functions Summarize Ideas Test Ideas Initiate Activities Coordinate Activities Team Tasks Elaborate Concepts Seek Information Evaluate Effectiveness Diagnose Problems Give Information

Team Task Functions Maintenance Functions – those activities essential to the effective, satisfying interpersonal relationships within a team or group

Team Maintenance Functions Express Member Ideas Harmonize Conflicts Support Others Test Group Decisions Maintenance Tasks Test Consensus Set Standards Gatekeep Communication Reduce Tension Follow Others’ Lead

Why Teams? v Good when performing complicated, complex, interrelated and/or more voluminous work than one person can handle v Good when knowledge, talent, skills, and abilities are dispersed across organizational members v Empowerment and collaboration; not power and competition v Basis for total quality efforts

Teamwork – joint action by a team of people in which individual interests are subordinated to team unity

New vs. Old Team Environments New Team Environment Old Work Environment Person generates initiatives Person follows orders Team charts its own steps Manager charts course Right to think for oneself. People rock boat; work together People conformed to manager’s direction. No one rocked the boat. People cooperate using thoughts and feelings; direct talk People cooperated by suppressing thoughts and feelings; wanted to get along SOURCE: Managing in the New Team Environment, by Hirschhorn, © 1991. Reprinted by permission of Prentice-Hall, Inc. , Upper Saddle River, N. J.

Work Team Structural Issues Goals and objectives v Operating guidelines v Performance measures v Role specification v

Work Team Structural Issues Goals and objectives v Operating guidelines v Performance measures v Role specification v Managers who oversee the team v Work team leaders v Team members v

Work Team Process Issues v Managing cooperative behaviors v Managing competitive behaviors Both of these can be positive How are these managed in global teams? In virtual teams?

Quality Circles and Teams Quality Team – a team that is part of an organization’s structure and is empowered to act on its decisions regarding product and quality service Quality Circles (QC) – a small group of employees who work voluntarily on company time, typically one hour per week, to address work-related problems QC’s deal with substantive issues v Do not require final decision authority v QC’s need periodic reenergizing

Social Benefits of Teams Psychological Intimacy – emotional and psychological closeness to other team or group members Integrated Involvement – closeness achieved through tasks and activities

Diversity in Teams Diversity v Focuses on effects of dissimilarity within the team v May have positive or negative effects v Value dissimilarity Positively relates to task and relationship conflict v Negatively related to team involvement v

Diversity in Teams Diversity v Demographic dissimilarity influences v v v v Absenteeism Commitment Turnover intentions Beliefs Workgroup relationships Self-esteem Organizational citizenship behavior

Creativity in Teams Creativity v Focuses on new and/or dissimilar ideas or ways of doing things in teams Can team creativity be enhanced by greater team diversity? Can social loafing, conformity, and downward norm setting be overcome?

Foundations for Empowerment Encourages participation An attribute of a person or of an organization’s culture Preparation and careful planning focuses empowered employees Solve specific and global problems

Empowerment Skills Competence Skills Cooperative and Helping Behaviors Process Skills Self. Management or Team Skills Communication Skills

Self-Managed Teams Self-Directed Teams Autonomous Work Groups – teams that make decisions that were once reserved for managers How does an organization capitalize on the advantages and avoid the risks of self managed teams?

Upper Echelons: Teams at the Top Upper Echelons – a top-level executive team in an organization Their background characteristics predict organizational characteristics Organization reflects their values, ethics, competence, and unique characteristics Leadership style, composition, and dynamics influences the organizations performance

5 Seasons of CEO Tenure 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Response to a mandate Experimentation Selection of an enduring theme Convergence Dysfunction

Executive Tenure and Organizational Performance Organizational performance relative to the industry average High Low 1 7 CEO tenure (years) 14 SOURCE: D. Hambrick. The Seasons of an Executive’s Tenure, keynote address, the Sixth Annual Texas Conference on Organizations, Lago Vista, Texas, April, 1991.

Diversity at the Top v Types of diversity needed v v v Functional diversity Intellectual diversity Demographic diversity Temperamental diversity And more and more Diversity develops strength

Multicultural Top Teams Multicultural groups represent three or more ethnic backgrounds. Diversity may increase uncertainty, complexity, and inherent confusion in group processes. Culturally diverse groups may generate more and better ideas, and limit groupthink. Copyright © 2006 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved

Triangle for Managing in the New Team Environment Manager Team Copyright © 2006 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved Individuals SOURCE: Managing in the New Team Environment by Hirschhorn, © 1991 Reprinted by permission of Prentice-Hall, Inc. , Upper Saddle River, N. J.