Teams

FOUNDATIONS OF TEAM DYNAMICS

Chapter learning objectives 1. Define teams. 2. Distinguish departmental teams from teambased organisations. 3. Explain why virtual teams are becoming more common. 4. Outline the model of team effectiveness. 5. Identify six organisational and team environmental elements that influence team effectiveness. 6. Explain the influence of the team’s task, composition and size on team effectiveness.

Chapter learning objectives 7. Describe the five stages of team development. 8. Identify four factors that shape team norms. 9. List six factors that influence team cohesiveness. 10. Discuss the limitations of teams. 11. Explain how companies minimise social loafing. 12. Summarise the four types of team building.

What are teams? Groups of two or more people who interact and influence each other are mutually accountable for achieving common objectives and perceive themselves as a social entity within an organisation Courtesy of the Royal Australian Navy

Groups versus teams • All teams are groups • Some groups are just people assembled together • Teams have task interdependence whereas some groups do not (eg group of employees enjoying lunch together) Courtesy of the Royal Australian Navy

Types of Teams 1. Permanent teams 2. Temporary teams 3. Virtual teams

Types of teams 1.Permanent teams (compose of:) • Departmental Teams •

Team-based organisation

•

Quality circles

1.Permanent teams • team-based departments (departmental team) employees communicate and coordinate

• team-based organisation • relies on self-directed work teams • organised around work processes • fairly autonomous—little/no direct supervision • diverse/complementary competencies (cross-functional)

1.Permanent teams • Quality circles – usually permanent teams that meet each week to identify quality and productivity problems

Types of teams 2.Temporary teams A. task forces • temporary teams that investigate a problem disband when the decision is made C. skunkworks • Teams formed without being planned • formed spontaneously, using borrowed resources, to develop products or solve problems

3.Virtual teams • Cross-functional teams that operate across space, time and organisational boundaries using information technology • Members communicate mainly through information technology • Usually temporary task forces or product development groups

3.Virtual teams continued • Increasingly possible because of – 1.Technology—leveraging the law of telecosm—network is making distance less relevant – 2.Knowledge-based work — easier to work at a distance

3.Virtual teams continued •

Virtual teams increasingly necessary because:

– 1.Globalisation—coordinate distant business – 2.Knowledge management— a concept in which an organization gathers, organizes, shares, and analyzes its knowledge in terms of resources, documents, and people skills – 3.Teamwork—push for better decisions through teams

Informal groups • Exist mainly for benefit of their members • Due to convenience, need for affiliation • To form a Coalitions / alliances – pool resources and power to influence other people – more power together, mutual support – bound together by shared expertise and passion for a particular activity or interest – usually interact through information technology

Why informal groups exist: • Relatedness needs – fulfil need for social interaction – social identity

• Goal accomplishment – Achieve goals difficult for individual alone

• Emotional support – Teams provide comfort in stressful situations

Team effectiveness model Organisational and team environment

•Reward systems •Communication systems •Physical space •Organisational environment •Organisational structure •Organisational leadership

Team design •Task characteristics •Team size •Team composition

Team processes •Team development •Team norms •Team roles •Team cohesiveness

Team effectiveness

•Achieve organisational goals •Satisfy member needs •Maintain team survival

Team effectiveness • Occurs when the team is able to: – fulfil organisational objectives – fulfil needs of individual members – is able to survive (i.e. maintain member commitment)

Team design elements 1. Task characteristics 2. Team size 3. Team composition

Team process elements: • • • •

Team development Team norms Team roles Team cohesiveness

4 Elements of team effectiveness model 1. Organisational and team environment 2. Team design 3. Team processes 4. Team outcomes (effectiveness)

Elements of team effectiveness model I. ORGANISATIONAL AND TEAM

ENVIRONMENT 1. Reward systems • Team-based rewards support team dynamics 2. Communication systems • Need right combination of channels 3. Physical space • Affects efficiency, coordination, perceptions

Elements of team effectiveness model

4. Organisational environment • Need resources, demand for output 5. Organisational structure • Design around processes, autonomy, interdependence 6. Organisational leadership • Need supportive leader, team-oriented culture

II.TEAM DESIGN FEATURES 1. Task characteristics – when tasks are clear it is easier to implement – members learn roles more quickly, easier to become cohesive – task interdependence – share common inputs, processes or outcomes

Team design elements 2.Team size Smaller teams better because larger teams: – need more time to coordinate – need more time to develop but large enough to accomplish task

3.Team composition – Team requires individuals with motivation and ability to work in a team environment

– team diversity (homogeneous / heterogeneous teams)

Homogeneous vs heterogeneous teams Homogeneous teams (similar …..) • Higher satisfaction • Less conflict • Faster team development • More efficient coordination • Performs better on simple tasks

Homogeneous / Heterogeneous Heterogeneous teams (diverse personal characteristics & background) • More conflict • Slower team development  takes longer to agree on   norms and goals • Better knowledge and resources for complex tasks • Tend to be more creative • Higher potential for support outside the team

III. TEAM PROCESS 1. 2. 3. 4.

Team development Team Norms Team roles Team cohesiveness

TEAM DEVELOPMENT Performing Norming

Storming Forming

Existing teams might regress back to an earlier stage of development

Adjourning

Stages of team development 1. Forming • Period of testing and orientation • Expectations learned and how members fit into the team 2. Storming • Members acquire roles and responsibilities • More conflict as members compete for roles

Stages of team development 3.Norming • Cohesion develops (unified) • Roles established, consensus forms around group goals • Members improve mutual understanding, acceptance 4. Performing • Team becomes more task-oriented • Efficient work coordination, conflict resolution • Highly cooperative, high trust, committed to goals

Stages of team development 5. Adjourning • Some or all members are reassigned, laid off, etc. • disband

2.TEAM NORMS • Informal rules and expectations a team establishes to regulate member behaviours • Norms develop through – explicit (clearly expressed) statements – critical events in team’s history – initial team experiences – beliefs/values members bring to the team

Changing dysfunctional team norms • Introduce norms when forming teams • Select members with preferred norms • Discuss counterproductive norms (persuasive communication ) • Reward behaviours representing desired norms • Disband teams with dysfunctional norms (repeat No 2 above)

3. TEAM ROLES • Role—the set of behaviours that people are expected to perform because they hold certain positions in a team and organisation.

TEAM ROLES Roles are either: • Task-building—initiator, information seeker (task related role) • Maintenance—harmoniser, encourager (people related role)

4.TEAM COHESIVENESS • Degree of attraction people feel towards team and motivation to remain members. • Related to social identity —high cohesiveness exists for those who identify themselves with the team

Causes of team cohesiveness 1. Member similarity • Homogeneous team easier to develop cohesiveness, less conflict 2. Team size • Smaller teams, more cohesive • Easier to agree upon goals, coordinate tasks • If team too small, difficult to reach goals

Causes of team cohesiveness 4. Somewhat difficult entry • Somewhat difficult entry increases cohesiveness – more prestigious, increases member bond • Caution: severe initiation or costs can damage cohesiveness 5. Team success • Successful teams more attractive (selfidentity) • Gives team more confidence (selfefficacy)

Causes of team cohesiveness 6. External competition and challenges • Cohesiveness higher with external competition/challenges

Team cohesiveness outcomes Members of cohesive teams

• want to remain members • are willing to share information • have strong interpersonal bonds • want to support each other • resolve conflict effectively • are more satisfied and experience less stress

© J. Major, Ottawa Citizen

Cohesiveness & Task Performance • Cohesive teams potentially perform better—less conflict • But norms must be consistent with organisational goals • Lower performance when team is cohesive, WHEN norms oppose organisational goals

THE TROUBLE WITH TEAMS • Individuals work better/faster on some tasks • Process losses  cost of developing and maintaining teams • Companies don’t support best work environment for team dynamics • Social loafing - persons make less effort to achieve a goal when they work in a group than when they work alone.

social loafing is most common where: • • • • •

Low task interdependence Individual output not visible Routine, uninteresting tasks Low task significance Low collectivist values (non-cooperative / disorganise)

How to minimise social loafing 1. Form smaller teams – each performance becomes more noticeable 2. Specialise tasks – assign tasks, each person’s contribution is easier to see 3. Measure individual performance – but there are difficulty for problem-solving projects 4. Increase jobs enrichment – assign motivating jobs 5. Select motivated employees – select collectivist value orientation

TEAM BUILDING • Any formal intervention directed towards improving the development and functioning of a work team.

• are the motivating & driving forces that propel a team toward its goals or missions

Types of team building 1. Role definition—clarify obligations,

norms 2. Goal setting—clarify goals, increase goal motivation, establish feedback 3. Problem-solving —improve team’s decision process 4. Interpersonal process — building trust and open communications,

© H.Y. How/Sunday How/Sunday Times (Singapore)

How effective is team building? Need to consider contingencies more carefully • Problems –

introduced without considering team’s needs – different teams require different team building