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Organisational BehaviourABUS015-3-2
Lecture 8 - Teams
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Topic & Structure of the lesson
Types of teams
A model of team effectiveness
Team environment
Team design
Team processes
Team building
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Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, YOU should be able to:
Define teams
Describevarious types of teams
Outline the model of team effectiveness
Identify team environmental elements that influence
team effectiveness
Describethe influence of the teams task, size and
compositionon team effectiveness Identifyfactorsthat shape team norms
Explain factors that influence team cohesiveness
Illustrate how organisations minimise social loafing
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Key Terms you must be able to use
If you have mastered this topic, you should be able to use
the following terms correctly in your assignments and
exams:
Teams
Groups
Skunkworks
Virtual teams
NormsRoles
Cohesiveness
Social loafing
Team building
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Main Teaching Points
Types of teams
A model of team effectiveness
Team environment
Team design Team development
Team norms
Team roles
Team cohesiveness Social loafing
Team building
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Teams are: - groups of TWO OR MOREpeople who INTERACT AND
INFLUENCEeach other;
are MUTUALLY ACCOUNTABLEfor achieving common
objectives, and
perceive themselves as a SOCIAL ENTITYwithin an
organisation
(McShane and Von Glinow, 2003)
Introduction
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Types of Teams
There are many types of teams and other groups
in organisations, namely: -
- Permanent work teams
- Team based organisations (SDWT)
- Quality circles
- Task forces
- Skunkworks
- Virtual teams
- Informal groups
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Departments are PERMANENT WORK
TEAMSthat are responsible for a specific set
of tasks in the organisation
Types of Teams
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Some organisations have formed a TEAM-BASED ORGANISATIONS
Team-based organisations rely heavily on
SELF-DIRECTED WORK TEAMS(SDWTs)organised around work processes rather thanspecialised departments as core units
These teams complete an entire piece of work
requiring several interdependent tasks
Types of Teams
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They are: -
Fairly autonomous
Does not require supervision
Are cross-functional
SDWTs rely on people with diverse and
complementary skills, knowledge and
experience
Types of Teams
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QUALITY CIRCLESare: - small teams of employees who meet for a few hours each week
to identify quality and productivity problems,
propose solutions to management, and
monitor the implementation and consequences of these
solutions in their work area(McShane and Von Glinow, 2003)
Quality circles are: -
Usually permanent Typically include co-workers in the same work unit
Types of Teams
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TASK FORCESare temporary teams that
investigate a particular problem and disband
when the decision is made (McShane and Von
Glinow, 2003)
SKUNKWORKSare usually (but not always)
temporary teams formed spontaneously todevelop products or solve complex problems
(McShane and Von Glinow, 2003)
Types of Teams
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VIRTUAL TEAMSare: -
cross-functional groups that operate across space,
time and organisational boundaries with members
who communicate mainly through electronictechnologies
(McShane and Von Glinow, 2003)
Types of Teams
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INFORMAL GROUPSconsist of two or morepeople who interact mainly to meet theirpersonal needs
These groups emerge from the interactions ofindividuals, often within formal groups and areless likely to be far less structured
They may or may not be permanent, existingonly for as long as they continue to serve the
common interest or needs of their members Examples are family, friends, colleagues who go
out for a drink together etc
Types of Teams
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Team effectivenessrefers to the extent to
which a team: -
achievesits objectives,
achieves the needs and objectives of itsmembers, and
sustainitself over time
(McShane and Von Glinow, 2003)
A Model of Team Effectiveness
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A Model of Team Effectiveness
Organisational and
team environment
Reward systems
Communicationsystems
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
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Task characteristics: -
Tasks are clear and easy to
implement as members can
learn their roles quickly High task interdependence
Team Design
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Team size
The size of the group will affect how the group
works together and tasks are completed
Team composition
Members must be highly motivated and able
Possess necessary skills and knowledge
Homogeneous teams vs heterogeneous
teams
Team Design
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This includes: -
Team development
Team norms
Team roles
Team cohesiveness
Team Processes
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1. FormingStage
2. Storming
Stage
4. Performing Stage
3. Norming Stage
5. AdjourningStage
Team development
The five-stage model of team
development is: -
Discovery and testing of
beaviour and attitudes
Resistance and
conflict
Conformity and
acceptance
Focus team
energy on task
completion
Goals
accomplish-
disband or end
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Team development
Forming
Is concerned with finding out the NATURE OF THE
SITUATIONwith which the group is faced and WHATTYPES OF BEHAVIOUR AND INTERACTIONARE
APPROPRIATE
Members will test out attitudes and behaviour to find
out their acceptability with other members This may take some time
Team Processes
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Team development
Forming
This stage can create a lot of anxieties and often
there is some dependence on a powerful personalityto help establish the ground rules
At this stage, that person will assume a leadership
role which may or may not continue in later stages
Competing powerful personalities can also lead toproblems at this stage
Team Processes
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Team development
Storming
Leading on from the forming stage in which certain
ground rules are explored, it is likely that there will bea stage of conflict and disagreement
This is where different opinions and styles emerge
with competing sub-groups, challenges for leadership,
rebellions against control and resistance to thedemands of meeting task requirements
Team Processes
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Team development
Storming
A degree of compromise is necessary here
If major issues cannot be settled at this stage, thegroup is unlikely to be able to operate effectively and
may not develop further. It may even disband
As such, it may be necessary for the group to act
against members who will not compromise and evenreject them from the group to stop the disruption
caused
Team Processes
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Team development
Norming
As resistance is overcome and conflicts patched up,
groups move into the norming stage Individual members begin the process of internalising
those norms and identifying with the group, building
group cohesion
Member roles start to be clarified and accepted at thisstage
Team Processes
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Team development
Norming
The role of leader should be clearly established
Where there is no appointed leader, or the appointedleader is not accepted to the group, an informal
leader is likely to emerge
Team Processes
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Team development
Performing
This stage in development represents the position
where the groups energy is now available foreffective work in completing tasks and maintaining the
group
Team Processes
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Team development
Adjourning
Most work teams and informal groups eventually end
Task forces disband when their project is completed Teams may adjourn as a result of layoffs or plant
shutdowns
Team Processes
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Team norms
Norms are informal rules and expectations
that group establish to regulate the behaviour
of their members All groups possess a pattern of attitudes,
behaviours, values and beliefs to which
members are expected to conform
Norms will be established by both the formal and
informal groups in the organisation
Team Processes
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Team norms
To some extent, norms of expected behaviour
are defined by the organisation, in terms of
standards of quality and quantity of output,the use and allocation of resources and the
processes and procedures employed
In addition, there maybe formal codes ofdress, language and modes of interaction
Team Processes
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Team norms
Norms are not simply imposed forms of behaviour butthe shared internalised patterns of attitudes of thegroup members
They develop through the informal processes of socialinteractionto support the goals of the members of thegroup and these may not necessarily coincide with theorganisations goals for the group
In order for the organisations own values and expectedbehaviours to be adopted by the group, they must beaccepted as appropriate to the needs of the group
Team Processes
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Team roles
A role is a set of behavioursthat peopleareexpected to perform because they hold certainpositions in a team and organisation(McShane and Von Glinow, 2003)
Team Processes
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Team Processes
Team roles
Task-oriented roles
Role activities DescriptionInitiator Identifies goals for the meeting,
including ways to work on those goals
Information seeker Asks for clarification of ideas or
further information to support anopinion
Information giver Shares information and opinions
about the teams task and goals
McShane & Von Glinow (2003)
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Team Processes
Team roles
Task-oriented roles
Role activities DescriptionCoordinator Coordinatessubgroups and pulls
together ideas
Evaluator Assesses the teams functioning
against a standard
Summarizer Acts as the teams memory
Orienter Keeps the team focused on its goals
McShane & Von Glinow (2003)
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Team Processes
Team roles
Relationship-oriented roles
McShane & Von Glinow (2003)
Role activities DescriptionHarmoniser Mediates intragroup conflicts and
reduces tension
Gatekeeper Encouragesand facilitates
participationof all team membersEncourager Praises and supports the ideas of
other team members, thereby
showing warmth and solidarity to the
group
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Team cohesiveness
Cohesiveness within groups can also be calledespr i t de corp s(spirit of co-operation or teamspirit)
Cohesiveness is characterised by thecloseness the teamexperiences during itslifetime
The longer the team is together, the strongerthe feeling of cohesiveness
This togetherness causes the group to closeranks
Team Processes
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Team cohesiveness
Group cohesiveness is a gift that is reservedfor established groups
Newly formed groups are not party to this giftbecause individuals are in the process of gettingto know each other, their objectives and theirreasons for existence
Members of relatively cohesive groups tend towork better with and support each other
This promotes identification with the group and
increases satisfaction
Team Processes
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Team cohesiveness
On the other hand, highly cohesive groupscan be very protective of themselves and theirinterest
This can make them relatively closed anddifficult to deal with by outsiders
The extent of group cohesiveness can also
affect performance levels Members of cohesive groups tend to perform to
a similar level and standard, conforming to the
established group norms
Team Processes
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Team Processes
Team
Cohesiveness
Member similarity
External
competition &
challengesTeam size
Team success
Somewhat difficult
entry Memberinteraction
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Team cohesiveness
Social loafing
Refers to a situation in which people exert
less effort whenworking in groups thanworking alone
Likely to occur in large teams whenindividual output is difficult to identify
Less likely to occur if: - Task is interesting
the groups objective is important
Members have strong collectivist value
Team Processes
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Team cohesiveness
Social loafing
To minimise: -
Form smaller teams Specialise tasks
Measure individual performance
Increase job enrichment
Select motivated employees
Team Processes
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Team Building
Team building is any formal activity intended
to improve the development and functioning
of a work team(McShane & Von Glinow, 2003)
Most appropriate when there is highmembership turnoveror when member lose
sight of their respective roles and team
objectives
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Four main types of team building: -
Role definition
Goal setting
Problem solving Interpersonal processes
Team Building
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Quick Review Question
State the stages of team development. List the roles for team effectiveness.
What is team building?
Is team building effective?
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Follow Up Assignment
Read Chapter 8 of Organisational Behaviourby McShane & Von Glinow
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Summary of Main Teaching Points
Types of teams
A model of team effectiveness
Team environment
Team processes- Team development- Team norms
- Team roles
- Team cohesiveness
- Social loafing
Team building
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Q & A
Question and Answer Session
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Lecture 9Decision making
Next Session