Types of Teams in Organizations: A Comprehensive Overview
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Presentation Transcript
Chapter 13 Teams in Organizations Ryan McVay/Getty Images
Module 13.1: Types of Teams • Reasons for increased use of teams: • Work can be performed concurrently rather than sequentially • Innovation & creativity promoted • Enable quick, effective development/delivery of products & services • Organizations learn & retain learning more effectively
Groups & Teams: Definitions • Groups include members who may work together or may just share some resources • Teams include members whose tasks are interdependent; Work towards a common goal & share responsibility for outcomes • Groups & Teams have too much in common for any grand distinctions
Types of Teams • Quality circles • Typically involve 6-12 employees who meet regularly to identify problems/generate ideas • Positive outcomes in short term but gains not sustained over time (honeymoon effect) • Decreasingly popular in US John A. Rizzo/Getty Images
Types of Teams (cont’d) • Project teams • Created to solve particular problem • Disbanded after problem solved or project completed • Raise some organizational challenges – multiple reporting relationships.
Types of Teams (cont’d) • Production teams • Consist of front-line employees who produce a tangible output • Autonomous work group: Type of production team with control over a variety of functions • Research findings unclear, more research is necessary John A. Rizzo/Getty Images
Virtual Teams • Composed of widely dispersed members working together toward a common goal; linked through technology • Pose several advantages to organizations • Trust is a critical concern; Increase via: • Virtual-collaboration, virtual-socialization, and virtual-communication behaviors
A Specialized Team: Airline Cockpit Crew • Benefit from an organizational context that provides: • Challenging objectives • An education system • An information system
Module 13.2: A Model of Team Effectiveness • Input-Process-Output Model • Enables understanding of how teams perform & how to maximize performance Figure 13.1 The Input-Process-Output Model of Team Effectiveness Source: Adapted from Gladstein (1984).
Organizational context Provide necessary resources Team task Task to be performed Team composition Attributes of team members Shared mental models Team diversity Demographic & psychological diversity Team Inputs
Norms Informal rules of a team Communication & coordination Social loafing Cohesion Degree of desire to remain in team Decision making Groupthink Team Processes
Team Outputs • Team performance • Often reflected in objective measures • Team innovation • Team member well-being
Module 13.3:Special Issues in Teams • Team appraisal & feedback • Should provide team with information needed to identify team problems & further develop team capabilities • Extent to which team behaviors & outputs can be measured must be considered • ProMES
Team-role theory (Belbin, 1993) • Effective teams contain a combination of individuals capable of working in 9 team roles • Used predominantly in Europe & Australia • Plant • Resource investigator • Coordinator • Shaper • Monitor evaluator • Team-Worker • Implementer • Completer • Specialist
Team Development • Changes occur in teams as they develop over time • 5 stages of development 1. Orientation (forming) 2. Conflict (storming) 3. Structure (norming) 4. Work (performing) 5. Dissolution (adjourning) PhotoLink/Getty Images
Team Training • Involves coordinating performance of individuals who work together to achieve a common goal • 3 Strategies • Cross-training • Team coordination training • Team leader training
Cultural Issues in Teams • Applying Hofstede’s cultural dimensions • Implications for teams • Individualism vs. collectivism • Long-term vs. short-term orientation • Effect of cultural & national backgrounds of team members
Teams and Culture Teams tend to be well-received in collectivistic cultures Picture 13.4