Chapter 11 – Developing and Leading Effective Teams
11-1
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Developing and Leading Effective Teams
LEARNING OJBECTIVES
See Slides 11-2, 11-3
When you finish studying the material in this chapter, you should be able to:
• Explain how a work group becomes a team.
• Identify and describe four types of work teams.
• Explain the model of effective work teams, and specify the two criteria of team
effectiveness.
• Identify five teamwork competencies team members need to possess.
• Discuss why teams fail.
• List at least four things managers can do to build trust.
• Distinguish two types of group cohesiveness, and summarize cohesiveness
research findings.
• Define virtual teams and self-managed teams.
• Describe high-performance teams, and discuss team leadership.
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Chapter 11 defines teams and presents a typology of four forms of work teams. This
chapter discusses the criteria for effective work teams and discusses why work teams
fail. The impact of cooperation, trust and cohesiveness on teamwork is discussed.
Chapter 11 describes two specific types of teams: virtual teams and self-managed
teams (SMTs). Finally, the topics of team building and leading teams are discussed.
A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who hold themselves
mutually accountable for a common purpose, goals, and approach. Effective teams
typically have fewer than 10 members. Table 11-2 lists four general types of work
teams: advice, production, project, and action. Advice teams are created to broaden
the information base for managerial decisions. They have low degrees of technical
specialization and coordination. Production teams perform day-to-day operations.
Their degree of technical specialization is low but the degree of coordination is high.
Project teams require creative problem solving and have a high degree of technical
specialization. Their degree of coordination may be high or low. Action teams must
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exhibit peak performance on demand. They are characterized by high degrees of both
specialization and coordination.
Two effectiveness criteria for work teams are performance (acceptability of output) and
team viability (member satisfaction and continued willingness to contribute). Work
teams must be nurtured and facilitated by the organization. Table 11-3 describes the
teamwork competencies needed to be effective team members. Table 11-4 identifies
characteristics of effective teamwork. Figure 11-2 profiles why work teams fail. The
main threats to team effectiveness are unrealistic expectations resulting in frustration on
the part of team members. Common managerial mistakes revolve around an
unsupportive organizational environment for teams and teamwork. On the other hand,
it’s common for teams to take on too much responsibility too quickly.
Three necessary components of successful teamwork are cooperation, trust, and
cohesiveness. Research shows cooperation to be superior to competition in promoting
achievement and productivity. Trust is defined as a reciprocal faith that the intentions
and behaviors of another will consider the implications for you. Propensity to trust
represents a general willingness to trust others. Six recommended ways to build trust
are through communication, support, respect, fairness, predictability, and competence.
Cohesiveness is a sense of “we–ness” that transcends individual differences and
motives. Two types of cohesiveness have been identified. Socio-emotional
cohesiveness is a sense of togetherness based on emotional satisfaction. Instrumental
cohesiveness is a sense of togetherness based on mutual dependency needed to
accomplish the group’s goal. Research indicates a small but significant relationship
between cohesiveness and performance. This effect was stronger for smaller and real
groups and was influenced by commitment to the task at hand. Table 11-5 presents
tips for fostering both forms of cohesiveness.
Virtual teams meet electronically since members are physically dispersed. Virtual
teams may be flexible and efficient, but the lack of face-to-face interaction may weaken
trust, communication, or accountability. There is no substitute for face-to-face contact,
even in virtual teams. Table 11-7 presents tips on how to create and manage a virtual
team.
Self-managed teams are groups of employees granted administrative oversight for their
work. Typically, self-managed teams schedule work and assign duties, with managers
present to serve as trainers and facilitators. An organization embracing self-managed
teams should be prepared to undergo revolutionary changes in management
philosophy, structure, staffing and training practices, and reward systems, and should
expect that some managers may view self-managed teams as a threat to their job
security. A common feature of self-managed teams is cross-functionalism, or having
specialists from different areas on the same team. Despite the fact that the research on
the effectiveness of self-managed teams is mixed, the trend toward self-managed work
teams will likely continue in North America given a strong cultural bias in favor of direct
participation.
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Team building is aimed at improving the internal functioning of work groups.
Experiential learning techniques such as interpersonal trust exercises, conflict-handling
role play sessions, and interactive games are commonly used in team building.
Attributes of high-performance teams include: participative leadership, shared
responsibility, aligned on purpose, high communication, future focused, focused on
task, creative talents, and rapid response. Managers can evaluate team building
activities based on reaction, learning, behavior and results to determine their
effectiveness.
Leading a team is not the same as leading individuals. Managers need to be able to
lead both individuals and teams. Managers sometimes erroneously equate the
management of their team with managing the individuals on the team and pay little or
no attention to team culture and performance. There is no single one-size-fits-all
leadership style for today’s team-based organizations.
LECTURE OUTLINE
I. Work Teams: Types, Effectiveness, and Stumbling Blocks
i) Work Teams Overview
(1) The terms group and team cannot be used interchangeably.
(2) Team: small number of people with complementary skills who hold
themselves mutually accountable for common purpose, goals, and
approach. See Slide 11-4
(3) Relative to Tuckman’s theory of group development, teams are task
groups that have matured to the performing stage.
(4) Table 11-1: The Evolution of a Team profiles how work groups can
become teams. See Slide 11-6
(5) A work group becomes a team when: See Slide 11-5
(a) Leadership becomes a shared activity.
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(b) Accountability shifts from strictly individual to both individual and
collective.
(c) The group develops its own purpose or mission.
(d) Problem solving becomes a way of life, not a part-time activity.
(e) Effectiveness is measured by the group’s collective outcomes and
products.
ii) A General Typology of Work Teams See Slides 11-8, 11-9
(1) Typology of Work Teams Overview
(a) Work teams are created for various purposes and thus face different
challenges.
(b) Table 11-2: Four General Types of Work Teams and Their Outputs
profiles the various purposes of different types of work teams.
See Slide 11-7
(c) Four key variables in Table 11-2 deal with technical specialization,
coordination, work cycles, and outputs.
(i) Technical specialization is low when the team draws upon
members’ general experience and problem-solving ability and high
if team members are required to apply technical skills acquired
through higher education or extensive training.
(ii) The degree of coordination with other work units is determined by
the team’s relative independence or interdependence.
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(iii)Work cycles are the amount of time teams need to discharge their
missions.
(iv)Outputs are the real-life impacts of the team.
(2) Advice
(a) Advice teams are created to broaden the information base for
managerial decisions.
(b) They have low degrees of technical specialization and coordination.
(3) Production
(a) Production teams are responsible for performing day-to-day
operations.
(b) They require a low degree of technical specialization but a high degree
of coordination.
(4) Project
(a) Project teams demand considerable creative problem solving.
(b) They have a high degree of technical specialization and may require a
high or low degree of coordination.
(5) Action
(a) Action teams must exhibit peak performance on demand.
(b) They require high degrees of both technical specialization and
coordination.
iii) Effective Work Teams
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(1) Effective Work Teams Overview
(a) The effectiveness of work teams cannot be measured in wins and
losses like athletic teams are.
(b) Figure 11-1: Effective Work Teams lists two effectiveness criteria for
work teams: performance and viability. See Slide 11–10
(c) Team viability: team members satisfied and willing to contribute.
See Slide 11–11
(d) Work teams require a team-friendly organization, including support
systems, a team purpose aligned with the organization’s strategy, and
an organizational culture that values participation and autonomy.
(e) Team members also need appropriate technological tools, reasonable
schedules, and training.
(2) Contributors Need Teamwork Competencies
(a) Table 11-3: How Strong Are Your Teamwork Competencies?
profiles teamwork competencies. See Slide 11–12
(b) An individual with teamwork competencies:
(i) Orients team to problem-solving situation.
(ii) Organizes and manages team performance.
(iii)Promotes a positive team environment.
(iv)Facilitates and manages task conflict.
(v) Appropriately promotes perspective.
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(c) Teamwork skills and competencies need to be role modeled and
taught.
(3) What Does Effective Teamwork Involve?
(a) Many work groups are called teams when they are far from it.
(b) Table 11-4: Characteristics of Effective Teamwork describes
characteristics that would distinguish work groups from true teams.
See Slide 11–14
(c) Characteristics of effective teamwork include:
(i) Clear purpose.
(ii) Informality.
(iii)Participation.
(iv)Listening.
(v) Civilized disagreement.
(vi)Consensus decisions.
(vii) Open communication.
(viii) Clear roles and work assignments.
(ix)Shared leadership.
(x) External relations.
(xi)Style diversity.
(xii) Self-assessment.
iv) Why Do Work Teams Fail?
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(1) Common Management Mistakes with Teams
(a) Figure 11-2: Why Work Teams Fail identifies two broad
classifications of reasons why teams fail. See Slide 11–13
(b) The main threats to team effectiveness are unrealistic expectations
leading to frustration.
(c) Management mistakes with teams generally involve doing a poor job of
creating a supportive environment for teams and teamwork.
(d) Mistakes typically made by management include:
(i) Weak strategies and poor business practices.
(ii) Hostile environment for teams.
(iii)Teams adopted as a fad, a quick-fix.
(iv)Lessons from one team not transferred to others.
(v) Vague or conflicting team assignments.
(vi)Inadequate team skills training.
(vii) Poor staffing of teams.
(viii) Lack of trust.
(2) Problems for Team Members
(a) Problems typically experienced by team members:
(i) Team tries to do too much too soon.
(ii) Conflict over differences in personal work styles (and/or personality
conflicts).
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(iii)Too much emphasis on results, not enough on team processes and
group dynamics.
(iv)Unanticipated obstacle causes team to give up.
(v) Resistance to doing things differently.
(vi)Poor interpersonal chemistry.
(vii) Lack of trust.
(b) Comprehensive training in interpersonal skills can prevent many
common teamwork problems.
II. Effective Teamwork through Cooperation, Trust, and Cohesiveness
i) Cooperation, Trust, and Cohesiveness Overview
(1) Three components of effective teamwork are cooperation, trust, and
cohesiveness.
(2) The Real World/Real People: Surgeons and Nurses Learn Life-and-
Death Teamwork Skills profiles how training and safety techniques foster
teamwork among doctors and nurses.
ii) Cooperation See Slide 11–15
(1) Cooperation Overview
(a) Individuals are said to be cooperating when their efforts are
systematically integrated to achieve a collective objective.
(b) The greater the integration, the greater the degree of cooperation.
(2) Cooperation versus Competition
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(a) A widely held assumption among managers is that “competition brings
out the best in people.”
(b) From an interpersonal standpoint, critics contend competition has been
overemphasized, primarily at the expense of cooperation.
(c) A contingency management approach is warranted when it comes to
motivating employees with competition.
(d) The Real World/Real People: Internal Competition Drives College
Hunks Hauling Junk profiles how one firm uses internal competition
to motivate employees.
(3) Research Support for Cooperation See Slide 11–16
(a) Meta-analysis results strongly endorse cooperation in modern
organizations.
(b) Cooperation can be encouraged by reward systems that reinforce
teamwork, along with individual achievement.
(c) The physical layout (e.g., an open office configuration) can foster
cooperation.
iii) Trust
(1) Reciprocal Faith and a Cognitive Leap
(a) Trust: reciprocal faith in others’ intentions and behavior. See
Slide 11–17
(b) Trust begets trust; distrust begets distrust.
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(c) Propensity to trust: a personality trait involving one’s general
willingness to trust others.
(d) Figure 11-3: Interpersonal Trust Involves a Cognitive Leap
indicates that trust involves a cognitive leap beyond the expectations
that reason and experience alone would warrant. See Slide 11–
18
(2) How to Build Trust See Slide 11–19
(a) Guidelines for building and maintaining trust:
(i) Communication: keep team members and employees informed by
explaining policies and decisions and providing accurate feedback.
(ii) Support: be available and approachable.
(iii)Respect: delegate and actively listen.
(iv)Fairness: be quick to give credit and recognition to those who
deserve it.
(v) Predictability: be consistent and predictable in your daily affairs.
(vi)Competence: enhance your credibility by demonstrating good
business sense, technical ability, and professionalism.
(b) Credibility: being believable through integrity, intent, capabilities, and
results. See Slide 11–20
iv) Cohesiveness
(1) Cohesiveness Overview
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(a) Cohesiveness: a sense of “we–ness” helps group stick together.
See Slide 11–21
(b) Two types of group cohesiveness are socio-emotional cohesiveness
and instrumental cohesiveness.
(2) Socio-Emotional and Instrumental Cohesiveness See Slides 11–
22, 11-23
(a) Socio-emotional cohesiveness: sense of togetherness based on
emotional satisfaction.
(b) Instrumental cohesiveness: sense of togetherness based on mutual
dependency needed to get the job done.
(3) Lessons from Group Cohesiveness Research See Slide 11–24
(a) One meta-analysis indicates a small but significant relationship
between cohesiveness and performance.
(b) This effect was stronger for smaller and real groups and was
influenced by commitment to the task at hand.
(c) Another meta-analysis found no significant relationship between
cohesiveness and decision quality but groups whose members liked
each other a great deal tended to make poorer quality decisions.
11–13
(4) Getting Some Positive Impact from Group Cohesiveness
(a) Table 11-5: Steps Managers Can Take to Enhance the Two Types
of Group Cohesiveness presents tips on how to foster socio-
emotional and instrumental cohesiveness. See Slide 11–25
(b) Managers need to remember that groupthink theory and research
cautions against too much cohesiveness.
III. Teams in Action: Virtual Teams and Self-Managed Teams
i) Virtual Teams and Self-Managed Teams Overview
(1) New information technologies have spurred experimentation with team
formats.
(2) Table 11-6: Basic Distinctions between Virtual Teams and Self–
Managed Teams profiles two different approaches to teams. See
Slide 11–26
(3) Parallel teams exist outside an organization’s normal channels of authority
and communication.
ii) Virtual Teams
(1) Virtual Teams Overview
(a) Virtual team: information technology allows group members in
different locations to conduct business. See Slide 11-27
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(b) Virtual teams convene electronically with members reporting in from
different locations, different organizations, and even different time
zones.
(c) Advocates say virtual teams are very flexible and efficient because
they are driven by information and skills, not by time and location.
(d) People with needed information and/or skills can be team members,
regardless of where or when they actually do their work.
(e) The lack of face-to-face interaction of virtual teams can weaken trust,
communication, and accountability.
(f) The Real World/Real People: Far-flung IBM Employees Team Up
with Mobile Apps profiles the use technology to support virtual teams.
(2) Research Insights See Slide 11–28
(a) Research indicates that virtual groups follow a similar group
development process as face-to-face groups.
(b) Research also suggests that virtual groups benefit from training in the
use of groupware and inspirational leadership.
(c) Conflict management is especially difficult for asynchronous virtual
teams (those who do not interact in real time).
(3) Practical Considerations See Slide 11–29
(a) Managers relying on virtual teams agree that meaningful face-to-face
contact; especially during early phases of the group development
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process is absolutely essential.
(b) Virtual teams cannot succeed without old-fashioned factors such as
top-management support, hands-on training, a clear mission and
specific objectives, effective leadership, and schedules and deadlines.
(c) Table 11-7: How to Create and Manage a Virtual Team provides
recommendations on how to overcome the challenges of virtual teams.
See Slide 11–30
iii) Self-Managed Teams
(1) Self-Managed Teams Overview
(a) Self-managed teams: groups of employees granted administrative
oversight for their work. See Slide 11–31
(b) Administrative oversight involves delegated activities such as planning,
scheduling, monitoring, and staffing.
(c) Team advisers rely on relating, scouting, persuading and empowering
as indirect influence tactics. See Slide 11–32
(d) Self-managed teams are variously referred to as semiautonomous
work groups, autonomous work groups, and super teams.
(2) Managerial Resistance
(a) Revolutionary changes in management philosophy, structure, staffing
and training practices and reward systems are needed for self–
managed teams to be successful.