Unlock document.
This document is partially blurred.
Unlock all pages and 1 million more documents.
Get Access
Copyright © 2018 Pearson Education, Inc.
185
Chapter 13
Creating and Managing Teams
Few trends have influenced how work gets done in organizations as much as the use of
work teams. Organizations are increasingly structuring work around teams rather than
individuals. Managers need to understand what influences team performance and
satisfaction. Focus on the following learning objectives as you read and study this
chapter.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Define groups and the stages of group development.
3. Define teams and describe best practices influencing team performance.
4. Discuss contemporary issues in managing teams.
It’s Your Career
Maximizing Outcomes Through Negotiation
Here are some brief suggestions to hone your skills at negotiating:
1. Do your homework. Gather as much pertinent information as possible before
your negotiation.
3. Begin with a positive proposal. Concessions tend to be reciprocated. So start
with something positive.
5. Pay attention to the interpersonal aspects of the negotiation process.
Negotiating is communicating. Trust is an important part of that communication.
7. Emphasize win-win solutions. Look for solutions that can allow both you and
the person you’re negotiating with to declare a victory.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
13.1 GROUPS AND GROUP DEVELOPMENT
Groups exhibit different behavior—more than just the sum total of each group
member’s individual behavior. In this section, we’re going to look at various
aspects of group behavior.
A. What Is a Group?
1. Formal groups are work groups established by the organization
2. Informal groups are natural social formations that appear in the
work environment.
1. Forming is the first stage in group development during which
people join the group and then define the group’s purpose,
2. Storming is the second stage of group development
3. Norming is the third stage of group development, characterized
by close relationships and cohesiveness.
5. Adjourning is the final stage in group development for temporary
13.2 WORK GROUP PERFORMANCE AND SATISFACTION
We need to look at how groups work. The answer to why some groups are more
successful than others is quite complex. There are five factors that can affect this
relationship (see Exhibit 13-3).
Copyright © 2018 Pearson Education, Inc.
187
performance management system and culture, and the general physical
layout of the group’s workspace.
B. Group Member Resources. These factors include member abilities and
personality characteristics. Interpersonal skills have been shown to be
especially important for high performance by work groups.
C. Group Structure. There are seven aspects of the internal structure. Six
are covered here and leadership is covered in Chapter 17.
1. Roles. A role is a set of behavior patterns expected of
2. Norm. Norms are acceptable standards or expectations
3. Conformity. Norms focus on effort and performance,
dress, and loyalty. Also, because individuals desire
4. Status Systems. Status systems are an important factor in
5. Group Size. Group size can also affect the group’s overall
behavior. The effect depends on which outcomes are
6. Group Cohesiveness. Group cohesiveness is the degree
to which members are attracted to a group and share the
group’s goals. Research has shown that highly cohesive
1. Group decision-making (See Exhibit 13-6)
Groups make many organizational decisions. Advantages
d. Increase legitimacy
2. Disadvantages of group decision-making include:
a. Time consuming
3. Conflict Management. Conflict management is another
group concept that must be understood. Conflict is
perceived when incompatible differences result in
interference or opposition.
4. Three types of conflict have been identified:
a. Task conflict is conflict over the content and goals
of the work.
b. Relationship conflict is conflict based on
interpersonal relationships.
c. Process conflict is conflict over how work gets
done.
F. Group Tasks. The complexity and interdependence of tasks influence
the group’s effectiveness.
FUTURE VISION: Conflicts 2.0
While organizations have traditionally looked upon conflict as a negative behavior,
successful companies recognize the importance of managing functional conflict by
tolerating dissent. Tomorrow’s organizations will use blogs, social networking, and other
IT solutions to allow employees to criticize and offer improvement over existing
processes.
The following discussion questions are posed:
Talk About It 1: What do you think? Will functional conflict make an organization
stronger? Discuss.
Talk About It 2: What issues—good and bad— might managers have to deal with if
employees can use social media and other digital tools to question practices, criticize
decisions, and offer suggestions for improvement? What might managers have to do to
deal with these issues?
13.3 TURNING GROUPS INTO EFFECTIVE TEAMS
Team work is a core feature of today’s organizations. Studies show that teams
1. Work teams are groups whose members work intensely on a
2. Although most students are familiar with the concept of a “team,”
many may be less familiar with the concept of a “work team.” All
1. A problem-solving team is a type of work team that is composed
2. A self-managed team is a type of work team that operates
3. A cross-functional team is a work team composed of individuals
from various specialties.
4. A virtual team is a type of work team that uses technology to link
physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal.
1. Research has been conducted on the characteristics associated
2. Nine characteristics are associated with effective teams (see
Exhibit 13-9):
a. Clear goals
13.4. CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES IN MANAGING TEAMS
The introduction of work teams into the world of business has had a major
A. Managing Global Teams.
2. Group Member Resources in Global Teams. Regarding group
3. Group Structure. Differences in group structure may be significant.
4. Group Processes. Managing conflict as part of group processes
can be difficult, especially in virtual global teams.
5. Manager’s Role. Managers must focus on developing excellent
communication skills and sensitivity to different cultures in order to
lead global teams successfully.
LEADER MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Motivating a diverse leadership team is a key responsibility of the CEO of the YWCA
USA, Inc., Dar Richardson-Heron. The organization focuses on the empowerment and
economic advancement of women and girls. It also promotes civil rights and works to
eliminate racism. To achieve her objectives, Richardson-Heron took great care to
What can you learn from this leader making a difference?
1. People don’t automatically know how to be part of a team or how
2. Managers should view their role in team situations as that of a
1. Recent studies show that teams with high levels of interpersonal
2. Organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the importance
of “mapping,” and understanding the social network structure
within teams.
ANSWERS TO REVIEW AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
13-1. Describe the different types of groups and the five stages of group development.
A group is two or more interacting and interdependent individuals who come together to
achieve specific goals. Formal groups are work groups that are defined by the
13-2. Explain how external conditions and group member resources affect group
performance and satisfaction.
13-3. Discuss how group structure, group processes, and group tasks influence group
performance and satisfaction.
Group roles generally involve getting the work done or keeping group members happy.
Group norms are powerful influences on a person’s performance and dictate things such
13-4. Compare groups and teams.
Characteristics of work groups include a strong, clearly focused leader; individual
accountability; purpose that’s the same as the broader organizational mission; individual
Copyright © 2018 Pearson Education, Inc.
192
discusses, decides, and does real work. (LO: 3, Define teams and describe best
practices influencing team performance, AACSB: Analytical thinking)
13-5. Describe the four most common types of teams.
A problem-solving team is one that’s focused on improving work activities or solving
13-6. List the characteristics of effective teams.
The characteristics of an effective team include clear goals, relevant skills, mutual trust,
13-7. Explain the role of informal (social) networks in managing teams.
Research on social networks has shown that when people need help getting a job done,
they’ll choose a friendly colleague over someone who may be more capable. Another
recent review of team studies showed that teams with high levels of interpersonal
interconnectedness actually attained their goals better and were more committed to
staying together. (LO: 4, Discuss contemporary issues in managing teams, AACSB:
Analytical thinking)
PERSONAL INVENTORY ASSESSMENTS
ETHICS DILEMMA
What do you do when a co-worker shares that he has shaved his entire body to reduce
aerodynamic drag? Have you ever been involved in an office romance? In this ethical
13-10. What do you think? Why do many work colleagues become romantically
involved? Why do some coworkers choose to share personal information?
13-11. Should employees inform their managers about such relationships? Explain your
reasoning.
13-12. What are the ethical implications of coworkers’ becoming romantically involved?
Sharing too much information?
(LO: 4, Discuss contemporary issues in managing teams, AACSB: Ethical understanding
and reasoning)
SKILLS EXERCISE: DEVELOPING YOUR COACHING SKILLS
(LO: 3, Define teams and describe best practices influencing team performance,
AACSB: Written and oral communication)
WORKING TOGETHER: TEAM EXERCISE
In this exercise, students are to imagine that they have been put in charge of a team to
create new products for a software company. Issues for students to think about include
diverse group membership, rules of team behavior that would stimulate creativity,
rewards for team members, and evaluation of members. Students may want to refer to
Exhibit 13-9 for the characteristics of effective teams. (LO: 2, Describe the major
components that determine group performance and satisfaction, AACSB: Written and
oral communication)
MY TURN TO BE A MANAGER
• Think of a group to which you belong (or have belonged). Trace its development
through the stages of group development as shown in Exhibit 13-2. How closely
did its development parallel the group development model? How might the group
development model be used to improve this group’s effectiveness? (LO: 1,
Define groups and the stages of group development, AACSB: Analytical thinking)
• Using the same group, describe how decisions are made. Is the process
effective? Efficient? Describe what types of conflicts seem to arise most often
(relationship, process, or task) and how those conflicts are handled. Add this
information to your report on the group’s development and structure. (LO: 2,
Describe the major components that determine group performance and
satisfaction, AACSB: Reflective thinking)
• Often new teams that must become productive quickly start off by writing ground
rules or a team working agreement. Conduct some research on team working
agreements and create a summary of what such an agreement might include.
When assigned your next team project, try writing a team working agreement to
kick off your project. (LO: 3, Define teams and describe best practices influencing
team performance, AACSB: Reflective thinking)
ANSWERS TO CASE APPLICATION 1
QUESTIONS
Student answers to these questions will vary.
Who Needs a Manager?
13-13. Would you want to work at W.L. Gore and Associates? Why or why not?
13-14. Why are self-managed teams effective at Gore?
13-15. What are challenges for organizations that have self-managed teams?
Copyright © 2018 Pearson Education, Inc.
195
Student answers to these questions will vary.
737 Teaming Up for Take Off
13-16. What type of team(s) do these employee teams appear to be? Explain.
13-17. As this story illustrated, sometimes it may take a long time for a team to reach its
goal. As a manager, how would you motivate a team to keep on trying?
13-18. What role do you think a team leader needs to play in this type of setting?
13-19. Using Exhibit 13-9, what characteristics of effective teams would these teams
need? Explain.
