Understanding work

Teams
WEEK 8

IQRA FATIMA
 Outline
• Difference between groups and teams.
• Types of teams.
• Creating effective teams.
• Team composition.
• Team processes.
• Turning individuals into team players.
• Managerial Implications.
 Difference between groups and Teams
• Are group and teams the same thing?
• NO…. WHY?
Work groups Work Teams

A group that interacts primarily to share A group whose individual efforts result
information and to make decisions to in performance that is greater than the
help each group member perform sum of the individual inputs.
within his or her area of responsibility

Their performance is merely the A work team generates positive synergy

summation of each group member’s through coordinated effort.
individual contribution. There is no
synergy.
Types of Teams

• 1. Problem Solving Team.

• 2. Self managed work teams.
• 3. Cross functional teams.
• 4. Virtual teams.
• Problem Solving Teams.
• Group of 5-12 employees from the same department who
meet for the few hours each week to discuss ways of
improving quality, efficiency and the work environment.
• Members share ideas on work processes and methods but
rarely have the authority to implement any suggestions

• Self Managed Work Teams.

• Self-managed work teams are groups of employees
(typically 10 to 15 in number) who perform highly related or
interdependent jobs and take on many of the responsibilities
of their former supervisors.
• Do not manage the conflict well.
• Cross- Functional Teams
• Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but
from different work areas, who come together to
accomplish a task.
• All the major auto mobile manufacturers – Toyota, Honda,
Renault, Suzuki, Tata, Ford currently using this form of
team.
• The early stages of development are long, as members
learn to deal with diversity and complexity. It takes times
to build trust and teamwork.
• Virtual Teams
• Teams that use computer technology to tie together
physically dispersed members in order to achieve the
common goals.
• Wide area network, video conferencing, email.
Creating an Effective Team:

The team effectiveness model:

The model attempt to generalize across all

varieties of teams, hence cannot be
Rigidly applied to all teams.

The model assumes teamwork is

preferable to individual work.
 Creating Effective Teams (Context)
 Adequate Resources.
• Need the tool to complete the job.
 Effective leadership and structure.
• Agreeing to the specific of work and how the team fits together to integrate
individual skills.
• Even “self managed” teams needs leaders.
• Leadership is especially important in multi-team system.
 Climate of trust
• Member must trust each other and the leader.
 Performance and reward system that reflect team contribution
• Cannot just be based on individual effort.
 Creating Effective Teams: Composition
Abilities of Members:
• Need technical abilities, problem solving skills, decision making and good
interpersonal skills.
Personality of Members:
• Conscientiousness, openness to experience, and agreeableness all relate to team
performance.
Allocating Roles and diversity:
• Many necessary roles must be filled.
• Diversity can often lead to lower performance.
Size of Team:
• The smaller the better 5-9 is optimal.
Member’s performance for Teamwork:
• Does the members want to be on teams?
 Creating Effective Teams: Work Design
Freedom and Autonomy:
Ability to work independently.
Skill Variety:
Ability to use different skills and talents.
Task Identity:
Ability to complete a whole and identifiable task or product.
Task Significance:
Working on task and project that has a substantial impact on the
others.
 Creating Effective Team: Process
Commitment to a common person:
• Create a common purpose that provides production.
• Have reflexivity: willing to adjust plan if necessary.
Establishment of Specific Team Goals:
• Must be specific, measurable, realistic and challenging.
Team Efficacy:
• Teams believe inn it’s ability to succeed.
Mental Models:
• Have an accurate and common mental map of how the work gets done.
A managed level of conflict:
• Task conflicts are helpful, interpersonal conflicts are not.
Minimized Social Loafing:
• Team hold itself accountable both individually and as a team.
 Turning Individuals into Team Players
Selection:
• Make team skills one of the interpersonal skills in the hiring process.

Training:
• Individualistic people can learn.

Rewards:
• Rework the reward system to encourage cooperative efforts rather than
competitive.
• Continue to recognize individual contributions while still emphasizing the
importance of teamwork.
Managerial Implications?????
Thank you 