Chapter 16

Teams and Teamwork

Chapter 16

Principles of Management (Schermerhorn)

Planning Ahead Chapter 16

How do teams contribute to organizations? What are the current trends in the use of

teams?
How do teams work? What are the challenges of leading high-

performance teams?
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 2

Teams in Organizations
Team A small group of people with complementary skills, who work together to achieve a shared purpose and hold themselves mutually accountable for performance results. Teamwork The process of people actively working together to accomplish common goals
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 3

Team & Teamwork Roles for Managers

Supervisor serving as the appointed head of a

formal work unit.

Network facilitator serving as a peer leader an

network hub for a special task force.

Participant serving as a helpful contributing

member of a project team.

External coach serving as the external convenor

or sponsor of a problem-solving team staffed by others.

Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 4

Usefulness of Teams
More resources for problem solving. Improved creativity and innovation. Improved quality of decision making. Greater commitments to tasks. Higher motivation through collective action. Better control and work discipline. More individual need satisfaction.
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 5

Formal Groups
Teams that are officially recognized and supported by the organization for specific purposes. Specifically created to perform
essential tasks. Managers and leaders serve linking pin roles.
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 6

Informal Groups
Not recognized on organization charts.
Not officially created for an organizational purpose.

Emerge as part of the informal structure and from natural or spontaneous relationships among people.
Include interest, friendship, and support groups. Can have positive performance impact. Can help satisfy social needs.
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 7

Trends in the Use of Teams

Committees, project teams, and task

forces
Committees.
People outside their daily job assignments work together in a small team for a specific purpose. Task agenda is narrow, focused, and ongoing.

Projects teams or task forces.

People from various parts of an organization work together on common problems, but on a temporary basis. Official tasks are very specific and time defined. Disbands after task is completed.
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 8

Guidelines for Managing Projects and Task Forces

Select appropriate team members. Clearly define the purpose of the

team.
Carefully select a team leader.

Periodically review progress.

Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 9

Trends in the Use of Teams

Cross-functional teams
Members come from different functional units of an organization.

Team works on a specific problem or task with the needs of the whole organization in mind. Teams are created to knock down walls separating departments.
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 10

Trends in the Use of Teams

Employee involvement teams
Groups of workers who meet on a regular basis outside of their formal assignments.

Have the goal of applying their expertise and attention to continuous improvement.
Quality circles represent a common form of employee involvement teams.
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 11

Trends in the Use of Teams

Virtual teams
Teams of people who work together and solve problems through largely computermediated rather than face-to-face interactions. Sometimes called
Computer-mediated groups
Electronic group networks
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 12

Trends in the Use of Teams

Self-managing work teams
Teams of workers whose jobs have been redesigned to create a high degree of task interdependence and who have been given authority to make many decisions about how to do the required work.

Also known as autonomous work groups.

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13

Self-Managing Teams
Typical self-management responsibilities:
Planning and scheduling work. Training members in various tasks. Sharing tasks. Meeting performance goals. Ensuring high quality. Solving day-to-day operating problems. In some cases, hiring and firing team members.
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 14

Teams as Open Systems

Key Processes
Communication Decision making Norms Cohesion

Key Inputs Members

Size Goals Resources

Key Outputs Task Performance

Member Satisfaction Team Viability

Adjust inputs

Improve processes

Possible changes to increase effectiveness.

Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 15

Team Key Inputs

Resource input factors that influence

group process in the pursuit of team effectiveness:

Nature of the task. Organizational setting.

Team size.
Membership characteristics.
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 16

Team Key Processes

Group process:
The way the members of any team work together as they transform inputs into outputs Also known as group dynamics. Includes communications, decision making,

norms, cohesion, and conflict, among others.

Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 17

Team Key Outputs

Effective teams
Achieve and maintain high levels of task performance.

Achieve and maintain high levels of member

satisfaction. Retain viability for the future.

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18

Teams as Open Systems

Key Inputs Members
Size Goals Resources

Key Processes
Communication Decision making Norms Cohesion

Key Outputs Task Performance

Member Satisfaction Team Viability

Adjust inputs

Improve processes

Possible changes to increase effectiveness.

Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 19

Stages of Team Development

Forming initial orientation and interpersonal testing. Storming conflict over tasks and ways of working as a team. Norming consolidation around task and operating agendas. Performing teamwork and focused task performance. Adjourning task accomplishment and eventual disengagement.
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 20

How do Teams Work?

Norms Behavior expected of team members. Rules or standards that guide behavior. May result in team sanctions.

Performance norms
Define the level of work effort and performance that team members are expected to contribute to the team task.
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 21

Guidelines for Building Positive Norms

Act as a positive role model. Reinforce the desired behaviors with rewards. Control results by performance reviews and regular feedback. Orient and train new members to adopt desired behaviors. Recruit and select new members who exhibit desired behaviors. Hold regular meetings to discuss progress and ways of improving. Use team decision-making methods to reach agreement.
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 22

How do Teams Work?

Cohesiveness
The degree to which members are attracted to and motivated to remain part of a team. Can be beneficial if paired with positive performance norms.

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23

Guidelines for Increasing Team Cohesion

Induce agreement on team goals. Increase membership homogeneity. Increase interaction among members. Decrease team size. Introduce competition with other teams. Reward team rather than individual results. Provide physical isolation from other teams.

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24

The Team Building Process

Team building
A sequence of planned activities used to gather

and analyze data on the

functioning of a team and to implement constructive changes to increase its operating effectiveness.
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 25

The Team Building Process

Steps in a cyclical team-building process:
Step 1 problem awareness. Step 2 data gathering. Step 3 data analysis and diagnosis. Step 4 action planning. Step 5 action implementation.

Step 6 evaluation.
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 26

Team Decision Making

Assets of team decision making:
Greater amounts of information, knowledge, and expertise.

Expands number of action alternatives considered.

Increases understanding and acceptance. Increases commitment to follow through.
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 27

Team Decision Making

Potential disadvantages of team decision

making:
Social pressure to conform. Individual or minority group domination. Time requirements.

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28

Team Decision Making

Creativity in team decision making

guidelines for brainstorming:

All criticism is ruled out. Freewheeling is welcomed. Quantity is important.

Building on one anothers ideas is

encouraged.
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 29

Getting to Team Effectiveness

INTERPERSONAL
CONTRIBUTIONS PROCESSES DYNAMICS NORMS &

INPUTS &

SUPPORT

ROLES &

GOALS

VISION

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30

Getting to Team Effectiveness

What do we have to work with? What do we need to get the job done?

INPUTS &

SUPPORT

GOALS

What do we want to achieve? How will we know when we get there?

VISION

Why are we doing this?

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Getting to Team Effectiveness

INTERPERSONAL
DYNAMICS
How well do we and can we get along?

INPUTS &

SUPPORT

GOALS

VISION

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Getting to Team Effectiveness

INTERPERSONAL
PROCESSES DYNAMICS NORMS &

INPUTS &

SUPPORT

GOALS

VISION

What rules govern the team? How do we communicate, make decisions, etc.?
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 33

Getting to Team Effectiveness

INTERPERSONAL
CONTRIBUTIONS DYNAMICS PROCESSES NORMS &

INPUTS &

SUPPORT

ROLES &

GOALS

VISION

Who is best at what? Who leads, and when? Who does what, when and why?
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 34

Getting to Team Effectiveness

INTERPERSONAL

CONTRIBUTIONS

PROCESSES

DYNAMICS

NORMS &

INPUTS &

SUPPORT

ROLES &

GOALS

VISION
Purpose served

Talents Resources Task

Chapter 16

Diversity Values Styles

Meetings Decisions Rules

Doing Helping Leading

Specific Challenging Measurable

35

Principles of Management (Schermerhorn)

Chapter 16 Review
How do teams contribute to organizations? What are the current trends in the use of

teams?
How do teams work? What are the challenges of leading high-

performance teams?
Chapter 16 Principles of Management (Schermerhorn) 36