Chapter 10- work team

Differences Between Groups and Teams

Although groups and teams are often used interchangeably, there are distinct differences
between the two:

1. Workgroups

• Definition: A group is two or more individuals who interact and are interdependent but
work towards individual goals.

• Characteristics:

o Purpose: Share information and help each member perform in their specific
roles.

o Synergy: Neutral or negative—no collective work that creates greater results.

o Accountability: Individual responsibility.

o Skills: Random and varied.

• Performance: The group’s overall performance is simply the sum of individual members’
contributions.

2. Work Teams

• Definition: A team is a group whose combined efforts result in a level of performance

greater than the sum of individual efforts.

• Characteristics:

o Purpose: Achieve collective performance goals through coordinated effort.

o Synergy: Positive synergy achieved through teamwork.

o Accountability: Both individual and mutual accountability.

o Skills: Members have complementary skills that enhance team output.

• Performance: A team’s output exceeds the sum of individual efforts due to collaboration
and coordination.

Key Takeaways

• Workgroups focus on sharing information and individual contributions, whereas work

teams emphasize collaboration and collective performance.
• Merely calling a group a team doesn’t ensure improved performance; effective teams
require specific characteristics, such as clear goals, complementary skills, and mutual
accountability.

Types of Teams in Organizations

Here’s a summary of the common types of teams and their characteristics:

1. Problem-Solving Teams

• Definition: Small groups (usually 5–12 employees) from the same department that meet
regularly to discuss ways to improve processes, quality, or the work environment.

• Example: Quality-control teams in manufacturing or healthcare settings.

• Limitation: These teams often make recommendations but lack authority to implement
solutions directly.

2. Self-Managed Work Teams

• Definition: Groups of employees (typically 10–15 people) who manage themselves,

performing related tasks and taking on supervisory responsibilities such as planning,
scheduling, and problem-solving.

• Example: Teams that evaluate member performance or make operational decisions

independently.

• Strength: Increased job satisfaction and autonomy.

• Limitation: Conflict within the team or lack of psychological safety can negatively impact
performance.

3. Cross-Functional Teams

• Definition: Teams composed of individuals at similar organizational levels but from

different work areas who collaborate to achieve a common task.

• Example: Product development teams like Starbucks’ team for the Via instant coffee
brand or Harley-Davidson’s motorcycle design teams.

• Strength: Brings diverse perspectives and expertise for creative solutions.

• Limitation: Challenges in managing diversity, leadership ambiguity, and the time needed
to build trust.

4. Virtual Teams

• Definition: Teams that use technology to connect geographically dispersed members to

achieve a shared goal.

• Example: Teams collaborating remotely using platforms like videoconferencing or

corporate social media.

• Strength: Overcomes geographical barriers and fosters global collaboration.

• Limitation: Requires trust-building, progress monitoring, and careful communication to

succeed.

5. Multiteam Systems

• Definition: Collections of interdependent teams working together toward a

superordinate goal, often referred to as a “team of teams.”

• Example: Emergency response coordination involving medical teams, hospital staff, and
recovery teams after a major accident.

• Strength: Handles complex tasks by dividing work across specialized teams.

• Limitation: High demands for coordination and communication between teams.

Each type of team has distinct strengths and challenges, and choosing the right team
structure depends on the goals, tasks, and organizational needs.

Characteristics of Effective Teams

Effective teams share several key components that contribute to their success. These can be
grouped into three categories: context, composition, and process.

1. Context: External Factors Supporting Teams

• Adequate Resources: Teams depend on organizational support, such as timely
information, proper equipment, and adequate staffing. Resource scarcity hampers their
ability to achieve goals.

• Leadership and Structure: Teams need clear role definitions, shared workloads, and
structured coordination. Leadership is especially vital in multiteam systems, where
facilitation ensures harmony between interconnected teams.

• Climate of Trust: Trust among members fosters cooperation, reduces monitoring needs,
and promotes risk-taking and openness. Trust in leaders allows teams to align with their
goals and decisions.

• Performance Evaluation and Reward Systems: Team-based incentives and rewards (e.g.,
profit-sharing, group appraisals) encourage effort, commitment, and recognition of
group accomplishments.

2. Composition: Internal Factors Relating to Team Members

• Abilities of Members: Teams perform better with skilled individuals who contribute
diverse expertise.

• Personality: Characteristics such as conscientiousness and agreeableness enhance team

functioning.

• Allocating Roles: Assigning clear roles ensures a balanced workload and effective
utilization of individual strengths.

• Diversity and Cultural Differences: Diversity can enhance creativity but requires careful
management to prevent conflict.

• Team Size: Teams should be small enough to manage effectively but large enough to
provide the required expertise.

• Member Preferences: Members who prefer working in teams are more likely to
contribute positively.

3. Process: Internal Dynamics within Teams

• Common Purpose: Teams perform well when members are united around shared goals
and mission.

• Specific Goals: Clear and measurable objectives guide team efforts.

• Team Efficacy: Confidence in the team’s ability boosts motivation and performance.

• Team Identity and Cohesion: A strong sense of belonging fosters collaboration and
commitment.

• Mental Models: Shared understanding of tasks and processes improves coordination.

• Conflict Levels: Constructive conflict can enhance creativity, while destructive conflict
harms team dynamics.

• Social Loafing: Teams work best when all members contribute equally, avoiding free-
riding behavior.

Key Considerations

• Teams thrive when external support, well-matched composition, and effective processes
align.

• Not every situation benefits from teamwork—sometimes individual work is the better
approach.

• Ensuring trust, structure, and alignment among members is crucial for sustained
effectiveness.

Key Elements of Team Composition

Effective team composition is crucial for overall performance and success. Here are the main
components to consider when building teams:

1. Abilities of Team Members

• Importance: A team’s performance largely depends on the knowledge, skills, and

abilities of its members.

• High-Ability Teams: Particularly effective in solving complex problems and adapting to

changes.

• Role of Leadership: An intelligent leader can boost the performance of less skilled
members, while a less capable leader might hinder a high-ability team.

2. Personality of Members
• Conscientiousness: Highly conscientious members back each other up and stay
organized, resulting in better team outcomes.

• Openness to Experience: Open members promote communication and creativity,

especially when combined with constructive conflict.

• Emotional Stability: Teams with stable members handle conflict well and perform better
under stress.

• Agreeableness: The absence of highly disagreeable members is critical.

Disagreeableness or extreme variation in agreeableness can disrupt team dynamics.

• Extraversion: Teams with highly extraverted members often show helpful behaviors,
especially in cooperative settings.

3. Allocation of Roles

• Key Insight: Assign skilled, experienced, and conscientious members to central or core
roles for the most impact.

• Defined Roles: Successful teams have well-defined roles that leverage individual
strengths and preferences.

4. Diversity

• Demographic Diversity: Research shows mixed results, with gender and racial diversity
sometimes negatively impacting performance, especially in certain occupations.

• Functional Diversity: Diversity in education, expertise, and skills generally boosts team
creativity and problem-solving.

• Cultural Diversity: Initially challenging for team dynamics, but cultural differences can
become an asset over time for tasks needing diverse viewpoints.

5. Team Size

• Optimal Size: Smaller teams are usually more effective. For example, Amazon’s “two-
pizza rule” suggests teams should be small enough to be fed with two pizzas.

• Challenges of Large Teams: Coordination issues and social loafing increase as team size
grows.
Practical Insights

To enhance team composition:

1. Match team abilities to the complexity of tasks.

2. Select members with personality traits that align with team goals.

3. Foster diversity while preparing for initial challenges in integrating differences.

4. Keep team size manageable to maintain coordination and accountability.

Team Processes and Their Impact on Effectiveness

Team processes refer to the internal dynamics that significantly influence the success of a
team. Here are the essential process variables and their importance:

1. Common Plan and Purpose

• Teams perform better when members collectively define their mission and strategies to
achieve it.

• A shared sense of purpose provides direction, guiding teams like a GPS.

• Reflexivity: Effective teams reflect on their goals and adjust plans as needed, ensuring
adaptability to changing conditions.

2. Specific Goals

• Translating a common purpose into measurable and realistic performance goals boosts
focus and communication.

• Challenging but achievable goals improve performance on set criteria (e.g., quantity,
accuracy).

3. Team Efficacy

• Defined as the collective belief in the team’s ability to succeed.

• Teams with high efficacy are motivated to work harder and more effectively.
• Boosting Efficacy: Management can help by enabling small successes and providing skill-
training opportunities.

4. Team Identity

• Emotional connection to the team enhances commitment and willingness to work hard.

• Recognizing individual contributions and creating a climate of respect foster positive

identity.

• Lack of organizational identity may hinder coordination with other teams.

5. Team Cohesion

• Represents the emotional attachment among team members, driving motivation and
collaboration.

• High cohesion, especially in complex tasks, correlates with greater creativity and
performance.

• Negative relationships can weaken cohesion, but fostering interdependence mitigates

this risk.

6. Mental Models

• Shared mental models involve a collective understanding of how the team operates and
its environment.

• Teams with aligned mental models show better communication, motivation, and overall
performance.

7. Managed Conflict

• Conflict isn’t inherently harmful—constructive task conflict can stimulate creativity and
improve team outcomes.

• Teams with emotional stability and openness handle conflict better, using it as an
opportunity for growth.
8. Minimized Social Loafing

• Social loafing occurs when individuals contribute less effort in group settings. Effective
teams ensure accountability and equal participation.