managing work teams
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Chapter 17. Managing Work Teams. Learning Objectives. Explain the importance of work teams. Identify four types of work teams. State the meaning and determinants of team effectiveness. Describe the internal team processes that can affect team performance. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Managing Work Teams
Chapter 17
Learning Objectives Explain the importance of work teams. Identify four types of work teams. State the meaning and determinants of
team effectiveness. Describe the internal team processes
that can affect team performance. Explain how to diagnose and remove
barriers to poor team performance.
Work Teams and Other GroupsWork Teams and Other Groups A A groupgroup is two or more individuals who is two or more individuals who
come into personal and meaningful come into personal and meaningful contact on a continuing basis.contact on a continuing basis.
A A work teamwork team consists of a small consists of a small numbers of employees with numbers of employees with complementary skills who collaborate on complementary skills who collaborate on a project, are committed to a common a project, are committed to a common purpose, and are jointly accountable for purpose, and are jointly accountable for performing tasks that contribute to performing tasks that contribute to achieving an organization’s goals.achieving an organization’s goals.
Terms for Work Teams(adapted from Figure 17.1)
Empowered teamsAutonomous work groups
CrewsSelf-managing teams
Cross-functional teamsQuality circlesProject teams
Task forcesHigh-performance teams
Emergency response teams
CommitteesCouncils
Work Teams and Other Groups (cont.)
An informal group consists of a small number of individuals who frequently participate in activities and share feelings for the purpose of meeting their mutual needs.
Increase innovationand creativity
Improve speed ofproduct development
and other tasks
Increase quality ofgoods and services
Reduce costs
Types of Work Teams A problem-solving work team consists of
employees from different areas of an organization whose goal is to consider how something can be done better. Quality Circles Task Forces
Types of Work Teams (cont.)
A functional work team includes members from a single department who have the common goal of considering issues and solving problems within their area of responsibility and expertise.
A multidisciplinary work team consists of employees from various functional areas and sometimes several organizational levels who collectively work on specific tasks.
A self-managing work team consists of employees who work together daily to make an entire product or deliver an entire service.
Members of a Self-Managing Work Team (adapted from Figure 17.2)
Other teamleaders andmanagers
Communicationsteam
Software team
Budget team
Recognitionand compensation
team
Training team
Self-managing team-Participate in selection of new members-Train new members-Order supplies and obtain other needed resources-Communicate with suppliers and customers-Set goals-Schedule work-Design work processes
Effectiveness CriteriaEffectiveness criteria measure the outcomes achieved by individual members and the team as a whole.
TeamPreparedness
For Future
Satisfaction ofIndividual Members
Team Processes
TeamPerformance
Cohesiveness
Trust
Managing conflict
Decision making
Innovation
Quality
Speed
Cost
Trust inteam
Ability to adapt to change
With team process
With team members
With own development
Effectiveness Criteria for Work Teams (adapted from Figure 17.3)
Team EffectivenessTask completion Team development Stakeholder satisfactionAccuracy Team cohesiveness Customer satisfaction with
team’s procedures and outputsSpeed Team flexibility Team satisfaction with team’s
outputs and outputsCreativity Team preparedness for Satisfaction of other team’s with
new tasks the team’s procedures and outputsCost
Individual EffectivenessTask Performance Relationships with others Personal developmentSpeed Increased understanding of Develop competencies (teamwork,
other perspectives communication, strategic action, global awareness, planning, and administration, and self-awareness)
Accuracy Build other’s trust in you Develop network of colleagues within and outside the organization
Creativity New friendships Gain technical knowledge and skillsEfficiency
Effectiveness Determinates
Effectiveness is determined by three main sets of influences; the external context in which the team
operates, team design, and internal team processes.
A Model of Work Team Functioning(adapted from Figure 17.4)
Team Design - Team Size - Team Location
EffectivenessCriteria - Team - Individual
InternalProcesses - Development stages - Feelings - Behavioral Norms
External Context
Culture RewardSystem
TeamTraining
MemberSelection
Internal Team Processes
Work teams may develop along:
Development of the work team over time, personal feelings, and behavioral norms
a continuum of maturity, which ranges from low or immature (e.g., inefficient and ineffective) to high or mature (e.g., efficient and effective) AND
a continuum of time together, which ranges from start (e.g., the first team encounter) to end (e.g., the point at which the team adjourns)
The Development of Work Teams (adapted from Figure 17.5)D
egre
e of
Mat
urity
Time Together
High
Low
Start End
End orrecycle
End orrecycle
End orrecycle
End orrecycle
Forming
Adjourning
Performing
Norming
Storming
Rules of behavior that are widely shared and enforced by members of a work team
Norms may specify:
How much work to doHow customers should be treatedImportance of high qualityWhat members should wearWhat kinds of jokes are acceptableHow members should feel about the organizationHow they should deal with their managers, and so on
Exists When Three Criteria Have Been Met
There is a performance standard of appropriate behavior for team members
Members must generally agree on the standard
Members must be aware that the team supports the particular standard through a system of rewards and punishments
Free rider: a team member who isn’t contributing fully to team performance but still shares in team rewards
Peer pressure to conform is great A highly directive leader presses for a particular
interpretation of the problem and course of action Need exists to process a complex and unstructured
issue under crisis conditions Group is isolated
Groupthink: an agreement-at-any-cost mentality that results in ineffective work team decision making and may lead to poor solutions; Likelihood increases when:
Productive controversy: when team members value different points of view and seek to draw them out to facilitate creative problem solving
Focus on issues rather than peopleDefer decisions until issues and ideas are
exploredFollow procedures that equalize sharing
of power and responsibility
Managers can help shape norms
Internal Processes External System:
Memberselection
Teamtraining
Team design Culture
Rewardsystem
Causes of Poor Team Performance: Team Design
Team Size
For innovative decision making, ideal work team is probably between five and nine members
(continued)
If large teams required, consider useof subteams
With large teams be aware of backlash through clique lobbies
Team size—large team size tends to have the following effects
Demands on leader time and attention are greater; leader becomes more psychologically distant from the team members
Team’s tolerance of direction from the leader is greater and team’s decision making becomes more centralized
Team atmosphere is less friendly, communications are less personal, more cliques form within the team
Team’s rules and procedures become more formalized Likelihood of some members being free riders increases
Team proximity Proximity to other work teams and members
of the organization
Team members’ proximity to each other
Ideal proximity among teams depends on work being done
Virtual teams often create special challenges
Differences in societal cultures
Language differences
Weak or poor organizational culture
Incompatible personality traits among members
Traits of agreeableness and conscientiousness needed
Communication and teamwork competencies needed
Causes of Poor Team Performance:Team Training
Poor or no team training
Leadership development for managers or team leaders needed
Team training needed for:
how to manage meetings how to support disagreement how to commit to a decision how to use group-based technologies
(continued)
Choices in Designing Reward Systems for Work Teams
How can nonmonetary rewards be used to recognize excellent team performance?
What portion of a person’s total monetary rewards should be linked to performance of the team (versus the performance of the individual or the business unit)?
If rewards are to be linked to results, which effectiveness criteria should be used to evaluate team results? Individual results?
Choices in Designing Reward Systems for Work Teams (cont’d)
How should rewards be distributed among the members of a team? Should they all receive equal rewards? If not, on what basis should people receive differential rewards?
Who should be responsible for the allocation of rewards among team members: team members, a team leader, someone outside the team?
For global teams, how should cultural differences among members of the team and the pay systems used in different countries be addressed?
Causes of Poor Team Performance
Team Design Team Size Team Location
Virtual Work Team Information Technology
Culture Team Member Selection Team Training Reward Systems
Examples of Tasks Performed in Self-Managing Work Teams (from Figure 17.6)
Lev
el o
f Tea
m S
elf-
Man
agem
ent
Degree of Managerial Competencies Required
ModerateModerate
High
High
• Monitor spending• Arrange work and
vacation schedules• Monitor team
performance• Cross-train team members
• Dismiss members• Discipline members• Allocate monetary rewards• Select suppliers
• Appraise member performance• Share leadership tasks• Select new members• Select effectiveness criteria to measure• Determine team budget• Determine production/service schedules• Purchase equipment and supplies