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Chapter 10
Managing Teams and Groups
Groups and Teams
Difference between work groups and teams
Dependent work groups -‐ ‘Typical’ form of work groups -‐ Each employee has a assigned job, a line manager supervises -‐ Have limited strategic value Independent work groups -‐ Most prevalent in organisations -‐ Managers are less controlling and more distant (à tutorial group) -‐ More freelance for workers Interdependent work groups -‐ Collaboration essential to achieve a goal -‐ Higher quality in output (although it takes longer to set this organization up) -‐ Team goals, rewards à team leader rather than manager Informal groups -‐ Formed by human interaction (no manager) -‐ Interest groups ( e.g. football ), which should be not ignored by managers, since these really outline what employers are seeking for
The development of groups
Tuckmann (1965) – no strict model Forming Group forms – people see each other and check if their expectations are met Storming Members star to share information about themselves – potential similarities or point of conflicts occur Norming Consensus about the norms and behaviours are met -‐> members are proactive in aligning their skills, experiences, and capabilities Performing Final stage – putting into action the task the group was established for
Development of group roles
Different people with different attitudes and characteristics are coming together in a group à different roles occur Belbin’s team roles (1981) Factors that determine group effectiveness Doel (2005) states three factors: group composition , group norms and cohesiveness
Group composition
There is no scientific formula how groups should be built up à dynamic, uncertain and risky task for a manager; intuitive understanding of how various personalities work together is required
Group norms
Important factor are continued membership of the group and respect à essential for motivation. Conformity there can be both good and bad, norms are clear but there is no space for innovation (innovation often occurs when people step out of the norms )
Group cohesiveness
Cohesiveness is determined by loyalty of group members à high levels of performance reinforce cohesiveness à Important factors are: group size (bigger=harder), levels of diversity ( how far do members embrace diversity ), group identity ( why was the group founded, what does it stand for? ), and level of success ( constant group outcomes, that cannot be achieved by an individual reinforce cohesiveness )
Improved performance
Tangible effects ( e.g. increased revenue by sales team ) or intangible effects ( e.g. research and development introduces product, which enhances reputation )
Responsiveness to customers
Teams can research for information, which improve the responsiveness to customers
Innovation and creativity
One of the main reasons to create a team à view the environment differently, challenging the status quo, pushing boundaries of knowledge etc.
Knowledge sharing
Knowledge can be shared in a team the best way à informal relations between members of these teams can furthermore enhance the performance (‘best ideas come up in breaks’)
Integrated organisational culture
Teams create their own culture, which binds the team à managers have to try to ensure that this culture is positive
Diversity economies
Due to different cultural backgrounds the view on the current environment may be enlarged and the perspective changed, which leads to inspiration
Organisational reengineering
Project teams can be used to improve processes and communications, which sometimes require detailed investigation into processes (may happen through a consulting company)
Motivation and morale
As members are selected they automatically feel more motivated and have a better morale à key factor to guarantee this are increasing trust and responsibility (leadership required)
Pushing boundaries
Try to achieve innovation by pushing the boundaries. Radical thinking (out of norms thinking) people may be selected, but still need coordination.
Speed and efficiency
Different group underline a more flat organizational structure, which is more efficient and can react faster to change à need for this has never been greater than today Limitations of teams and teamwork There is a reason why an organization just does not only implement teams, naming the limitations of teams and teamwork, which are: team dynamics, abuse of power, cross-‐functional tensions and conflict and elitism.
Team dynamics
Sometimes teams fail due to wrong integration, missing collaboration or just because common aims and objectives are not existing. However these effects cannot be predicted. Different factor determined the dynamic of a team à combination has no formula, thus it is the role of the management to find the best members for teams
Abuse of power
Teams act with autonomy and own responsibility, which can lead to the abuse of power. Then a recreation is necessary à written terms and conditions can help to avoid the abuse of power
Cross-‐functional tensions and conflict
Teams have advantages but tension can occur. It is the task of the management to build a team, which rather coordinates than fights à uncertainty , prediction not possible since people act different under certain circumstances
Elitism
Workers that are excluded from a team could feel demotivated because the are not a part of the ‘elite’ à Managers need to be able to explain why they chose these persons and make sure that the work from the others is also valued Managing effective teams and teamwork
Teambuilding
Aim: build teams, which structures the activities of an organization and thus improves the performance on a long-‐term level è T-‐group training Benefits: participant experiences increasing self-‐awareness à can also end in destructive experience è T-‐group training has been superseded by teambuilding activities, which are structured to the activities and do not threat the participants
Teambuilding activities
- Techniques can be used both within and between groups
- May be focused on process issues (dynamics) or task issues (based on actual work-‐based task)
- Group members learn about interaction and group dynamics ( process issues ) by involvement in a work-‐related task à entail matters
Empowerment
Great impact of empowerment à have to be sure that decision making fits to mission, strategy and tactics, therefore some kind of terms and conditions paper is used
