Organizational Behaviour

BUSM 4800
Chapter 6
Agenda
1. Chapter 6: Groups and Teamwork
Chapter 6
Groups and Teamwork
Chapter 6: Learning Outcomes
1. Define group and team, and identify the different types of teams.
2. Analyze the growing popularity of teams in organizations.
3. Contrast the five types of teams.
4. Show how role requirements change in different situations.
5. Identify the five stages of group development.
6. Show how group size affects group performance.
7. Understand the model of team effectiveness (3)
Teams vs. Groups: What Is the Difference?
Drinking wine
together
• Groups
• Two or more people with a common
relationship.

• Teams
• A small number of people with Playing to win
complementary skills who are committed
to a common purpose, performance
goals, and approach for which they hold
themselves mutually accountable.
Why Have Teams Become So Popular?
• It’s a better way to use employee talents
• Teams are more flexible and responsive to changing
events
• Teams have the capability to quickly assemble,
deploy, refocus, and disband
• Can be more motivational, allow for greater task
identity
• Teams typically outperform individuals if tasks require
multiple skills, judgment, experience
Types of Teams (1 of 2)
Problem-Solving Teams
• Meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving
quality, efficiency, and the work environment
• Also called process-improvement teams.

Self-Managed Teams
• Take on responsibilities of their managers
• Planning, scheduling work, assigning tasks, taking action on
problems etc.
• Also called self-directed teams
Types of Teams (2 of 2)
Cross-Functional Teams
• Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but
from different work areas, who come together to
accomplish a task.

Virtual Teams
• Use computer technology to tie together physically
dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal.
Multiteam Systems
Coordination of
Multiteam system: A collection of two or more response after an
accident.
interdependent teams that share a superordinate
goal; a team of teams
• As tasks become more complex, teams often become
bigger
• Larger teams require higher coordination efforts
• To solve this problem, organizations employ multiteam
systems
From Individual to Team Member – Roles (1 of 2)
1. Roles
• a set of expected behaviour patterns associated with
someone occupying a given position in a social unit.
2. Role Expectations
• How others believe a person should act in a given
situation.
3. Role Conflict
• A situation in which an individual is confronted by
divergent role expectations.
From Individual to Team Member – Roles (2 of 2)
Devil Wears Prada:
4. Role Ambiguity Role Overload
• A person is unclear about his or her role.
5. Role Overload
• Too much is expected of someone.
6. Role Underload
• Too little is expected of someone
• That person feels that they are not contributing
From Individual to Team Member—Norms
• Norms: Acceptable standards of behaviour within a group that
are shared by the group’s members
• What norms cover:
• Performance: work ethic, work quality, levels of tardiness
• Appearance: personal dress, when to look busy, when to “goof off,”
how to show loyalty
• Social arrangement: how team members interact
• Allocation of resources: pay, assignments, tools & equipment
How Norms Develop Why Norms Are Enforced
• Explicit statements made by a • Facilitates group’s survival
group member

• Critical events in the group’s • Makes behaviour predictable

history
• Minimizes embarrassment
• Primacy: initial patterns of
behaviour
• Expresses central values and
• Carry-over behaviours from past clarifies the group’s identity
situations

Team Charter Assignment at

the end of class
 Stages of Group and Team Development
Stage 1: Forming
• Characterized by uncertainty and anxiety
Stage 2: Storming
• Characterized by intra-group conflict
Stage 3: Norming
• Characterized by close relationships and
cohesiveness
Stage 4: Performing
• Achieved when the group is fully functional
Stage 5: Adjourning
• Concern with wrapping up activities rather than
task performance for temporary groups
Exercise: Stages of Group Development
1. Get into pairs
2. Discuss and define each
stage of group development
3. Provide an example of one,
from a past job or personal
situation
Putting the Five-Stage Model into Perspective
• Groups do not necessarily progress clearly through
the stages one at a time.

• Groups can sometimes go back to an earlier stage.

• Conflict can sometimes be helpful to the group.

• Context can matter: airline pilots can immediately

reach performing stage.
A Model of Team Effectiveness
Team
Effectiveness:
Objective measures of
productivity,
performance and
member satisfaction.
1. Creating Effective Teams – Context
• Adequate Resources

• Leadership and Structure

• Climate of Trust

• Performance Evaluation and Rewards

2. Creating Effective Teams – Composition (1 of 2)
1. Skills
• Technical expertise
• Problem-solving and decision-making skills

2. Interpersonal skills
• Personality of members
• They sense when support is needed and back members up
3. Allocation of roles
• Task-oriented roles
• Maintenance roles
 2. Creating Effective Teams – Composition (2 of 2)

4. Diversity of members According to research:

1. Smaller groups are faster
5. Size of the team at completing tasks yet:
6. Members’ preference for 2. When problem solving,
larger groups do better
teamwork
• High-performing teams are likely to be
composed of people who prefer working as
part of a team.
3. Creating Effective Teams – Process
1. Common Plan and Purpose
2. Specific Goals
3. Team Efficacy
• Social loafing
4. Mental Models: how work is • The tendency for individuals to expend less
done by the team effort when working collectively than when
working individually
5. Conflict Levels • How can we reduce social loafing?
• Teams should not be larger than necessary
6. Accountability • Individuals should be held accountable for their
actions
Beware! Teams Are Not Always the Answer
• Teams work best when the answer to the following questions is
yes:
• Can the work be done better by more than one person?
• Does work create a common purpose or set of goals for the people in
the group that is more than the sum of individual goals?
• Are members of the group interdependent?
Summary
1. A good team will achieve balance between individudal
needs and team needs.

2. To create effective teams, members should be rewarded

for engaging in team behaviour rather than individual
behaviour.

3. Teams should not be created for tasks that could be

better done by individuals.
Create a Team Charter
• Template to be handed out in class
Chapter 6 Review
1. Define group and team, and identify the different types of teams.
2. Analyze the growing popularity of teams in organizations.
3. Contrast the five types of teams.
4. Show how role requirements change in different situations.
5. Identify the five stages of group development.
6. Show how group size affects group performance.
7. Understand the model of team effectiveness (3)
Next class:
• Group Exercise
• Chapter 7: Communication

Reminders:
• Complete PIA’s via Pearson website
• Read Chapter 7
• Work on your team project