9WORK GROUPS AND TEAMS
206 Chapter 9: Work Teams and Groups
Chapter 9: Work Groups and Teams 165
9WORK TEAMS and GROUPS Chapter Scan
Groups and teams continue to play a vital role in organizational
behavior and performance. Advanced technologies give organizations
the ability to use virtual teams that may have members from
anywhere in the world. This chapter offers a traditional discussion
of group behavior and group development in the first two sections,
a discussion of teams in the third section, and an exploration of
issues such as empowerment, self-managed teams, and upper echelon
teams in the final two sections.LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After reading this chapter, you should be able to do the
following:
1. Define group and work team.
2. Explain four important aspects of group behavior.
3. Describe group formation, the four stages of a group's
development, and the
characteristics of a mature group.
4. Explain the task and maintenance functions in groups.
5. Identify the social benefits of group and team
membership.
6. Discuss diversity and creativity in teams.
7. Discuss empowerment, teamwork, and self-managed teams.
8. Explain the importance of upper echelons and top management
teams.
key TERMS
Chapter 9 introduces the following key terms:
group quality team
group cohesion self-managed team
integrated involvement social loafing
loss of individuality status structure
maintenance function task function
norms of behavior teamwork
psychological intimacy upper echelon
quality circle (QC) work team
THE CHAPTER SUMMARIZED
I.THINKING AHEAD: TOYOTA Trust is Job One for Toyota
II.GROUP BEHAVIOR
This is a good opening place to remind students of the
differences between groups and teams. A group is two or more people
having common interests, objectives, and continuing interaction. A
team is a group of people with complementary skills who are
committed to a common mission, performance goals, and approach for
which they hold themselves mutually accountable.
A.Norms of Behavior
The standards a work group uses to evaluate the behavior of its
members are referred to as norms of behavior. Group members must
understand both the stated and implied norms of the group(s) to
which they belong.
B.Group Cohesion
Group cohesion is defined as the "interpersonal glue" that makes
members of a group stick together. Highly cohesive groups are able
to control and manage their membership better than those with low
group cohesion.
C.Social Loafing
Social loafing refers to the failure of a group member to
contribute personal time, effort, thoughts, or other resources to
the group. Students can readily relate examples from their
experiences of working in groups.
D.Loss of Individuality
Loss of individuality is a social process in which individual
group members lose self-awareness and its accompanying sense of
accountability, inhibition, and responsibility for individual
behavior.
III.GROUP FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT
All groups go through predictable stages of development, and
address three issues in the process: interpersonal issues, task
issues, and authority issues.
A.Group Formation
Groups may be informal or formal. Ethnic diversity, gender
diversity, culture diversity, and interpersonal diversity are
important considerations in the formation of groups. Informal
groups often evolve in order to meet inclusion and affection needs
not met by formal groups.
B.Stages of Group Development
1.The Five-Stage Model
Bruce Tuckman proposes that groups progress through five stages
of development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and
adjourning.
In the forming stage, members are unclear about individual roles
and responsibilities, and they have a strong dependence on the
guidance and direction of others.
The storming is characterized by competition among members for
position. Clarity of purpose increases, but uncertainties still
exist. Members evaluate each others trustworthiness, emotional
comfort, and acceptance.
Agreement and consensus characterize the norming stage. Roles
and responsibilities become clear and accepted, and decisions about
who will do what aspects of the groups work are made.
In the performing stage, the group can function on its own with
very little interference or direction from a leader. A mature group
controls the behavior of its members through the application of
both positive and negative sanctions.
The adjourning stage occurs when the groups task is complete and
members are ready to move on to other things. The adjourning stage
applies primarily to task forces and other informal teams; many
teams remain at the performing stage indefinitely.
2.Punctuated Equilibrium Model
Although widely cited, Tuckmans five-stage model may be
unrealistic from an organizational perspective. Connie Gersick
proposes that groups do not necessarily progress linearly from one
step to another; rather, as work groups develop, periods of little
progress are punctuated by bursts of energy in which the majority
of the groups work is accomplished.
C.Characteristics of a Mature Group
1.Purpose and Mission
The purpose and mission may be assigned or it may emerge from
within the group. A clear purpose and mission enhance performance
in groups.
2.Behavioral Norms
Behavioral norms take time to develop, but are typically well
understood by group members. They provide benchmarks by which group
members evaluate one another. Attendance policies, dress codes, and
ethical standards are examples of behavioral norms.
3.Group Cohesion
Low cohesion in a group results in low commitment to the groups
goals. On the other hand, groupthink can result in poor decision
making in highly cohesive groups. Conflict can cause problems in
groups with low cohesion, but it can also contribute to a groups
maturing process, eventually resulting in higher cohesion.
4.Status Structure
Status structure refers to the set of authority and task
relations among a groups members. Effective resolution of authority
issues creates a clearly understood status structure. Groups
typically have one well-defined leader, while teams typically share
leadership based on the characteristics of each group member.
D.Task and Maintenance Functions
A task function is an activity directly related to the effective
completion of a team's work. Maintenance functions relate to
satisfying interpersonal needs within the group or team. Some task
functions are more important at one time in the life of a group,
and other functions are more important at other times. Students
might want to try to identify specific activities from their own
personal experiences related to these functions.
IV.WORK TEAMS IN ORGANIZATIONS
A.Why Work Teams?
Teams are effective when work is complex, complicated,
interrelated, or more extensive than one person can manage.
Organizations must be careful, however, to provide adequate
training and direction to any teams that are formed.
B.Work Team Structure and Work Team Process
The primary structural issues for work teams include goals and
objectives, operating guidelines, performance measures, and
specification of roles within the team and for managers who oversee
the teams work. Process issues include management of both
cooperative behaviors and competitive behaviors.
C.Quality Teams and Circles
A quality team is a formal group empowered to act on its
decisions regarding product and service quality. Quality circles
(QCs) are small groups of employees who work voluntarily on company
time to address quality-related problems, such as quality control,
cost reduction, production planning and techniques, and even
product design.
D.Social Benefits
The social benefits of teams are psychological intimacy and
integrated involvement. Psychological intimacy is emotional and
psychological closeness to other team or group members. Integrated
involvement is closeness achieved through tasks and activities.
V.DIVERSITY AND CREATIVITY IN TEAMS
A.Dissimilarity
Demographic dissimilarity influences employees absenteeism,
commitment, turnover intentions, beliefs, workgroup relationships,
self-esteem, and organizational citizenship behavior in both
positive and negative ways. As a result, careful management of
dissimilarity in teams is necessary.
B.Creativity
Team creativity appears to be an aggregate function of both time
and individual members creativity.
VI.EMPOWERMENT AND SELF-MANAGED TEAMS
Teamwork can be implemented in organizations through
self-managed teams. Self-managed teams deal with broader issues
than just quality. Members of these teams are empowered to solve
problems and take action, but must also be properly focused through
careful planning and preparation.
A.Empowerment Skills
Empowerment through employee self-management is an alternative
to empowerment through teamwork. Empowerment requires that
employees demonstrate competence skills, process skills,
cooperative and helping behaviors, and communication skills.
B.Self-Managed Teams
Research indicates that participation in self-managed teams
positively influences employee attitudes, but not absenteeism or
turnover. Self-managed teams can generate substantial results over
time, but they rarely become fully functional and self-directed in
the short term. VII.UPPER ECHELONS: TEAMS AT THE TOP
A top-level executive team in an organization is referred to as
upper echelon. The background characteristics of the top management
team can often predict organizational characteristics.
A.Diversity at the Top
Diversity in the top management team helps to sustain high
levels of organizational performance. The top management team
should be functionally, intellectually, demographically, and
temperamentally diverse in order to complement each other.
B.Multicultural Top Teams
Multicultural diversity within a group may increase the
uncertainty, complexity, and inherent confusion in group processes.
However, diverse groups tend to generate more and better ideas,
which may limit the risk of groupthink.
VIII.MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: TEAMWORK FOR PRODUCTIVITY AND
QUALITY
IX.LOOKING BACK: TOYOTA Diversity at the Top
YOU
9.1 HOW COHESIVE IS YOUR GROUP?This challenge could be assigned
prior to class discussion on cohesiveness. During class discussion,
students could be asked to share the experiences from the group
they evaluated in the challenge to help illustrate the points
related to cohesiveness.
9.2 ARE YOU AN EMPOWERED EMPLOYEE?
As you cover the material on empowerment in class, encourage
students to share their experiences as empowered or unempowered
employees.
DIVERSITY DIALOGUES
DIVERSITY DUO SEALS THE DEAL
It is possible that Merrill Lynch could have achieved success in
moving the deal along without having someone who was
demographically similar to the Brazilian investors as was Selma
Bueno. The most important criteria for bridging cultural gaps are
to have someone who has familiarity with certain cross-cultural
business and social practices and who can use this knowledge to
gain the trust of potential clients.
Students should address different types of dissimilarity in
teams, including demographic, value, and functional dissimilarity
in answering the second question. The chapter discusses both
positive and negative effects of dissimilar teams and dissimilar
members on teams (e.g., enhanced team creativity and involvement to
increased conflict respectively).
CHAPTER SUMMARY
SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 12 \hGroups are often composed of
diverse people at work. Teams in organizations are key to enhancing
quality and achieving success.
SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 12 \hImportant aspects of group
behavior include norms of behavior, group cohesion, social loafing,
and loss of individuality.
SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 12 \hOnce a group forms, it goes
through five stages of development. If successful, the group can
function independently, with little interference from its
leader.
SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 12 \hQuality circles, originally
popularized in Japan, and quality teams contribute to solving
technological and quality problems in the organization.
SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 12 \hTeams provide social benefits for
team members, as well as enhancing organizational performance.
SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 12 \hFunctional and value
dissimilarity may have positive or negative effects on teams.
Managing dissimilarity in teams and being open to diversity is
highly important for promoting creativity.
SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 12 \hEmpowerment and teamwork require
specific organizational design elements and individual
psychological characteristics and skills.
SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 12 \hUpper echelons and top management
teams are key to the strategy and performance of an organization.
Diversity and a devils advocate in the top team enhance
performance.
SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 12 \hManaging in the new team
environment places new demands on managers, teams, and individuals.
Managers must create a supportive and flexible environment for
collaborative teams and empowered individuals. Team leaders must
nurture the team's development.
REVIEW QUESTIONS: suggested answers
1. What is a group? A work team?
A group is a collection of two or more people with common
interests or objectives. A work team is a small number of people
with complementary skills who are committed to a common mission,
performance goals, and an approach for which they hold themselves
mutually accountable.2. Explain four aspects of group behavior. How
can each aspect help or hinder the group's functioning?
Norms of behavior are standards that a work group uses to
evaluate the behavior of its members. Group cohesion is the
interpersonal glue that makes members of a group stick together.
Social loafing is the failure of a group member to contribute
personal time, effort, thoughts, or other resources to the group.
Loss of individuality occurs when group members lose self-awareness
and its accompanying sense of accountability, inhibition, and
responsibility for individual behavior. In general, norms are
facilitative. Cohesiveness can have positive effects such as
satisfaction, but it can also lead to problems such as groupthink.
Social loafing is detrimental because it creates conflict. Loss of
individuality, or deindividuation, can lead to aberrant behavior.
3. Describe what happens in each stage of a group's development
according to Tuckmans Five-Stage Model. What are the leadership
requirements in each stage?
In the forming stage, members are unclear about individual roles
and responsibilities, and they need strong guidance and direction
from the leader.
The storming stage is characterized by competition among members
for position. Clarity of purpose increases, but uncertainties still
exist. Members evaluate each others trustworthiness, emotional
comfort, and acceptance. In this stage, leaders should employ a
coaching style to deal with challenges from members.
Agreement and consensus characterize the norming stage. Roles
and responsibilities become clear and accepted, and decisions about
who will do what aspects of the groups work are made. The leader
should use a facilitative style and share some of the leadership
responsibilities with the team.
In the performing stage, the group can function on its own with
very little interference or direction from a leader. A mature group
controls the behavior of its members through the application of
both positive and negative sanctions. The leaders role is to
delegate and oversee the team.
The adjourning stage occurs when the groups task is complete and
members are ready to move on to other things. The adjourning stage
applies primarily to task forces and other informal teams; many
teams remain at the performing stage indefinitely. The leaders role
is to recognize the groups achievements.
4. Describe the four characteristics of mature groups.
A mature group has a clear purpose and mission, well-understood
norms and standards of conduct, a high level of group cohesion, and
a flexible status structure.
5. Why are work teams important to organizations today? How and
why are work teams formed?
In addition to having creative ideas evolve from groups,
employees become loyal to and psychologically intimate with team
members. Teams can meet the needs for integrated involvement as
well. Work teams may be formed by management to address specific
organizational needs (formal teams), or they may develop as a means
of meeting other unsatisfied employee needs for inclusion and
affection (informal teams).
6. Describe at least five task and five maintenance functions
that effective work teams must perform.
Task functions include initiating activities, seeking
information, giving information, elaborating concepts, coordinating
activities, summarizing ideas, testing ideas, evaluating
effectiveness, and diagnosing problems. Maintenance functions
include supporting others, following others' leads, gatekeeping
communication, setting standards, expressing member feelings,
testing group decisions, consensus testing, harmonizing conflict,
and reducing tension.
7. Discuss diversity and creativity in teams.
Demographic dissimilarity influences employees absenteeism,
commitment, turnover intentions, beliefs, workgroup relationships,
self-esteem, and organizational citizenship behavior in both
positive and negative ways. As a result, careful management of
dissimilarity in teams is necessary. Team creativity appears to be
an aggregate function of both time and individual members
creativity.
8. Describe the necessary skills for empowerment and
teamwork.
Competence skills and process skills are essential, as are the
development of cooperative and helping behaviors and communication
skills.
9. What are the benefits and potential drawbacks of self-managed
teams?
Self-managed teams can positively impact employee attitudes and
enhance productivity. They do not appear to positively impact
absenteeism or turnover, are susceptible to problems such as
groupthink, and may take long periods of time to reach their full
potential.
10. What is the role of the manager in the new team environment?
What is the role of the team leader?
The manager is responsible for creating an organizational
environment that promotes and supports work teams. Managers set
limits, remove barriers, and establish flexible charters for their
work groups and teams. The team leader is responsible for nurturing
the development and performance of the team. Team leaders teach,
listen, solve problems, manage conflict, and enhance team
functioning.
DISCUSSION AND COMMUNICATION QUESTIONS: suggested answers
1. Which was the most effective group (or team) of which you
have been a member? What made that group (or team) so
effective?
Students can use the characteristics from the chapter, and can
probably name others. Issues of leadership, empowerment, cohesion,
norms, and diversity are especially applicable.
2. Have you ever experienced peer pressure to act more in
accordance with the behavioral norms of a group? Have you ever
engaged in a little social loafing? Have you ever lost your head
and been caught up in a group's destructive actions?
Students who have worked in groups that met outside class will
have experience in peer pressure. Be sure to point out that social
loafing and not meeting the requirements of the group are not the
same thing. Destructive actions have also been referred to as "mob
mentality." Both the Los Angeles riots and the spring break
fiascoes in Florida are examples of destructive actions.
3. Name a company that successfully uses teamwork and
empowerment. What has that company done that makes it so successful
in this regard? Has its team approach made a difference in its
performance? How?
The six focus companies from the textbook are logical
suggestions for students who will not be able to single out
individual organizations. The Ritz-Carlton is also a good example,
because it is the only hotel that has ever won the Malcolm Baldrige
Award.
4. Name a person you think is a particularly good team member.
What makes him or her so? Name a person who is a problem as a team
member. What makes this person a problem?
This can be constructive if properly managed, but care must be
taken to avoid embarrassing students by pointing them out as
problems. Students should identify the criteria they used in
deciding whether a person is a good team member or a problem when
discussing their examples.5. Think about your current work
environment. Does it use quality circles or self-managed teams?
What are the barriers to teamwork and empowerment in that
environment? What elements of the environment enhance or encourage
teamwork and empowerment? (If you do not work, discuss this
question with a friend who does.)
In class, students with experience in teams have an opportunity
to tell other students their frustrations and their rewards in
working with teams. Cultural differences are relevant, and
international students from collectivist cultures can be encouraged
to share their views of teamwork.
6. Prepare a memo describing your observations about work teams
and groups in your workplace or your university. Where have you
observed teams or groups to be most effective? Why? What changes
might be made at work or in the university make teams more
effective?
Encourage students to consider different types of teams that
they might observe, particularly those at different levels in the
organization. Students should draw on the material from the text in
discussing the effectiveness of the teams.
7. Develop an oral presentation about what the most important
norms of behavior should be in an academic community and workplace.
Be specific. Discuss how these norms should be established and
reinforced.
In addition to outlining important norms, students should also
provide support for why those norms are important. Discuss whether
norms should be the same for faculty, staff, administration, and
students. If there has been a recent debate on your campus
regarding a particular norm and how it is reinforced, this is a
good opportunity to discuss the issue.
8. Interview an employee or manager about what he or she
believes contributes to cohesiveness in work groups and teams. Ask
the person what the conclusions are based on. Be prepared to
discuss what you have learned in class.
If the comments of the person interviewed differ from the text
material, students should probe as to why this is the case. During
class discussion, compare and contrast the different perspectives
of the people interviewed.
9. Do you admire the upper echelons in your organization or
university? Why or why not? Do they communicate effectively with
groups and individuals throughout the organization?
Students should consider whether others in the organization or
university share their opinion about the upper echelons. Discuss
why there might be differences in perspectives between individuals
and groups.
ETHICal dilemma
1. How would Gregs promise to support Michele still hold given
Micheles behavior?
Gregs promise to support Michele was based on his prior
knowledge of her personality and behaviors. If Michele is no longer
acting like that person, many would argue that Gregs promise is no
longer valid.
2. Evaluate Gregs decision using rule, virtue, rights, and
justice theories.
Rule Clearly in this case, the greatest good is achieved by Greg
speaking out and being honest about the situation.
Virtue Greg needs to have the courage to speak the truth to
Michele even if the outcome is Micheles anger.
Rights We would want everyone to speak out in a situation like
this. No one is served by allowing Micheles behavior to
continue.
Justice Both the process and the outcome will be better if Greg
speaks the truth. Withholding his true feelings would only ensure a
continued unfair process and an unfair outcome, at least in the
opinion of the members of the team.
EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES
9.1TOWER BUILDING: A GROUP DYNAMICS ACTIVITY
This exercise gives students an opportunity to examine group
dynamics in a task-oriented situation. Students must take
responsibility to bring materials to class for building a tower.
All materials must fit into a box no greater than eight cubic feet.
This exercise is a favorite exercise for many to uncover the
dynamics of group and leadership behavior. The advantage of this
exercise is that it takes far less time than game-oriented
simulations.
9.2DESIGN A TEAM
This exercise provides students with an excellent opportunity to
apply much of the material from the text and to think in depth
about how teams should be formed. As groups share their responses
to the questions be sure and discuss similarities and differences
in responses. At the conclusion of the group presentations, try to
reach agreement as a class on the ideal profile for this team.
Alternative Experiential Exercise
Putting the Beat Back in Groups
Instructor's Notes:This exercise may be discussed in at least
three ways. (1) Students may use this opportunity to review or
teach the chapter components to each other in the group, (2) this
serves as a team development exercise, where the instructor may ask
how cohesive the group is and where the group development is on
this project, and (3) this is a lighthearted avenue to receive
different contributions from students than are normally provided.
Creativity is a difficult subject to convince students that they
utilize throughout their lives. This exercise provides an avenue
for students to risk being creative among their peers.
* SOURCE: Adapted from Donald D. Bowen, The University of
Tulsa.
Putting the Beat Back in Groupwork
You and the members of your team are lyricists for a major must
publishing house, Country & Western, Inc. (CWI). CWI
specializes in country music, and has developed a unique approach
to the creative business of developing hit country songs. In
contrast to the normal approach to song writing, artists under
contract to CWI provide only the music to their songs. CWI employs
specialists in lyrics (you and your teammates) to write the titles
and words.When a musician submits a new melody to CWI, the Vice
President of Creativity listens to the tune, identifies a topic he
believes to be appropriate for the melody, then assigns one of the
lyric production teams to develop a catchy title for the song
including the words (or variations of them) the Vice President used
to designate the topic of the song. For example, if the assigned
topic was "love", acceptable titles might include:
"I ain't had a beer since breakfast so what I'm feelin' must be
love,
or
"Lovin' you sure beats punchin' cows.
The Vice President of Creativity has just assigned the following
topics for titles. Make a creative country and western song title
out of as many as possible in the time allotted.
Topic
Proposed Title1. Empowerment
2. Group cohesion
3. Team
4. Group development
5. Quality circles
6. Social loafing
7. Upper echelon
8. Psychological intimacy
EXTRA EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISESThe following exercises to
supplement the material in the textbook can be obtained from:
Marcic, Dorothy, Seltzer, Joseph, & Vaill, Peter.
Organizational Behavior: Experiences and Cases, 6th Ed.
South-Western College Publishing Company, 2001.
Prisoners Dilemma: An Intergroup Competition. p. 135-136. Time:
50 minutes.
Purpose: To explore trust and its betrayal between group members
through demonstrating the effects of interpersonal competition.
Windsock, Inc. p. 95-97. Time: 50 minutes or more.
Purpose: To explore intergroup relationships.
CASE QUESTIONS: SUGGESTED ANSWERS
STRYKERS USE OF TEAMWORK IN REDESIGNING SURGICAL EQUIPMENT
Linkage of Case to Chapter Material
The Stryker Corporation is one of the leading companies in the
worldwide market for orthopedic devices. One of Strykers recent
orthopedic innovations is a navigation system for hip replacement
surgery that permits surgeons to observe via a computer screen the
precise positioning of a hip replacement prosthesis. This piece of
medical equipment is extremely complex and has many inter-related
parts that need to withstand a variety of stresses. Field testing
of the navigation system revealed numerous problems that had to be
solved as quickly as possible. A team was assembled at Strykers
Freiburg, Germany facility to solve the problems with the hip
replacement navigation system. Within this problem context, the
case focuses on the formation of the Freiburg team, the team
members characteristics, and the team approach to problem
solving.
Chapter 9 focuses on work groups and teams and their usage in
organizations. Several topics in this chapter are very relevant to
the Stryker case. First, teamwork is essential for developing
effective solutions for the navigation systems problems. Second,
the characteristics of well-functioning, effective groups are
relevant to how the Freiburg team should operate. Third, the
Freiburg team members must effectively perform both task functions
and maintenance functions if they are to be successful. Finally,
diversity and creativity can make important contributions to the
effective functioning of the Freiburg team.
Suggested Answers for Discussion Questions1. Using Table 9.1,
discuss the extent to which the characteristics of
well-functioning, effective groups accurately describe the Freiburg
hip replacement navigation system team.
Table 9.1 outlines eight characteristics of a well-functioning,
effective group, which are as follows:
The atmosphere tends to be relaxed, comfortable, and
informal.
The groups task is well understood and accepted by the
members.
The members listen well to one another; most members participate
in a good deal of task-relevant discussion.
People express both their feelings and their ideas.
Conflict and disagreement are present and centered around ideas
or methods, not personalities or people.
The group is aware and conscious of its own operation and
function.
Decisions are usually based on consensus, not majority vote.
When actions are decided, clear assignments are made and
accepted by members of the group.
In the case, Klaus Welte, vice president and plant manager for
Strykers Freiburg, Germany facility, was assigned responsibility
for assembling a team that would work on solving the hip
replacement navigation system. Weltes first challenge was
assembling a team of the best people at Freiburg in operations,
computer-aided design, engineering, and research. Welte believed
that the teams success would require both a clear view of what had
to be accomplished and a deep understanding of each team members
abilities. One team member was talented in structural analysis,
communication, and follow-through. Another member provided the
social glue for the team and would never stop until all tasks were
complete. Still another team member was an organizer who helped
keep the team on task and from rushing ahead before it was ready.
Yet another team member was especially knowledgeable regarding how
a product design will successfully survive the manufacturing
process. Another person was noted for highly innovative ( indeed
visionary ( product design ideas. Although each team members
abilities were important, how those abilities fit together was
equally important.
This evidence suggests that the following characteristics of a
well-functioning, effective group very likely are present in the
Freiburg team:
The groups task is well understood and accepted by the
members.
The members listen well to one another; most members participate
in a good deal of task-relevant discussion.
Conflict and disagreement are present and centered around ideas
or methods, not personalities or people.
The group is aware and conscious of its own operation and
function.
Decisions are usually based on consensus, not majority vote.
When actions are decided, clear assignments are made and
accepted by members of the group.
Little evidence exists to clearly support the presence of the
other two characteristics ( namely, that (a) the atmosphere tends
to be relaxed, comfortable, and informal; and (b) people express
both their feelings and their ideas.
2. Explain why teamwork is important to effectively solve the
problems which field testing of the hip replacement navigation
system revealed.
The chapter indicates that teamwork becomes important when the
work is more complicated, complex, interrelated, and/or voluminous
than one person can handle. All of these characteristics are
relevant to the problems uncovered during field testing of Strykers
navigation system for hip replacement surgery. The navigation
system permitted surgeons to observe via a computer screen the
precise positioning of a hip replacement prosthesis. Due to the
nature of hip replacement, the navigation system had to have the
capability of withstanding the various physical stresses put on the
equipment, including pounding with a surgical hammer. In addition,
the navigation system ( especially its sophisticated electronics (
had to survive repeated sterilization under 270-degree-Fahrenheit
steam pressure. Field testing of the hip replacement navigation
system revealed that the systems precision electronics frequently
failed and metal parts were broken or damaged. As a medical tool,
the navigation system consisted of a complex, complicated,
inter-related set of metal parts and precision electronic
components.
In addition, finding solutions to the various navigation system
problems required multiple perspectives and talents. Thus, a team
had to be formed to address the problems. Finding a solution to the
navigation system problems was assigned to Klaus Welte, vice
president and plant manager for Strykers Freiburg, Germany
facility, which already had applied its magnetic imaging navigation
system technology and expertise to developing orthopedic
equipment.
3. Using Table 9.2, describe how the task functions and
maintenance functions are operating within the Freiburg team. Task
functions include the following: initiating activities, seeking
information, giving information, elaborating concepts, coordinating
activities, summarizing ideas, testing ideas, evaluating
effectiveness, and diagnosing problems. Several examples of task
functions occur in the case. These examples include the
following:
One team member was talented in structural analysis,
communication, and follow-through.
Another team member was an organizer who helped keep the team on
task and from rushing ahead before it was ready.
A third team member was especially knowledgeable regarding how a
product design will successfully survive the manufacturing
process.
A fourth person was noted for highly innovative ( indeed
visionary ( product design ideas.
Maintenance functions include the following: supporting others,
following others leads, gatekeeping communication, setting
standards, expressing member feelings, testing group decisions,
consensus testing, harmonizing conflict, and reducing tension. Only
one example of maintenance functions can be found in the case. This
example focuses on the member who provided the social glue for the
team and would never stop until all tasks were complete.
4. Explain why diversity and creativity are important to the
effective functioning of the Freiburg team.
Diversity is important to the Freiberg team in that multiple
talents and perspectives were necessary to develop effective
solutions for the navigation systems problems. This is demonstrated
by the following excerpts from the case. Welte believed that the
teams success would require both a clear view of what had to be
accomplished and a deep understanding of each team members
abilities ( in short, a genuine appreciation for the diversity of
talent within the team. Welte assembled a team of the best people
at Freiburg in operations, computer-aided design, engineering, and
research. One team member was talented in structural analysis,
communication, and follow-through. Another member provided the
social glue for the team and would never stop until all tasks were
complete. Still another team member was an organizer who helped
keep the team on task and from rushing ahead before it was ready.
Yet another team member was especially knowledgeable regarding how
a product design will successfully survive the manufacturing
process. Another person was noted for highly innovative ( indeed
visionary ( product design ideas. According to Welte, Creating an
effective team requires more than just filling all the job
descriptions with someone who has the right talent and experience.
( By no means can you substitute one engineer for another. There
are really very, very specific things that they are good at ( and
how well the team members abilities combine is as important as the
abilities themselves.
Creativity is important to the Freiburg team because of the
number of problems with the hip replacement navigation system. The
team used a novel approach to developing solutions to the various
problems. The team addressed each problem separately, beginning
with the most crucial issue and working down to the relatively
minor problems. The solution for each problem was thoroughly tested
before moving on to the next issue. Consequently, the team did not
have a fully assembled prototype until all the problems were
addressed. This approach proved successful, such that in the first
nine months after the redesigned hip replacement navigation system
was released, the company did not receive a single complaint from
surgeons ( an incredible achievement for complex surgical
equipment.
TAKE 2
BIZ FLIX
APOLLO 13 (1995)
This Apollo 13 scene shows many complexities of group dynamics
and their management. Two conflict episodes occur. The first
centers on Jack Swigerts (Kevin Bacon) reentry calculations, which
Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) views suspiciously. It is not immediately
clear why he distrusts Swigert. The second episode about the tank
stirring makes it clearer. Such complex, intertwined group dynamics
can happen in work organizations as well as in a spacecraft.
Earlier events triggered the conflict episodes shown in this
scene. Jack Swigert followed mission controls instructions for
stirring the oxygen tanks. Shortly after he finished that
procedure, an explosion occurred that led to their decision to
abort the lunar landing and return to Earth. The manifest conflict
(observable conflict behavior) between Haise and Swigert came from
that earlier event.
Mission commander Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) manages the manifest
conflict with force and clear direction. The quasi-military
structure of NASA allows the use of such direction and force, which
might not always occur in other types of organizations. Lovell
defines a superordinate goal for the astronauts and himself:
staying alive for a safe return to Earth. A superordinate goal is
one that is unreachable by a group unless all members help reach
it.
WORKPLACE VIDEO
Teamwork, Featuring Cold Stone Creamery
1. What norms of behavior would you expect to find among team
members working in a Cold Stone Creamery ice cream store?Norms of
behavior for teams at Cold Stone Creamery stores include the
following: positive attitude, high energy, proper dress, quality
service, good hygiene, humor, responsibility, cooperation,
punctuality, and high standards.
2. What are some of the challenges involved in creating a global
team at Cold Stone?Global teams present many challenges. When
people from different cultures form a team, not everyone will agree
on norms for communication, decision making, authority, and
scheduling. Conflicts also may arise over what constitutes
appropriate work behaviors. Cultural and language differences
present additional barriers and often lead to miscommunication.
Reliance on telecommunications technology creates IT challenges. To
overcome these and other challenges, members of global teams must
be tolerant, willing to embrace diversity, and able to develop a
consensus for team behavior.
3. What characteristics of a team may influence group
effectiveness, and what role does diversity play in team
success?According to the video, team size, diversity of team
members, and team member roles are the team characteristics that
help determine effectiveness. Teams made up of seven members or
less tend to be more effective, as members find it easier to reach
agreement, share opinions, and ask questions. Larger teams produce
more disagreements; they also foster less individual participation.
Diversity contributes to team success by endowing groups with a
broad range of knowledge, perspectives, skills, and experiences.
Finally, team member rolesincluding task specialist roles and
socioemotional rolesaddress the psychological and task-related
needs of the team.189This edition is intended for use outside of
the U.S. only, with content that may be different from the U.S.
Edition. This may not be resold, copied, or distributed without the
prior consent of the publisher.This edition is intended for use
outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be different from
the U.S. Edition. This may not be resold, copied, or distributed
without the prior consent of the publisher.This edition is intended
for use outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be
different from the U.S. Edition. This may not be resold, copied, or
distributed without the prior consent of the publisher.