Robbins & Judge
Organizational Behavior
14th Edition
Understanding Work Teams
Kelli J. Schutte
William Jewell College
Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-0
Topics we will cover
Chapter 10: Definitions:
Work group, work team and their differences
Types of teams definitions:
problem solving teams, self managed teams, cross-functional teams, virtual teams
Creating effective teams
Exhibit 10-3 Explanations on pages 318-319
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10-1
Why Have Teams Become So Popular?
Great way to use employee talents
Teams are more flexible and responsive to changes in the environment
Can quickly assemble, deploy, refocus, and disband
Facilitate employee involvement
Increase employee participation in decision making Democratize an organization and increase motivation
Note: teams are not ALWAYS effective
Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 10-2
Differences between Groups and Teams
Work Group
A group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each group member perform within his or her area of responsibility No joint effort required
Work Team
Generates positive synergy through coordinated effort. The individual efforts result in a performance that is greater than the sum of the individual inputs
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10-3
Comparing Work Groups and Work Teams
E X H I B I T 10-1
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10-4
Types of Teams
Problem-Solving Teams
Groups of 5 to 12 employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment
Self-Managed Work Teams
Groups of 10 to 15 people who take on the responsibilities of their former supervisors
See E X H I B I T 10-2
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10-5
More Types of Teams
Cross-Functional Teams
Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task Very common Task forces Committees
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10-6
A Final Type of Team
Virtual Teams
Teams that use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal
Characteristics
Limited socializing The ability to overcome time and space constraints
To be effective, needs:
Trust among members Close monitoring To be publicized
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10-7
A Team-Effectiveness Model
Caveat 1: This is a general guide only.
Caveat 2: The model assumes that teamwork is preferable to individual work.
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Key Components of Effective Teams
Team effectiveness means: 1. Productivity measures (objective) 2. Managers ratings 3. Members satisfaction
Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
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