Team Composition and Types

Study Notes

Team Composition and Types

A team is formed by two or more individuals working interdependently to achieve shared, task-oriented goals over time.
The complexity of modern work necessitates teams that pool complementary skills and knowledge, enhancing problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.

Benefits of Working in Teams

Teams contribute to better identification of problems, more effective alternative solutions, and superior decision-making when tasks require diverse skills.

Types of Teams

Work Teams: High involvement, focused on producing goods or services (self-managed, production, or sales teams).
Management Teams: Moderate involvement, integrate the activities of various subunits across business functions.
Parallel Teams: Low involvement, offer recommendations and resolve issues (e.g., advisory councils).
Project Teams: Varying involvement, formed for one-time outputs.
Action Teams: Varying involvement, handle complex tasks in challenging environments.
Work and management teams usually have longer lifespans compared to the other types of teams.

Aspects of Team Composition

Member Roles: Defined tasks and positions within the team.
Member Ability: Skills and competencies of team members.
Member Personality: Individual traits and how they influence team dynamics.
Team Diversity: Variability among team members in different attributes.
Team Size: Optimal size varies based on task complexity.

Importance of Team Size

Teams of 4-5 members are preferred by most students; larger teams may complicate communication in routine tasks.
In knowledge-intensive tasks, extra members can provide beneficial expertise, while in simple tasks, they may induce challenges in coordination.

Importance of Member Personality

Personality traits explain consistent patterns in thought, emotion, and behavior; they shape social reputation and team dynamics.

Origins of Personality

Personality is influenced both by genetics (35%-49% variation) and environmental factors, especially early life experiences and cultural values.

Big Five Personality Traits

Conscientiousness: Linked to ambition, reliability, and task performance.
Agreeableness: Relates to tolerance and cooperation; may hinder challenging decisions when high.
Neuroticism: Connected with emotional instability and stress, generally detrimental to job performance.
Openness to Experience: Indicates creativity and willingness to embrace new ideas; valuable in complex tasks.
Extraversion: Associated with sociability and assertiveness; too many extraverts can lead to conflicts in teams.

Team Roles and Their Importance

Task Roles: Encourage teamwork and task completion (e.g., orienter, energizer).
Building Roles: Focus on team climate improvement (e.g., harmonizer, encourager).
Individualistic Roles: Detract from team goals for individual benefit; should be minimized (e.g., aggressor, recognition seeker).

Importance of Team Diversity

Diversity's Value: Can enhance problem-solving by bringing various perspectives; may create initial conflicts based on perceived differences.
Surface-Level vs. Deep-Level Diversity: Observable traits create initial friction; deeper traits foster creativity over time.
The effectiveness of diversity depends on the type and duration of team cohesion.

Task Types and Member Skills

Disjunctive Tasks: Performance hinges on the most skilled member; leverage their strengths for best outcomes.
Conjunctive Tasks: Success depends on the weakest team member; support and improve their capabilities.
Additive Tasks: Collective effort enhances efficiency; requires collaboration from all team members.

Description

This quiz explores the various composition types of teams and their roles in the workplace. It highlights the benefits of teamwork as well as categorizes different types of teams, such as work teams, management teams, and project teams. Test your knowledge on how teams enhance problem-solving and decision-making processes.