Teams in Organizations: Dynamics and Effectiveness

A group that interacts primarily to share information, make decisions, and help each group member perform within his or her area of responsibility.

Two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who work together to achieve particular objectives.

A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.

Teams are more flexible and responsive to changing events than traditional departments or other forms of permanent groupings. They can quickly assemble, deploy, refocus, and disband.

Teams can sometimes achieve feats that an individual could never accomplish.

Research indicates that our involvement in teams positively shapes the way we think as individuals, introducing a collaborative mindset about even our personal decision making.

Teams can be swayed by fads and herd mentality, possibly leading to suboptimal decisions.

A team of people happily committed to the project and to one another will outperform a brilliant individual every time.

A group whose individual efforts result in performance that is greater than the sum of the individual inputs.

A type of team that makes recommendations for improvements, but does not have the authority to implement them.

A type of team that has the authority to implement solutions and take responsibility for outcomes. They take on some supervisory responsibilities.

A team composed of members from different departments or functional areas, working together to achieve a common goal.

A team whose members are geographically dispersed and communicate and collaborate virtually using technology.

A collection of teams that work together to achieve a larger, more complex objective.

A situation where the combined effort of a group produces a result greater than the sum of individual efforts.

The process of creating conditions where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions without fear of negative consequences.

The tendency for team members to conform to the expectations of the group, even if it goes against their own beliefs.

The process of using a team structure to achieve organizational goals.

The ability of a team to effectively coordinate its activities, manage resources, and achieve its goals.

The characteristics and qualities of a team that contribute to its effectiveness, such as clear goals, communication, trust, and conflict management.

The process of developing and improving the performance of a team over time.

The process of assigning roles and responsibilities to team members.

Teams that collaborate using online communication tools like video conferences and corporate social media.

These teams have the highest level of autonomy among team types. Members decide how to achieve their goals and even select their own members.

They often struggle with leadership ambiguity early on because members are at similar hierarchical levels.

It requires time and effort to develop trust and teamwork among members with different experiences and perspectives.

Individuals on teams may have higher levels of job satisfaction, but this is sometimes accompanied by increased absenteeism and turnover.

They can be especially useful for identifying and responding to new trends and opportunities.

This is a potential issue because teams may be influenced by groupthink and potentially make sub-optimal decisions.

A shift in power to the individual with the required expertise can lead to leadership ambiguities.

Teams can be more flexible and responsive to changing events compared to traditional departments.

Teams can achieve outcomes that surpass individual effort, demonstrating the power of collaboration.

A team's success depends on factors influencing the context it operates within, including resources, leadership, trust and performance evaluation.

Teams rely on resources like timely information, proper equipment, adequate staffing, and encouragement from the organization.

Effective leadership is crucial for team success, ensuring clear direction, work division, and integration of skills.

Trust between team members and their leaders is essential for commitment to shared goals and decisions.

A reward system recognizing both individual contributions and team outcomes promotes teamwork and shared success.

Team Composition, involves factors related to staffing, including skills, personalities, roles, diversity, size, and team preference.

The abilities and personalities of team members, including their skills, knowledge, and experience.

Different roles within a team are assigned based on members' skills and expertise.

Diversity in teams can bring a wider range of perspectives, experiences, and creativity.

The size of the team needs to match the complexity of the task and the number of people needed.

Team members should ideally have a high level of preference and motivation for working together to achieve shared goals.

Team Process involves events and interactions within the team, influencing its effectiveness, such as communication, conflict resolution, role clarity, and norms.

Clear and open communication within the team is essential for sharing information, ideas, and feedback.

Effective conflict resolution is crucial for managing differences of opinion and maintaining a positive team environment.

Clearly defined roles and responsibilities within the team reduce ambiguity and ensure everyone understands their contributions.

When members of a team are encouraged to think critically about their goals and adjust their approach if needed.

The belief that a team can be successful and achieve its goals.

Specific, measurable, and realistic performance goals that help a team stay focused and communicate effectively.

A shared understanding of the team's purpose, mission, and goals that unites members.

When team members feel connected and see themselves as a unified group.

The tendency for members to put in less effort when working in a group than they would individually.

The negative consequences of team size, including reduced cohesiveness, communication, and accountability.

The importance of matching individual preferences and skills to team roles.

Rewarded team behaviors, such as collaboration and shared success, lead to improved individual and team performance in self-managed teams.

Conflict can be beneficial for self-managed teams if members feel psychologically safe to express their ideas and opinions without fear of negative consequences.

A team is considered effective when it achieves its goals, fosters mutual respect and trust among members, and promotes individual and team growth.

Teams have the flexibility and responsiveness to adapt quickly to changing conditions, making them suitable for projects with uncertain outcomes.

Teams can accomplish tasks that individuals might find difficult, due to the collective expertise and effort of its members.

Collaboration within teams can influence individual thinking, fostering a collaborative mindset even in personal decision-making.

Teams can sometimes be affected by groupthink or fads, potentially leading to suboptimal decisions.

In cross-functional teams, leadership can become ambiguous due to the diverse expertise of members at similar hierarchical levels.

Building trust and teamwork takes time in cross-functional teams, especially when members have different backgrounds and perspectives.

Self-managed teams might experience higher absenteeism and turnover rates, even though they report higher job satisfaction.

Self-managed teams may be more effective when rewards are based on individual and team performance, promoting a sense of shared responsibility.

The degree to which members of a work unit share a common demographic attribute, such as age, sex, race, educational level, or length of service in an organization, and the impact of this attribute on turnover.

The belief that diverse teams, with members from different backgrounds and perspectives, can lead to better decision-making and outcomes.

Research shows that diversity in functions, education, and expertise can be beneficial for team performance, but these effects are relatively small and depend on the situation.

The idea that trust between members is crucial for a diverse team to succeed. If trust is lacking, diversity might have a negative impact.

A type of leadership that focuses on inspiring and motivating team members, fostering creativity, and encouraging individual growth.

The idea that cultural status of a team's members, often tied to majority or ruling race groups, can affect the individuals within that group's performance.

Research suggests that culturally diverse teams may struggle with learning to work together and solving problems in the short term.

Experts generally agree that smaller teams, with fewer members, are more efficient and effective.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' philosophy of keeping teams small enough to be fed by two pizzas. It emphasizes the importance of manageable team sizes.

Psychologist George Miller's concept that the ideal team size is around seven members, plus or minus two, for effective communication and decision-making.

The idea that larger teams are less successful due to a significant increase in potential communication connections, leading to complexity and inefficiency.

The most effective teams typically have between five and nine members.

The principle of using the minimum number of team members necessary for the task, while still ensuring all necessary skills and perspectives are present.

The ability of a team to adapt to changes and apply existing knowledge to new challenges.

Conscientiousness is one of the Big Five personality traits, characterized by being organized, hardworking, and reliable. These individuals provide support to other team members when needed.

The belief that individuals can have streaks of exceptional performance, often referred to as being 'on fire' or 'hot.'

The tendency for individuals to conform to the group's average performance level, potentially lowering the performance of high achievers.

The belief that a player's performance is influenced by their previous successes or failures, suggesting a pattern of 'hot' or 'cold' streaks.

The tendency for teams to perform better when members are open to new experiences, communicate effectively, and are comfortable with conflict.

Having a leader who is intelligent and supportive, helping less intelligent team members with their tasks.

The idea that teams with a mix of conscientious and non-conscientious members may not perform as well as teams composed entirely of either one type.

The idea that a team's performance can be negatively affected by the presence of highly disagreeable team members.

The ability of a team to handle and leverage conflict constructively, which is more effective in teams with high levels of openness and emotional stability.

A team composed of members with a wide range of abilities (highly intelligent and less intelligent) can perform better than a team with uniformly lower abilities.

A team's ability to perform effectively depends largely on the knowledge, skills, and abilities of its individual members.

The work should be complex enough to require multiple perspectives and skills, making individual efforts insufficient.

The project should have a shared goal that outweighs individual objectives, motivating collaboration towards a common outcome.

The success of each team member depends on the contribution of others, creating interdependence and necessitating collaboration.

Teams are effective when the benefits of collaboration outweigh the costs of coordinating and managing the group.

Teams can quickly adjust, focus, and dissolve, making them highly adaptable to changing circumstances.

Teams are effective when they have clear goals, effective communication, trust among members, and a system that supports collaboration.

Organizations should carefully consider the nature of the work, the benefits of collaboration, and the potential downsides of teamwork before deciding if teams are the best approach.

Teams with diverse perspectives on organizational support tend to have more task conflicts and less communication, leading to poorer performance.

Teams with high social capital experience more productive conflict and fewer relationship conflicts after a significant period of time.

To combat social loafing, ensure individual and collective accountability for team goals and activities.

Organizations can proactively search for individuals with strong interpersonal skills during hiring to form successful teams. This aligns with the team's technical requirements.

Teams often benefit from training that enhances problem-solving, communication, negotiation, conflict management, and coaching skills.

Reward systems should be adapted to encourage cooperation and teamwork rather than emphasizing individual competition.

Recognizing and rewarding individuals who actively contribute to the team's success fosters a collaborative spirit.

Teams can be resource-intensive, requiring more communication, conflict management, and meetings compared to individual work.

Teams can be a valuable asset, but not always the best solution. It's important to assess if an individual approach is more efficient or effective for certain tasks.

Teams often face challenges, such as personality clashes, conflicting opinions, and disagreements. Effective teams tackle these conflicts openly and constructively.

Teams can help individuals develop and improve their skills by sharing knowledge and collaborating on projects.

Teams offer intrinsic rewards, such as camaraderie and shared successes, which can boost employee engagement and motivation.

When team members feel emotionally close and motivated by their shared goals.

Shared understanding of how the team operates, including goals, tasks, and processes.

A conflict that arises from disagreements about ideas or approaches.

Conflicts based on personal animosity or dislike between team members.

The ability of a team to perform well regardless of external factors.

The positive influence of shared mental models on team performance.

How a team's communication impacts its ability to perform.

Recognizing and addressing team members’ individual strengths and skills.

The benefit of constructive disagreement in task-focused discussions.

The importance of creating a supportive and respectful environment for team members.

The role of leaders in cultivating a strong team identity.

The impact of team identity on the willingness of team members to collaborate with other teams.

The potential challenges of creating and maintaining team identity in virtual teams.