Team Dynamics PDF

Team Dynamics 4.1 Explain the importance and impact of team dynamics in an organization 4.2 Identify the stages of team dynamics 4.3 Examine group process that affect team effectiveness 4.4 Identify the common problems that occur in teams 4.5 Apply your knowledge of team dynamics to address team pro...

Team Dynamics 4.1 Explain the importance and impact of team dynamics in an organization 4.2 Identify the stages of team dynamics 4.3 Examine group process that affect team effectiveness 4.4 Identify the common problems that occur in teams 4.5 Apply your knowledge of team dynamics to address team problems and improve team performance. 1 1 What is a Group? Multiple members ◦ 2 or more people ◦ perceive themselves as a group Group rewards Corresponding effects Common goals 2 2 1 Why People Join Groups Psychological Needs ◦ Affiliation ◦ Identification Survival Needs ◦ Emotional support ◦ Assistance or help Commonality ◦ Common interests ◦ Common goals Situational Reasons ◦ Physical proximity ◦ Assignment 3 3 Factors Affecting Group Performance Group Cohesiveness Communication Structure Group Roles Presence of Others Type of Task Individual Dominance Groupthink 4 4 2 Factors Affecting Group Cohesiveness Group Homogeneity ◦ Homogeneous ◦ Heterogeneous ◦ Slightly heterogeneous Stability of Membership Isolation Outside Pressure Group Size Group Status 5 5 Group Size Smaller is best for cohesiveness Performance depends on task type ◦ additive tasks ◦ conjunctive tasks ◦ disjunctive tasks Types of tasks i. Additive tasks – group performance is equal to the sum of performance of each group members (advantageous for larger groups than small groups) ii. Conjunctive tasks – performance of the group is dependent on the least effective member (advantageous for small groups than large groups) iii.Disjunctive tasks – performance of the group is dependent on the most effective member (advantageous for large groups than small groups) 6 6 3 Communication Structure Chain Bob Jill Centralized Peggy Jill Peggy Bob Circle Jill Peggy Bob Open Jill Peggy Bob 7 7 Group Roles Task Oriented ◦ offering new ideas ◦ coordinating activities Social Oriented ◦ encouraging cohesiveness ◦ encouraging participation Individual ◦ blocking group activities ◦ calling attention to oneself 8 8 4 Presence of Others Social Facilitation and Inhibition ◦ mere presence of others ◦ comparison of performance ◦ evaluation apprehension Social Loafing ◦ effort won’t be noticed ◦ free-rider theory ◦ sucker-effect theory 9 9 Individual Dominance By the group leader By a group member 10 10 5 Groupthink Can occur when the group: is cohesive is insulated from outsiders believes it is infallible it is morally superior is under pressure to conform has a leader who promotes a favorite solution has gatekeepers who keep information from members http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bH_fCvNLCw&feature=related 11 11 Group versus Individual Performance Interacting Groups ◦ Have higher quality decisions ◦ Are more risky Individuals (nominal groups) ◦ Are more creative ◦ Make a decision more quickly 12 12 6 I. Individual vs. Group Performance a. Nominal Group – a collection of individuals whose results are pooled but who never interact with one another b. Interacting Group – a collection of individuals who work together to perform a task i. Brainstorming – a technique in which ideas are generated by people in group settings 1. Nominal groups – ideas are more creative and of high quality 2. Interacting groups – ideas are less creative ii. Group Polarization – group members will shift their beliefs to a more extreme version of what they already believe individually 13 13 Teams 14 14 7 What is a Team? Donnellon (1996) Identification Interdependence Power differentiation Social distance Conflict management tactics Negotiation process 15 15 Types of Teams a. Types of Team i. Work Teams – group of employees who manage themselves, assign jobs, plan schedule, and solve work-related problems 1. Crew – type of work team. Team of expert specialist who each have role positions, perform brief events that are closely synchronized with each other, and repeat these events across different environmental conditions ii. Parallel Teams or Cross-Functional Teams – consists of representatives from various departments or functions within an organization iii.Project Teams – groups formed to produce onetime outputs. Once the goal has been accomplished, the team is dismantled. iv.Management teams – teams that coordinate, advise, direct, and supervise other teams 16 16 8 How Teams Develop Tuckman (1965) Theory Forming ◦ Team members get to know one another ◦ Everyone is on their good behavior ◦ Group clarifies its mission Storming ◦ Disagreement and frustration set in Norming ◦ Group members work at easing tension ◦ Acceptance of team leader Performing ◦ Goals get accomplished http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEJaz3sinEs 17 17 How Teams Develop Punctuated EquilibriumTheory (Gersick, 1988) Teams do not go through set stages Basic method of formation ◦ Develop direction and strategy during first meeting ◦ Follow this direction for a period of time ◦ Revise their strategy about half way thorough the life of the team 18 18 9 Why Teams Don’t Always Work The team is not a team Excessive meeting requirements Lack of empowerment Lack of skill Distrust to the team process Unclear objectives 19 19 Group Conflict 20 20 10 Conflict Defined Psychological and behavioral reaction to a perception that another person is ◦ Keeping you from reaching a goal ◦ Taking away your right to behave a certain way ◦ Violating the expectancies of a relationship Types of Conflict ◦ Functional ◦ Dysfunctional 21 21 Consequences of Dysfunctional Conflict Decreased productivity Low morale Absenteeism Stress Turnover Law suits Violence 22 22 11 Types of Conflict Interpersonal Individual - Group Group - Group 23 23 Causes of Conflict a. Competition for Resources – cause of conflict that occurs when the demand for resources is greater than the resources available b. Task Interdependence – comes when the performance of some group members depend on the performance of other group members. It is a source of potential conflict that arises when the completion of a task by one person affects the completion of a task by another person c. Jurisdictional Ambiguity – found when geographical boundaries or lines of authority are unclear. Conflict caused by a disagreement about geographical territory or lines of authority d. Communication Barriers – physical, cultural and psychological obstacles that interfere with successful communication and create a source of conflict. e. Beliefs – conflicts is most likely to occur when individuals or groups believe that they are superior to other groups, have been mistreated by others, cannot trust others, and helpless or powerless f. Personality – conflict is often the result of people with incompatible personalities who must work together 24 24 12 Types of Difficult People Type Need Description Tank Control Pushes, yells, intimidates Sniper Control Uses sarcasm, criticizes Know-it-all Control Dominates conversations Whiner Perfection Constantly complains No person Perfection Disagrees with everything Nothing person Perfection Doesn’t do anything Yes person Approval Agrees to everything Maybe person Approval Won’t commit or make a decision Grenade Attention Throws tantrums Friendly sniper Attention Uses jokes to pick on others Think-they-know-it-all Attention Exaggerates, lies, gives advice 25 25 Dealing with Difficult People Direct Intervention ◦ address behavior ◦ explain impact of behavior on others Indirect Intervention ◦ positive feedback when appropriate behavior is used Direct Coping ◦ separate difficult employee from others Indirect Coping ◦ provide training to others on dealing with difficult personality 26 26 13 Preventing Workplace Conflict Well-written job descriptions Unambiguous policies Clarification of roles and expectations Training on new policies Conflict management training For teams, clarification of levels of authority 27 27 Conflict Styles a. Avoiding Style – choose to ignore the conflict and hope it will resolve itself, they pretend that the conflict does not exist i. Withdrawal – an approach of handling a conflict in which one of the parties removes himself from the situation to avoid the conflict ii. Triangling – an employee discusses a conflict with a third party such as a friend or supervisor. In doing so, the employee hopes that the third party will talk to the second party and that the conflict will be resolved without the need for the two parties to meet 28 28 14 Conflict Styles b. Accommodating Style – style of a person who tends to respond to a conflict by giving in to the other person. c. Forcing Style – style of a person who responds to a conflict by always trying to win. He handles conflict in a win-lose fashion, and does what it takes to win, with little regard for the other person i. Winning at all costs – an approach to handling conflict in which one side seeks to win regardless of the damage to the other side d. Collaborating Style – a conflict style of a person who wants a conflict resolved in such a way that both sides get what they want. An individual wants to win but also wants to see the other person win. Win-win solutions is seek in this style 29 29 Conflict Styles e. Compromising Style – a style of resolving conflicts in which an individual allows each side to get some of what it wants. It adopts give-and-take tactics that enable each side to get some of what it wants but not everything i. Negotiation and Bargaining – a method of resolving conflict in which two sides use verbal skill and strategy to reach an argument ii. Acceptable Compromise – one that falls within the settlement range for both sides. It’s range is between the Least Acceptable Result and the Maximum Supportable Position 1. Least Acceptable Result – the lowest settlement that a person is willing to accept in a negotiated agreement 2. Maximum Supportable Position – the highest possible settlement that a person could reasonably ask for and still maintain credibility in negotiating an agreement 30 30 15 Conflict Response Styles The Sage Problem-solver Win/Win orientation Cooperative problem solving Emphasis on preserving relationship and meeting own goals as well as that of others 31 31 The Diplomat Goal-oriented Compromising orientation - provide evidence - persuasion Emphases on relationship and each other’s goals 32 32 16 The Ostrich Avoidance Withdrawal orientation - quit - complain to others Over-emphasis is on preserving relationship 33 33 The Philanthropist Accommodating - smoothing and conciliation High concern for satisfying needs of others 34 34 17 The Warrior Win/Lose orientation - winning at all costs Potential problem creator Focus on own goals 35 35 Resolving Conflict Prior to Conflict Occurring ◦ Formal policies ◦ Employee training When Conflict Occurs ◦ Employees should try to solve conflict ◦ Third-party intervention 36 36 18 Third Party Intervention Dictation Arbitration Mediation Negotiation 37 37 Third Party Intervention Dictation Supervisor dictates the solution Dictation is best when: ◦ parties are irrational ◦ no trust exists ◦ too angry to be realistic ◦ have mental health issues ◦ alcohol or drugs are involved ◦ when violent behavior is potential ◦ parties have poor communication skills ◦ there are time constraints 38 38 19 Third Party Intervention Mediation and negotiation are best when: ◦ parties are rational ◦ parties want to work out a solution together ◦ some trust still exists ◦ there are no time constraints Arbitration ◦ same as mediation but use when parties get stuck during mediation ◦ Types ◦ Binding ◦ Nonbinding 39 39 20