1 Chapter
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Managing
Work Teams
Copyright ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as
Prentice Hall.
Learning Outcomes
• Define a team and describe the stages of team
development
• Describe the major concepts of team behavior
• Discuss effective teams
• Discuss contemporary issues in managing
teams
Copyright ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as
Prentice Hall.
9-2
What is a Team?
• Team
– Two or more
interacting and
interdependent
individuals who
come together to
achieve specific goals
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Characteristics of a team
• Two or more people must be involved.
• Members must interact regularly to
coordinate their work.
• Team members must share a common
objective.
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Types of Work Teams
• Problem-Solving Teams
– A team from the same department or functional
area that’s involved in efforts to improve work
activities or to solve specific problems
• Self-Managed Work Team
– A type of work team that operates without a
manager and is responsible for a complete work
process or segment
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Types of Teams (cont.)
• Cross-Functional Team
– Teams made up of individuals from various
departments and that cross traditional
departmental lines
• Virtual Team
– A type of work team that uses technology to link
physically dispersed members in order to achieve
a common goal
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What Are the Stages of Team
Development?
• Forming Stage
– The first stage of team development in which
people join the team and then define the team’s
purpose, structure, and leadership
• Storming Stage
– The second stage of team development, which is
characterized by intragroup conflict
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Team Development Stages (cont.)
• Norming Stage
– The third stage of team development, which is
characterized by close relationships and
cohesiveness
• Performing Stage
– The fourth stage of team development, when the
team is fully functional and works on the team
task
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Team Development Stages (cont.)
• Adjourning Stage
– The final stage of
team development
for temporary team,
during which team
prepare to disband
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Prentice Hall.
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What Are the Major Concepts of
Team Behavior?
• Role
– Behavior patterns expected of someone who
occupies a given position in a social unit
• Norms
– Standards or expectations that are accepted and
shared by a team’s members
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Does Team Size Affect Behavior?
Large Teams
– are good for gaining diverse input
Small Teams
– Are typically faster at implementation
• Social Loafing
– The tendency for individuals to expend less effort
when working collectively than when working
individually
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9-12
Effective Teams
• Effective Work Teams
– members work intensely on specific, common
goals using their positive synergy, individual and
mutual accountability, and complementary skills
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WHAT FACTORS MAKE A TEAM
EFFECTIVE?
• Clear goals
• Relevant skills
• Mutual Trust
• Unified commitment
• Good communication
• Negotiating skills
• Appropriate leadership
• Adequate Resources
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Team Member Roles
1. Creator-Innovator – Initiates creative ideas
Example: A team member suggests a completely new approach to solving a
customer service issue by developing a chatbot to handle common inquiries,
reducing the workload of support staff.
2. Explorer-Promoter – Champions ideas after they have been initiated
Example: After hearing the chatbot idea, this person passionately presents
the concept to senior management and gets their support and funding to
move forward with development.
3. Assessor-Developer – Offers insightful analysis of options
Example: Evaluates the chatbot idea and compares different chatbot
platforms, considering cost, integration capabilities, and user experience to
determine the best choice.
4. Thruster-Organizer – Provides structure
Example: Creates a detailed project timeline for the chatbot implementation,
assigns responsibilities, and ensures the team follows a clear roadmap.
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Team Member Roles
5. Concluder-Producer – Provides direction and follow-through
Example: Ensures tasks are completed on time and monitors the progress of the
chatbot project to meet deadlines and goals.
6. Controller-Inspector – Examines details and enforces rules
Example: Reviews the chatbot script to ensure it complies with company policies,
brand voice, and legal regulations, such as data protection.
7. Upholder-Maintainer – Fights external battles
Example: Defends the team’s decision to use the chatbot when other departments
criticize it, and negotiates with IT to get the technical support needed.
8. Reporter-Adviser – Encourages the search for more information
Example: Recommends conducting a survey of customer preferences before fully
implementing the chatbot and shares relevant market research on similar tools.
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Team Member Roles
9. Linker – Coordinates and integrates
Example: Acts as a liaison between the marketing, IT, and customer service
departments to ensure everyone is aligned and contributing effectively to the chatbot
project.
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Shaping Team Behaviors
1. Selecting individuals
2. Training individuals
3. Rewarding team players
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When Are Teams Not the Answer?
• Teamwork takes more time and often more
resources than does individual work
• Teams require managers to communicate
more, manage conflicts, and run meetings
• The benefits of using teams exceed the costs
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What is Conflict Management?
• Conflict
– Perceived differences resulting in interference or
opposition
– Disagreement between two or more members
– Conflict occurs because people do not always
agree on goals, issues, perceptions, and the like,
because people inevitably compete.
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View of Conflict
• Interactionist View of Conflict
– The view that some conflict is necessary for an
organization to perform effectively
• Functional Conflicts
– Conflict that’s constructive and supports an
organization’s goals
• Dysfunctional Conflicts
– Conflict that’s destructive and prevents an
organization from achieving its goals
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Sources of Conflict
1. Competition
2. Differences in objectives
3. Differences in values, attitudes and
perceptions
4. Disagreement about role requirements
5. Disagreement about work activities
6. Disagreement about individual approaches
7. Breakdown in communication
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Types of Conflict
• Task Conflict
– Conflict that relates to the content and goals of
work
• Relationship Conflict
– Conflict that focuses on interpersonal
relationships
• Process Conflict
– Conflict that refers to how the work gets done
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Strategies for Managing Conflict
• Avoidance- manager ignores
• Smoothing – manager downplays it
importance
• Compromise – each party gives up something
• Collaboration – mutual problem solving by
both parties
• Confrontation – forces parties to position their
disagreement
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