Chapter
10
Organizational
Behavior
15th Ed
Robbins and Judge
Understanding
Work Teams
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-1
Chapter 10 Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter you should be able to:
1. Analyze the growing popularity of using teams in organizations.
2. Contrast groups and teams.
3. Compare and contrast four types of teams
4. Identify the characteristics of effective teams.
5. Show how organizations can create team players.
6. Decide when to use individuals instead of teams.
7. Show how the understanding of teams differs in a global context.
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-2
LO 1
Analyze the growing popularity of
using teams in organizations
 Teams typically outperform individuals when the
tasks being done require multiple skills,
judgment, and experience.
 Organizations turn to teams to utilize talents.
 Employee involvement as a motivator—teams
facilitate employee participation in operating
decisions.
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-3
LO 2
Contrast groups and teams
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-4
LO 3
Compare and contrast four types of teams
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-5
LO 3
Compare and contrast four types of teams
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-6
LO 3
Compare and contrast four types of teams
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-7
LO 3
Compare and contrast four types of teams
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-8
LO 4
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
Identify the characteristics
of effective teams
10-9
LO 4
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
Identify the characteristics
of effective teams
10-10
LO 4
Identify the characteristics
of effective teams
 Team Processes
 Common Plan and Purpose
 Specific Goals
 Team Efficacy
 Mental Models
 Conflict Levels
 Social Loafing
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-11
LO 5
Show how organizations can
create team players
 Creating Team Players
 Selecting-Hire Team Players
 Training-Create Team Players
 Rewarding-Incentives to Be a Good Team
Player
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-12
LO 6
Decide when to use
individuals instead of teams
 When not to use teams…Ask:
 Can the work be done better by one person?
 Does the work create a common goal of
purpose?
 Are the members of the group independent?
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-13
Summary and Implications for Managers
 Few trends have influenced jobs as much as the
massive movement to introduce teams into the
workplace.
 The shift from working alone to working on
teams requires cooperation with others, sharing
information, confronting differences, and
sublimating personal interests.
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-14
Summary and Implications for Managers
 Effective teams have common characteristics.
 They have adequate resources, effective
leadership, a climate of trust, and a
performance evaluation and reward system
that reflects team contributions.
 These teams have individuals with technical
expertise as well as problem-solving, decisionmaking, and interpersonal skills and the right
traits, especially conscientiousness and
openness.
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-15
Summary and Implications for Managers
 Effective teams also tend to be small—with
fewer than 10 people, preferably of diverse
backgrounds.
 Members fill role demands and prefer to be
part of a group.
 The work provides freedom and autonomy, the
opportunity to use different skills and talents,
the ability to complete a whole and identifiable
task or product, and work that has a
substantial impact on others.
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-16
Summary and Implications for Managers
 Finally, effective teams have members who
believe in the team’s capabilities and are
committed to a common plan and purpose, an
accurate shared mental model of what is to be
accomplished, specific team goals, a
manageable level of conflict, and a minimal
degree of social loafing.
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-17
Summary and Implications for Managers
 Because individualistic organizations and
societies attract and reward individual
accomplishments, it can be difficult to create
team players in these environments.
 To make the conversion, management should try
to select individuals who have the interpersonal
skills to be effective team players, provide
training to develop teamwork skills, and reward
individuals for cooperative efforts.
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-18
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the
United States of America.
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.
publishing as Prentice Hall
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10-19