Principles of
Management
Mason Carpenter, Talya Bauer, and Berrin Erdogan
Chapter 13
© 2010 Jupiterimages Corporation
Managing Groups and Teams in Organizations
 Recognize and
understand group
dynamics and
development
 Understand the difference
between groups and teams
 Understand how to
organize effective teams
 Recognize and address
common barriers to team
effectiveness
 Help you build and
maintain cohesive teams
Group and Team Management in the
P-O-L-C Framework
What is a group?
A group is a ________ of individuals who ________
with each other to achieve common ______
Groups and teams have become an ________
component of an organization’s _______
Being able to work in a group is a key _____ for
________ and ________ alike
Types of Groups: Formal and Informal
Informal groups are made up of two
or more individuals who are
associated with one another in ways
not prescribed by the formal
organization
A formal work group is made up of
managers, subordinates, or both
with close associations among
group members that influence the
behavior of individuals in the group
Stages of Group Development
The Punctuated-Equilibrium Model
Cohesive Groups
Common Characteristics
Cohesive
groups are
those in
which
members are
attached to
each other
and act as one
unit
Collective identity
Share a mutual bond
Share a sense of purpose
Work together on a common task
Establish a structured pattern of communication
Fundamental Factors of Group Cohesion
Similarity
Satisfaction
Support
Stability
Size
Can a Group Have Too Much Cohesion?
An internal pressure to conform may arise
where some members modify their
behavior to adhere to group norms
Cohesive groups will often disapprove of
members who dare to disagree
Groupthink is a group pressure
phenomenon that increases the risk of
the group making flawed decisions
Groups with High _______ and High ____ __________
Tend to Be the Most __________
Social Loafing and Collective Efficacy
Social loafing refers to the
tendency of individuals to
put in less effort when
working in a group context
Collective efficacy refers
to a group’s perception of
its ability to successfully
perform well
“Others aren’t pulling
their weight, so why
should I?”
“we can do this” and
“this is a good group”
Discussion
• How do the tactics related to group dynamics involve the
managerial functions outlined by the P-O-L-C framework?
• If you believe the punctuated-equilibrium model is true
about groups, how can you use this knowledge to help
your own group?
• Think about the most cohesive group you have ever been
in. How did it compare to less cohesive groups in terms of
similarity, stability, size, support, and satisfaction?
• Why do you think social loafing occurs within groups?
What can be done to combat it?
• Have you seen instances of collective efficacy helping or
hurting a team? Please explain your answer.
Differences between Groups and Teams
A group is a _______ of individuals but different from teams in
both ______ and ___________
A team is a particular ______ of group: a cohesive coalition of
people working ________ to achieve ________ goals
A team is a small number of people with complementary _______ who are
committed to a ___________ purpose, performance goals, and approach for
which they are mutually accountable
Teams are only as good as their weakest link
While Michael Phelps
has been dubbed “the
world’s greatest
swimmer,” he could
not have achieved his
record 8 gold medals
in one Olympic games
without the help of
his teammates Aaron
Peirsol, Brendan
Hansen, and Jason
Lezak.
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Michael_Phelps_with_President_Bush_-_20080811.jpeg
The purpose of assembling a team
Accomplish larger, more complex goals than what would be possible
for an individual working alone
Perform, get results, and achieve victory in the workplace
Combine multiple skills or where buy-in is required from several
individuals
The best managers are those who can gather together a
group of individuals and mold them into an effective team
Key Properties of a Team
Compensation
Based on Shared
Outcomes
Collaborative
Action
Sacrifice for the
Common Good
Three Major Classes of Team Tasks
Production
tasks include
actually making
something –
constructing a
building
Idea generation
tasks deal with
creative tasks –
brainstorming
Problemsolving tasks
includes coming
up with plans for
actions and
making
decisions
Three Types of Task Interdependence
Pooled
interdependence
Sequential
interdependence
Reciprocal
interdependence
Team Role Typology
These 10 roles include task roles (light yellow), social roles (medium
orange), and boundary spanning roles (dark orange)
Types of Teams
A task force is a temporary team which is
asked to address a specific issue or problem
until it is resolved
A product development team can be
temporary or ongoing
A cross-functional team appears in matrix
organizations where individuals from different
parts of the organization staff the team which
may be temporary or long standing in nature
Virtual teams are teams where members are not
located in the same physical place
Upwards of 8.4 million individuals worldwide
work virtually in at least one team
virtual teams are formed to take advantage of
distributed expertise or time
Challenges of Virtual Teams
Building trust is difficult
If individuals in a virtual team are not fully
engaged and tend to avoid conflict,
team performance can suffer
Self-Managed Teams
Members manage themselves and do not report
directly to a supervisor
The team shares responsibility for a significant task
Each member may take turns in the leadership role
Outcomes include higher job satisfaction, increased
self-esteem, and opportunities to grow more on the job
Employee Empowerment
Self-managed teams are
empowered, which means
that they have the
responsibility as well as the
authority to achieve their
goals
Team leadership is a major determinant
of how autonomous a team can be
Designing Effective Teams
Team _____________
Who Are the _____ Individuals
for the Team?
Team _____
How _____ Should My
Team Be?
Team _______
How ______ Should My
Team Be?
The ideal size for a team depends on the task at hand
Groups larger
than 10 members
tend to be harder
to coordinate and
often break into
subteams to
accomplish the
work at hand
© 2010 Jupiterimages Corporation
Discussion
• Think of the last team you were in. Did the task
you were asked to do affect the team? Why or
why not?
• Which of the 10 work roles do you normally take
in a team? How difficult or easy do you think it
would be for you to take on a different role?
• Have you ever worked in a virtual team? If so,
what were the challenges and advantages of
working virtually?
• How large do you think teams should be and
why?
Team Norms and Contracts
Norms are
shared
expectations
about how
things operate
within a group
or team
A team contract
includes
established
ground rules,
goals, and roles
Key to
successful team
design is to have
clear norms,
roles, and
expectations
among team
members
Components of Team Contracts
Team values
and goals
Team roles
and
leadership
Team decision
making
Team
communication
expectations
How team
performance
is
characterized
Meeting Preparation
Be sure a meeting is even
needed
Create and distribute an
agenda
Send a reminder prior to
the meeting
Manage the Meeting
Start and end the
meeting on time
Manage group dynamics
for full participation
After the meeting
Follow up on action items
Summarize the meeting
with action items
A Creative Technique for Effective Meetings
Conducting
meetings standing
up saves time yet
keeps information
flowing across the
team
Photo used by permission by Jason Yip
Discussion
• Have the norms for most of the teams you have
belonged to been formal or informal? How do
you think that has affected these teams?
• Have you ever been involved in creating a team
contract? Explain how you think that may have
influenced how the team functioned?
• Should the person requesting a meeting always
prepare a meeting agenda? Why or why not?
• Do you think conducting team meetings
standing up is a good idea? Why or why not?
Barriers to Effective Teams
Challenges
Knowing Where
to Begin
Dominating Team
Members
Poor Performance
of Team Members
Poorly Managed
Team Conflict
Discussion
• Have you ever been involved in a team
where one or more dominating team
members hurt the team’s performance?
Share what happened and how the team
dealt with this.
• Have you ever been involved in a team
where conflict erupted between team
members? How was the situation handled?
Building Your Cohesive Team
Establish
common
objectives
Let members
choose goals
and participate
fully
Establish
common
rituals
Define clear
roles and
responsibilities
Celebrate
differences
Build
familiarity
through close
proximity
Treat all
members with
dignity and
respect
Give frequent
praise and
validate
Discussion
• Think of the most cohesive group
you have ever been in. What factors
made the group so close?
• What are some challenges you see
to creating a cohesive group?
• How does team size affect
cohesion?