Ch_09

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.

PowerPoint Presentation by Charlie CookThe University of West Alabama

PowerPoint Presentation by Charlie CookThe University of West Alabama

Fundamentals of ManagementFundamentals of ManagementSixth EditionSixth Edition

Robbins and DeCenzowith contributions from Henry Moon

Robbins and DeCenzowith contributions from Henry Moon

C H A P T E R

9C H A P T E R

9Part IV: LeadingPart IV: Leading

Understanding Work TeamsUnderstanding Work Teams

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9–2

Why Teams Are PopularWhy Teams Are Popular

• They typically outperform individuals when They typically outperform individuals when tasks require multiple skills, judgment, and tasks require multiple skills, judgment, and experience.experience.

• They are a better way to utilize individual They are a better way to utilize individual employee talents.employee talents.

• Their flexibility and responsiveness is essential Their flexibility and responsiveness is essential in a changing environmentin a changing environment

• Empowering teams increases job satisfaction Empowering teams increases job satisfaction and morale, enhances employee involvement, and morale, enhances employee involvement, and promotes workforce diversity.and promotes workforce diversity.


The Stages Of Team DevelopmentThe Stages Of Team Development

• Stage 1: FormingStage 1: Forming The team experiences The team experiences

uncertainty about its uncertainty about its purpose, structure, and purpose, structure, and leadership.leadership.

• Stage 2: StormingStage 2: Storming Intragroup conflict Intragroup conflict

predominates within the predominates within the groupgroup

• Stage 3: NormingStage 3: Norming Close relationships Close relationships

develop and group develop and group members begin to members begin to demonstrate demonstrate cohesiveness.cohesiveness.

• Stage 4: PerformingStage 4: Performing The team develops a The team develops a

structure that is fully structure that is fully functional and accepted by functional and accepted by team members.team members.

• Stage 5: AdjourningStage 5: Adjourning The team prepares for its The team prepares for its

disbandment.disbandment.


Work Groups And Work TeamsWork Groups And Work Teams

• Work GroupWork Group A group that interacts primarily to share information A group that interacts primarily to share information

and to make decisions that will help each member and to make decisions that will help each member perform within his or her area of responsibilityperform within his or her area of responsibility

• Work TeamWork Team A group that engages in collective work that requires A group that engages in collective work that requires

joint effort and generates a positive synergy.joint effort and generates a positive synergy.


Types Of Work TeamsTypes Of Work Teams

• Functional TeamFunctional Team A work team composed of a manager and the A work team composed of a manager and the

employees in his or her unit and involved in efforts to employees in his or her unit and involved in efforts to improve work activities or to solve specific problems improve work activities or to solve specific problems within particular functional unitwithin particular functional unit

• Problem-Solving TeamProblem-Solving Team 5 to 12 hourly employees from the same department 5 to 12 hourly employees from the same department

who meet each week to discuss ways of improving who meet each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environmentquality, efficiency, and the work environment


Types Of Work Teams (cont’d)Types Of Work Teams (cont’d)

• Quality CircleQuality Circle 8 to 10 employees and supervisors who share an 8 to 10 employees and supervisors who share an

area of responsibility and who meet regularly to area of responsibility and who meet regularly to discuss quality problems, investigate the causes of discuss quality problems, investigate the causes of the problem, recommend solutions, and take the problem, recommend solutions, and take corrective actions but who have no authoritycorrective actions but who have no authority

• Self-Managed Work TeamSelf-Managed Work Team A formal group of employees that operates without a A formal group of employees that operates without a

manager and is responsible for a complete work manager and is responsible for a complete work process or segment that delivers a product or service process or segment that delivers a product or service to an external or internal customerto an external or internal customer


Types Of Work Teams (cont’d)Types Of Work Teams (cont’d)

• Cross-Functional Work TeamCross-Functional Work Team A team composed of employees from about the A team composed of employees from about the

same hierarchical level but form different work areas same hierarchical level but form different work areas in an organization who are brought together to in an organization who are brought together to accomplish a particular taskaccomplish a particular task

• Virtual TeamVirtual Team A physically-dispersed team that uses computer A physically-dispersed team that uses computer

technology to collaborate without concern for technology to collaborate without concern for distance, space, or time in order to achieve a distance, space, or time in order to achieve a common goal.common goal.


Entrepreneurs’ Use of TeamsEntrepreneurs’ Use of Teams

• Empowered Functional TeamsEmpowered Functional Teams Have authority to plan and implement process Have authority to plan and implement process

improvements.improvements.

• Self-Directed TeamsSelf-Directed Teams Are nearly autonomous and responsible for many Are nearly autonomous and responsible for many

activities that were once the jurisdiction of managers.activities that were once the jurisdiction of managers.

• Cross-Functional TeamsCross-Functional Teams Include a hybrid grouping of individuals who are Include a hybrid grouping of individuals who are

experts in various specialties and who work together experts in various specialties and who work together on various tasks.on various tasks.


Why Entrepreneurs Use TeamsWhy Entrepreneurs Use Teams

• To facilitate the technology and market To facilitate the technology and market demands the organization is facing.demands the organization is facing.

• To help the organization to make products To help the organization to make products faster, cheaper, and better.faster, cheaper, and better.

• To permit entrepreneurs to tap into the To permit entrepreneurs to tap into the collective wisdom of the venture’s employees.collective wisdom of the venture’s employees.

• To empower employees to make decisions.To empower employees to make decisions.

• To improve the overall workplace environment To improve the overall workplace environment and worker morale.and worker morale.


Challenges to Creating Team PlayersChallenges to Creating Team Players

• Introducing teams into an organization is most Introducing teams into an organization is most difficulty when:difficulty when: When individual employee resistance to teams is When individual employee resistance to teams is

strong.strong.

Where the national culture is individualistic rather Where the national culture is individualistic rather than collectivist.than collectivist.

When the organization places high values on and When the organization places high values on and significantly rewards individual achievement.significantly rewards individual achievement.


Shaping Team BehaviorShaping Team Behavior

• Proper SelectionProper Selection Hire employees with both the technical skills and the Hire employees with both the technical skills and the

interpersonal skills required to fulfill team roles.interpersonal skills required to fulfill team roles.

• Employee TrainingEmployee Training Provide training that involves employees in learning Provide training that involves employees in learning

the behaviors required to become team players.the behaviors required to become team players.

• Rewarding Appropriate Team BehaviorsRewarding Appropriate Team Behaviors Create a reward system that encourages cooperative Create a reward system that encourages cooperative

efforts rather than competitive ones.efforts rather than competitive ones.


Why Teams Become StagnantWhy Teams Become Stagnant

• Initial enthusiasm wanes.Initial enthusiasm wanes.

• Diversity decreases as cohesiveness increases.Diversity decreases as cohesiveness increases.

• Familiarity and success lead to contentment Familiarity and success lead to contentment and complacency.and complacency.

• Groupthink hinders challenges among Groupthink hinders challenges among members.members.

• All of the easy tasks have been accomplished.All of the easy tasks have been accomplished.

• Group processes function less effectively.Group processes function less effectively.


Teams And Continuous Process Teams And Continuous Process Improvement ProgramsImprovement Programs

• Teams are a natural vehicle for employees to Teams are a natural vehicle for employees to share ideas and implement improvements.share ideas and implement improvements.

• Teams are well suited to the high levels of Teams are well suited to the high levels of communication and contact, response, communication and contact, response, adaptation, and coordination and sequencing in adaptation, and coordination and sequencing in work environments where continuous process work environments where continuous process improvement programs are in place.improvement programs are in place.


Workforce Diversity’s Effects on TeamsWorkforce Diversity’s Effects on Teams

• Fresh and multiple perspectives on issues help Fresh and multiple perspectives on issues help the team identify creative or unique solutions the team identify creative or unique solutions and avoid weak alternatives.and avoid weak alternatives.

• The difficulty of working together may make it The difficulty of working together may make it harder to unify a diverse team and reach harder to unify a diverse team and reach agreements.agreements.

• Although diversity’s advantages dissipate with Although diversity’s advantages dissipate with time, the added-value of diverse teams time, the added-value of diverse teams increases as the team becomes more cohesive.increases as the team becomes more cohesive.

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