ntroduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology
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Work in the 21st Century
Chapter 13
Teams in Organizations
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Module 13.1:
Types of Teams
Reasons for increased use of teams:
Work can be performed concurrently rather than sequentially
Innovation & creativity promoted
Enable quick, effective development/delivery of products & services
Organizations learn & retain learning more effectively
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Groups & Teams: Definitions
Groups include members who may work together or may just share some resources
Teams include members whose tasks are interdependent; Work towards a common goal & share responsibility for outcomes
Groups & Teams have too much in common for any grand distinctions
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Types of Teams
Quality circles
Typically involve 6-12 employees who meet regularly to identify problems/generate ideas
Positive outcomes in short term but gains not sustained over time (honeymoon effect)
They remain popular in Japan, but less so in United States
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Types of Teams (cont’d)
Project teams
Created to solve particular problem
Disbanded after problem solved or project completed
Raise some organizational challenges – multiple reporting relationships.
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Types of Teams (cont’d)
Production teams
Consist of front-line employees who produce a tangible output
Autonomous work group: Type of production team with control over a variety of functions
Research findings unclear, more research is necessary
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Virtual Teams
Composed of widely dispersed members working together toward a common goal; linked through technology
Pose several advantages to organizations
Trust is a critical concern; Increase via:
Virtual-collaboration, virtual-socialization, and virtual-communication behaviors
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A Specialized Team:
Airline Cockpit Crew
Benefit from an organizational context that provides:
Challenging objectives
Prior training and education
A consistent information system
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A Specialized Team:
Airline Cockpit Crew
Airline cockpit crews have very real teamwork requirements, particularly in an emergency
- A spectacular example was the Hudson River landing of US Airways flight 1549 in January 2009
- The pilot, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, has a master’s degree in I-O psychology and was professionally involved in crew resource management research and training.
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Module 13.2: A Model of
Team Effectiveness
Input-Process-Output Model
Enables understanding of how teams perform & how to maximize performance
Figure 13.1
The Input-Process-Output
Model of Team Effectiveness
Source: Adapted from Gladstein (1984)
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Team Inputs
Organizational context
Provide necessary resources
Team task
Task to be performed
Team composition
Attributes of team members
Shared mental models
Team diversity
Demographic & psychological diversity
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Team Outputs
Team performance
Often reflected in objective measures
Team innovation
Team member well-being
Shared Mental Model
Organized way for team members to think about the way a team will work.
Helps team members understand and predict the behaviors of their team members.
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Team Diversity
- Demographic diversity
- Differences in observable attributes or demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and ethnicity
- Psychological diversity
- Differences in underlying attributes such as skills, abilities, personality characteristics, attitudes, beliefs, and values; may also include functional, occupational, and educational backgrounds
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Team Processes
Norms
Informal rules of a team
Communication & coordination
Social loafing
Cohesion
Degree of desire to remain in team
Decision making
Groupthink
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Groupthink Processes in Action?
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Module 13.3:
Special Issues in Teams
Team appraisal & feedback
Should provide team with information needed to identify team problems & further develop team capabilities
Extent to which team behaviors & outputs can be measured must be considered
ProMES
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Team-role theory (Belbin, 1993)
Effective teams contain a combination of individuals capable of working in 9 team roles
Used predominantly in Europe & Australia
Plant
Resource investigator
Coordinator
Shaper
Monitor evaluator
Team-Worker
Implementer
Completer
Specialist
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Team Development
Changes occur in teams as they develop over time
5 stages of development
1. Orientation (forming)
2. Conflict (storming)
3. Structure (norming)
4. Work (performing)
5. Dissolution (adjourning)
PhotoLink/Getty Images
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Team Training
Involves coordinating performance of individuals who work together to achieve a common goal
4 Strategies
Cross-training
Team coordination training
Team leader training
Guided Team Self-Correction Training
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Cultural Issues in Teams
Applying Hofstede’s cultural dimensions
Implications for teams
Individualism vs. collectivism
Long-term vs. short-term orientation
Effect of cultural & national backgrounds of team members
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Teams and Culture
Team horizon
Cultural dimension that affects whether managers & employees focus on short or long-term goals
Teams tend to be well-received in collectivistic cultures