Chapter 8

Question 1

Teams

Answer 1

Groups of two or more people who interact with and influence each other, are mutually accountable for achieving common goals associated with organisational objectives, and perceive themselves as a social entity within an organisation

Question 2

4 point that is like the definition of teams? And are worth repeating

Answer 2

• Meant to fulfil some purpose
• Held together by interdependence and need for collaboration to achieve common goals
• Influence one another
• Members perceive themselves to be a team

Question 3

What are the three characteristics of teams?

Answer 3

Team permanence – How long the type of team usually exists.

Skill diversity – The degree of different skills and knowledge within a team.

Authority dispersion – The degree to which decision-making is distributed (high dispersion) or centralised (low dispersion).

Question 4

What are informal groups?

Answer 4

Informal groups are groups of people with little or no interdependence and no organisationally mandated purpose.

Question 5

Why do we need informal groups?

Answer 5

• Humans have a natural drive to bond.
• Social identity theory – People define themselves by group affiliations.
• Groups help achieve personal objectives.
• The presence of others can reduce stress.
• Informal groups support trust, influence, and information sharing.

Question 6

What are the benefits of working in teams?

Answer 6

1. Better decision-making.
2. More innovative product development.
3. Higher motivation.
4. Fast information sharing and coordination.
5. Improved customer service.
6. Higher productivity due to bonding and accountability.

Question 7

What are the downsides of teams?

Answer 7

Process losses – Resources spent on team development instead of tasks.

Brook’s Law – Adding more people to a late project makes it even later.

Social loafing – People exert less effort in teams than when working alone.

ringleman effect- Groepsprestaties zijn beter dan individuele prestaties, maar de individuele inspanning per persoon neemt af zodra de groepsgrootte toeneemt. Verlies in productiviteit stijgt naarmate de groep groter wordt.

Question 8

What increases social loafing?

Answer 8

1. Hidden or hard-to-measure individual performance.
2. Boring work or low task significance.
3. Low conscientiousness, agreeableness, and collectivist values.
4. Low motivation or low social identity with the team.

Question 9

How to prevent social loafing?

Answer 9

✅ Form smaller teams.
✅ Specialise tasks.
✅ Measure individual performance.
✅ Increase job enrichment.
✅ Select motivated employees.

Question 10

When is a team effective?

Answer 10

A team is effective when it benefits the organisation and its members while surviving long enough to complete its mandate.

Question 11

How do teams fall apart? Literally and cognitively

Answer 11

Literally: Members leave.
Cognitively: Members disengage emotionally.

Question 12

What is the Five C’s Model?

Answer 12

Cooperating
Coordinating
Communicating
Comforting
Conflict handling

These are the most frequently mentioned teamwork behaviors

Question 13

Departmental teams

Answer 13

Teams that consist of employees who have similar or complementary skills and are located in the same unit of a functional structure; usually minimal task interdependence because each person works with clients or with employees in other departments.

Question 14

What are the typical charateristics of departmental teams on Team permanence, skill diversity and authority dispersion

Answer 14

Team permanence: High—departments continue indefinitely.

Skill diversity: Low to medium—departments are often organized
around common skills (e.g., accounting staff located in the
accounting department).

Authority dispersion: Low—departmental power is usually
concentrated in the departmental manager

Question 15

Self-directed teams

Answer 15

Teams whose members are organized around work processes that complete an entire piece of work requiring several interdependent tasks and have substantial autonomy over the execution of those tasks (i.e., they usually control inputs, flow, and outputs with little or no supervision).

Question 16

What are the typical characteristics of self-directed teams. (team permanence, skill diversity, authority dispersion)

Answer 16

Team permanence: High—teams are usually assigned indefinitely
to a specific cluster of production or service activities.

Skill diversity: Medium to high—members typically perform different tasks requiring diverse skill sets, but cross-training can somewhat reduce skill diversity.

Authority dispersion: High—team members share power, usually with limited hierarchical authority.

Question 17

Task force (project) teams

Answer 17

Cross-functional teams whose members are usually drawn from several disciplines to solve a specific problem, realize an opportunity, or design a product or service.

Question 18

What are the typical characteristics of task-force teams. (team permanence, skill diversity and authority dispersion)

Answer 18

Team permanence: Low—teams typically disband on completion
of a specific project or decision.

Skill diversity: Medium to high—members are typically drawn
from several functional specializations associated with the
complexity of the task or decision.

Authority dispersion: Medium—teams often have someone with
formal authority (project leader), but members also have moderate
power due to their expertise and functional representation.

Question 19

Team permanence

Answer 19

How long that type of team usually exists.

Long permanence with: accounting, marketing e.g.

Question 20

Authority dispersion

Answer 20

Refers to the degree that decision-making responsibility is distributed throughout the team (high dispersion) or is vested in one or a few members of the team (low dispersion)

Question 21

social networks

Answer 21

social structures of individuals or social units that are connected to one another through one or more forms of interdependence

Question 22

process losses

Answer 22

resources (including time and energy) expended toward team development and maintenance rather than the task

Question 23

There are three motivating forces at work

Answer 23

1. A drive to bond - motivates them to fulfill their team’s goals
2. Members have a high accountability to fellow teammembers. Strong accountability when the teams performance is limited by the worst performer.
3. Each team member creates a moving performance standard for the others

Question 24

Teams are potentially very ….. but not always as …. as individuals working alone

Answer 24

1. productive
2. effective

Question 25

Process losses tend to increase with:

Answer 25

the teams diversity and size

Question 26

When are teams more necessary than working alone?

Answer 26

When the work is so complex that it requires knowledge and skills from several people

Question 27

What are the 4 main elements of the 'Team effectiveness Model'

Answer 27

1. Team design 2. Team effectiveness 3. Team processes 4. Organizational and Team Environment

Question 28

Team design

Answer 28

* Task characteristics * Team size * Team composition. (personal attributes that the members bring to the team)

Question 29

Team processes

Answer 29

the cognitive and emotional dynamics of the team that continually change with its development * Team development * Team norms * Team roles * Team cohesion * Team trust * Team mental models

Question 30

ORGANIZATIONAL AND TEAM ENVIRONMENT

Answer 30

represents all conditions beyond the team’s boundaries that influence its effectiveness. * Rewards * Communication * Organizational structure * Organizational leadership * Physical space

Question 31

Team Effectiveness (model)

Answer 31

* Accomplish tasks * Satisfy member needs * Maintain team survival

Question 32

Even when it operates in a team-friendly environment, what happens with the team's effectiveness if the task characteristics, team size and team compostition are poorly designed?

Answer 32

The team's effectiveness will fall short of its potential

Question 33

task interdependence

Answer 33

the extent to which team members must share materials, information, or expertise in order to perform their jobs

Question 34

When are teams still able to perform well on less-structured and less predictable tasks?

Answer 34

when members are experienced in well-defined broader roles

Question 35

What factors determine team design?

Answer 35

1. task characteristics 2. Team size 3. Team composition

Question 36

Levels of task interdependence. (from lowest to highest)

Answer 36

1. Pooled interdependence. (Members work independently but share resources) 2. Sequential interdependence (One person’s output is another’s input) 3. Reciprocal interdependence (Work is exchanged back and forth)

Question 37

The higher the level of task interdependence, the .... the need to organize peope into teams

Answer 37

greater. 1 rule in this case: ONLY when the employees have the same task goals, such as serving the same clients or collectively assembling the same product

Question 38

Team size

Answer 38

Large enough for diverse skills, small enough for efficiency. Teams should be large enough to provide the necessary abilities and viewpoints required for the assigned work, yet small enough to maintain efficient coordination and meaningful involvement of each member. The ideal team size varies with the type of team, the tasks it is expected to perform, and the available forms of coordination

Question 39

what is the problem with a team of 100 persons?

Answer 39

A group this large is actually not a team

Question 40

Cooperating

Answer 40

* Share resources * Accommodate others

Question 41

Coordinating

Answer 41

* Align work with others * Keep team on track

Question 42

Communicating

Answer 42

* Share information freely, e ciently, respectfully * Listen actively

Question 43

Comforting

Answer 43

* Show empathy * Provide emotional comfort * Build confidence in others

Question 44

Conflict Handling

Answer 44

* Diagnose conflict sources * Use best conflict handling style

Question 45

Advantages of team diversity?

Answer 45

✅ More perspectives. ✅ Broader skillset. ✅ Better representation of stakeholders.

Question 46

Disadvantages of team diversity?

Answer 46

Takes longer to develop Slower bonding. Fault lines – Divisions based on personal attributes.

Question 47

What are the stages of team development?

Answer 47

Forming – Learning about each other. (Discover expectations * Evaluate value of membership * Defer to existing authority * Test boundaries of behavior) Storming – Conflict and competition. ( * Interpersonal conflict * Compete for team roles * Influence goals and means * Establish norms) Norming – Roles, cohesion, mental models. (* Establish roles * Agree on team objectives * Form team mental models * Develop cohesion) Performing – Coordination, commitment. (* Task oriented, committed * E cient coordination * High cooperation and trust * Conflicts resolved quickly) Adjourning – Disbanding, focus shifts to relationships.

Question 48

norms

Answer 48

the informal rules and shared expectations that groups establish to regulate the behavior of their members

Question 49

Do norms apply to behavior or private thoughts and feelings?

Answer 49

Only to behavior.

Question 50

During what stage do norms develop?

Answer 50

The storming stage according to the model, because conflict often occurs when member try to reach agreement on what behavior is expected or forbidden. But it is more accurate to say that norms begin as soon as the teams form and change over the teams lifespan

Question 51

Teams develop norms for three reasons:

Answer 51

1. Most norms develop when members associate these behaviors with the team’s performance or the well-being of its members. Other norms are brought into the team due to experiences that some members have had in previous teams. 2. team norms develop because they improve predictability and conflict-avoidance in coworker relations. 3. teams develop norms to routinize behavior with minimal cognitive effort, which improves social order and coordination among team members. This explains why norms often develop regarding seemingly minor issues, such as where people sit in meetings.

Question 52

What is the best ways to establish desired norms in new teams?

Answer 52

To select team members whose values and past behavior are compatible with those norms

Question 53

role

Answer 53

a set of behaviors that people are expected to repeatedly perform because they hold formal or informal positions in a team and organization

Question 54

Team Roles

Answer 54

Organizer – Structures what the team is doing, tracks progress and achievements. Doer – Accepts tasks, completes work reliably, meets deadlines. Challenger – Pushes the team to explore all aspects, debates, critiques, and questions assumptions. Innovator – Generates new and creative ideas, strategies, and approaches. Team Builder – Establishes norms, supports decisions, maintains a positive atmosphere, calms and motivates team members. Connector – Bridges and connects the team with external stakeholders, ensures good relationships outside the team.

Question 55

team cohesion

Answer 55

the degree of attraction people feel toward the team and their motivation to remain members

Question 56

Influences on Team Cohesion

Answer 56

1. Member similarity: Teams with similar members become cohesive faster due to trust, acceptance, and fewer conflicts. 2. Team size: Smaller teams have higher cohesion due to easier agreement and stronger member influence. 3. Member interaction: Frequent interaction (in-person or remote) strengthens cohesion, especially in interdependent tasks. 4. Somewhat difficult entry: Restricted entry increases team prestige and member commitment, but extreme initiations can weaken cohesion. 5. Team success: Cohesion grows when teams achieve goals, as members are more likely to identify with successful teams. 6. External competition and challenges: Facing competition or challenges strengthens cohesion, but overwhelming threats can weaken it.

Question 57

Team Cohesion & Performance

Answer 57

Teams with higher cohesion perform better, as members collaborate more, share information, and provide support. Conflict resolution is faster and more effective in highly cohesive teams. Condition 1: Cohesion has less impact when task interdependence is low, as members don’t rely on each other as much. Condition 2: Cohesion improves or worsens performance depending on team norms: If norms align with company goals → Better performance. If norms encourage negative behaviors (e.g., absenteeism) → Lower performance Feedback Loop: High cohesion boosts performance, and successful teams become more cohesive—though cohesion influences performance more in real-world teams than in short-lived experimental ones.

Question 58

What is team trust?

Answer 58

Calculus-based trust – Based on logic and consequences. Knowledge-based trust – Based on predictability and experience Identification-based trust - Emotional bond; strongest form of trust. (Highest level)

Question 59

Calculus-based trust

Answer 59

* Based on deterrence * Fragile and limited potential because dependent on punishment

Question 60

Knowledge based trust

Answer 60

* Fairly robust * Based on predictability and competence

Question 61

Identification based trust

Answer 61

* Based on common mental models and values * Increases with person’s social identity with team

Question 62

shared mental models

Answer 62

meaning that they develop similar images and expectations about the team’s objectives, shared values, behavior norms, and work style, as well as a general picture of how each member participates in the work process.

Question 63

Complementary mental models

Answer 63

cognitive images held by specific (rather than all) team members but that are compatible with the mental models held by other team mem bers. Each team member has a unique mental picture of how the team operates because they have a unique background and are located in different parts of the work process than other team members.

Question 64

What structures improve creativity?

Answer 64

Brainstorming – No criticism, free ideas. - Issues: Production blocking, social loafing, fixation effect. Brainwriting – Writing ideas first to avoid production blocking. Electronic brainstorming – Digital, anonymous idea sharing. Nominal group technique – Silent idea generation, discussion, independent evaluation.

Question 65

self-directed teams (SDTs)

Answer 65

cross-functional work groups that are organized around work processes, complete an entire piece of work requiring several interdependent tasks, and have substantial autonomy over the execution of those tasks

Question 66

remote teams

Answer 66

teams whose members operate across space, time, and organizational boundaries and are linked through information technologies to achieve organizational tasks

Question 67

production blocking

Answer 67

a time constraint in team decision making due to the procedural requirement that only one person may speak at a time

Question 68

evaluation apprehension

Answer 68

occurs when individuals are reluctant to mention ideas that seem silly because they believe (often correctly) that others in the decision-making group are silently evaluating them

Question 69

team efficacy

Answer 69

the collective belief among team members in the team’s capability to successfully complete a task

Question 70

What is groupthink?

Answer 70

A psychological phenomenon where teams prioritise harmony over good decision-making.

Question 71

psychological safety

Answer 71

a shared belief that it is safe to engage in interpersonal risk-taking; specifically, that presenting unusual ideas, constructively disagreeing with the majority, and experimenting with new work behaviors will not result in coworkers posing a threat to their self-concept, status, or career

Question 72

brainstorming

Answer 72

a freewheeling, face-to-face meeting where team members aren’t allowed to criticize but are encouraged to speak freely, generate as many ideas as possible, and build on the ideas of others

Question 73

brainwriting

Answer 73

a variation of brainstorming whereby participants write (rather than speak about) and share their ideas

Question 74

electronic brainstorming

Answer 74

a form of brainstorming that relies on networked digital devices for submitting and sharing creative ideas

Question 75

nominal group technique

Answer 75

variation of brainwriting consisting of three stages in which participants (1) silently and independently document their ideas, (2) collectively describe these ideas to the other team members without critique, and then (3) silently and independently evaluate the ideas presented

Question 76

In what way are roles similar to norms?

Answer 76

In the sense that they both establish and reinforce expected patterns of behavior. Difference: roles apply to one or a few specific team members. Whereas most norms apply to all team members