Teams: Characteristics and Diversity Flashcards
(37 cards)
A sequence of team development during which not much gets done until the halfway point of a project, after which teams make necessary changes to complete the project on time.
Punctuated equilibrium
A form of task interdependence in which group members interact with only a limited subset of other members to complete the team’s work.
Reciprocal interdependence.
A theory explaining that team diversity can be counterproductive because people tend to avoid interacting with others who are unlike them.
Similarity-attraction approach
Two or more people who work interdependently over some time period to accomplish common goals related to some task-oriented purpose.
Teams
A relatively permanent team that participates in managerial-level tasks that affect the entire organization.
Management team
The degree to which team members are different from one another.
Team diversity
The degree to which team members interact with and rely on other team members for information, materials, and resources needed to accomplish work for the team.
Task interdependence
The degree to which team members share equally in the feedback and rewards that result from the team achieving its goals.
Outcome interdependence
The behavior a person is generally expected to display in a given context.
Role
Tasks for which the team’s performance depends on the abilities of the team’s weakest link.
Conjunctive tasks
Behaviors that influence the quality of the team’s social climate.
Team-building roles
Behaviors that benefit the individual at the expense of the team.
Individualistic roles
A form of task independence in which group members complete their work assignments independently, and then their work is simply added together to represent the group’s output.
Pooled interdependence
A team of limited duration that performs complex tasks in contexts that tend to be highly visible and challenging.
Action team
A team in which the members are geographically dispersed, and interdependent activity occurs through e-mail, web conferencing, and instant messaging.
Virtual team
The mix of the various characteristics that describe the individuals who work in the team.
Team composition
The first stage of team development, during which members try to get a feel for what is expected of them, what types of behaviors are out of bounds, and who’s in charge.
Forming
The second stage of team development, during which conflict occurs due to members’ ongoing commitment to ideas they bring with them to the team.
Storming
A team formed to take on one-time tasks, most of which tend to be complex and require input from members from different functional areas.
Project team
A work arrangement in which employees are assigned to multiple teams simultaneously.
Multiple team membership
Behaviors that directly facilitate the accomplishment of team tasks.
Team task roles
The third stage of team development, during which members realize that they need to work together to accomplish team goals and consequently begin to cooperate,
Norming
Tasks with an objectively verifiable best solution for which the member with the highest level of ability has the most influence on team effectiveness.
Disjunctive tasks
The fourth stage of team development, during which members are comfortable working within their roles, and the team makes progress toward goals.
Performing