Unit 2 - Lesson #6 (Teamwork & Working in Groups)

Question 1

What is a team?

Answer 1

A small group of people with complementary skills, who work together to achieve a shared purpose and hold themselves mutually accountable for performance results.

Question 2

What is teamwork?

Answer 2

The process of people actively working together to accomplish common goals

Question 3

What are some problems in teams?

Answer 3

• Personality conflicts.
• Individual differences in work styles.
• Ambiguous agendas.
• Ill-defined problems.
• Poor readiness to work.
• Lack of motivation.
• Conflicts with other deadlines or priorities.
• Lack of team organization or progress.
• Meetings that lack purpose or structure.
• Members coming to meetings unprepared.

Question 4

What is synergy?

Answer 4

• The creation of a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
• A team uses its membership resources to the fullest and thereby achieves through collective
  action far more than could be achieved otherwise.

Question 5

What are formal groups?

Answer 5

• Teams that are officially recognized and supported
  by the organization for specific purposes.
• Specifically created to perform essential tasks.
• Managers and leaders serve “linking pin” roles.

Question 6

What are informal groups?

Answer 6

• Not recognized on organization charts.
• Not officially created for an organizational purpose.
• Emerge as part of the informal structure and from
  natural or spontaneous relationships among people.
• Include interest, friendship, and support groups.
• Can have positive performance impact.
• Can help satisfy social needs.

Question 7

What are committees?

Answer 7

• People outside their daily job assignments work together in a
  small team for a specific purpose.
• Task agenda is narrow, focused, and ongoing.

Question 8

What are projects or task forces?

Answer 8

• People from various parts of an organization work together
  on common problems, but on a temporary basis.
• Official tasks are very specific and time defined.
• Disbands after task is completed.

Question 9

What are virtual teams?

Answer 9

Teams of people who work together and solve
problems through largely computer-mediated rather
than face-to-face interactions.

Question 10

What are advantages of virtual teams?

Answer 10

• Savings in time and
  travel expenses.
• Minimization or
  elimination of interpersonal difficulties.
• Ease of expansion.

Question 11

What are some problems of virtual teams?

Answer 11

• Difficulty in establishing good working relationships.
• Depersonalization of working relationships.

Question 12

What makes an effective team?

Answer 12

• Achieve and maintain high levels of task performance.
• Achieve and maintain high levels of member satisfaction.
• Retain viability for the future.

Question 13

What is the group process?

Answer 13

• The way the members of any team work together as
  they transform inputs into outputs
• Also known as group dynamics.
• Includes communications, decision making, norms, cohesion, and conflict, among others.

Question 14

What is the team effectiveness equation?

Answer 14

Team Effectiveness =

Quality of Inputs + (Process Gains - Process Losses)