...DESIGNING EFFECTIVE WORK TEAMS Types of Work Teams Most commonly, types of teams can be grouped into self-managed work teams, cross-functional teams, and virtual teams. As mentioned in part one, the authors of Organizational Behaviour define a group as “two or more people interacting interdependently to achieve a common goal” (Saks & Johns, 2014). In other words, a team is a collection of individuals who are interdependent in their tasks, who share responsibility for outcomes, who see themselves and who are seen by others as an intact social entity embedded in one or more larger social systems (for example, business unit or corporation), and who manage their relationships across organizational boundaries. (Sundstrom, De Meuse, & Futrell, 1990). Self-managed work teams are work groups that have the opportunity to do challenging work under reduced supervision. Cross-functional teams are work groups that bring people with different functional specialties together to better invent, design, or deliver a product or service; and virtual teams are work groups that use technology to communicate and collaborate across time, space, and organizational boundaries. (Saks & Johns, 2014). Designing Effective Work Teams According to Johns & Saks, there are three fundamental dimensions to teams functioning effectively: the task, team composition, and management support. (Saks & Johns, 2014). The task is what the team is required to carry out; a task is viewed by team members as a challenge...
Words: 1137 - Pages: 5
...put them "together" it resembles a format of segmented information that could be called "teamwork" but really its just a bunch of people doing separate work that's compiled to keep the business going. This being said, I think it depends on what kind business you’re talking about for the idea of team work to be applicable. This being said, in certain select niche fields such as a marketing could benefit from a team of people to bounce creative ideas off of each other in a brainstorming event to come up with a good marketing campaign that would be successful within a target audience in a “quick” manor, that could take an individual significantly longer. Continuing with this example, a marketer could come up with a bad idea, that just seems good to him/her; and another member of the team would hopefully not suffer from group think and would critically analyze the idea to see if it would fit the target audience. Another member of the marketing team could be in charge of doing graphics, like logos, for the project that would be beneficial to the project thus acting as a team. Another member could also be in charge of something like a jingle or a commercial that also would have sub team members under them. In my opinion, a teamwork scenario does not fit into and average business model that one may be apart of; but in certain niche markets like marketing, it could be applicable in that they are all working on a particular project. Unlike an average business, where a human recourses...
Words: 415 - Pages: 2
...CASE STUDY-ESSENTIALS FOR AN EFFECTIVE TEAM This case study illustrates the concept of essentials for an effective team and what all are the key ingredients needed to make the team effective and efficient. The key topics covered in this case study are uniformity and consistent goal of team and organization, supportive business environment, team based performance and contribution of each member to the group i.e creating a synergy effect. These key topics are essential for the success of the team. For a successful team based performance competence and commitment to a goal are very important. In order to be successful the team members should be competent i.e should have talent, knowledge, organizational clout, experience and technical know how needed to get the job done. Thus effective team is composed of people who collectively bring all critical competencies to the effort. Team members should have clear and common goal i.e team members goal should be aligned with the organizational goal. In order to have clarity of goal among each team member the concept of ‘’elevator speech’’ can be used. Commitment to a common goal is another ingredient to make the team effective because commitment is a visceral quality that motivates them to do the work and to keep working when the going gets tough therefore understanding the goal is easy but being committed to the goal is tough therefore each member should be committed to attain the goal. Commitment to the common goal is more...
Words: 528 - Pages: 3
...Creating Effective Teams An essential process that is required for any business organisation is an effective group development process and managers need to understand how to create effective and productive teams and the roles performed by each of the members. The theory used is the Tuckman’s five stages of group development process that involves forming, storming, and norming, performing and adjourning. Another important aspect of effective teams is the right mix of role categories from Belbin theory, which identifies nine types of people, categorised into three specific skills of action, people and thought orientation roles. This essay will analyse the roles managers undertake to facilitate effective team management that is productive and effective in business organisations. An important aspect of leadership management in any organisation team leaders need to have a good understanding of Tuckmens’ stages of team development to build a cohesive productive workplace and an ability to identify Belbin specific types of people and adapt your approach when dealing with the different types of people. (Manning, 1996, pg. 298-302)(Belbin Team Roles. 2013.) Dr Meredith Belbin (1981) team roles based on the behaviour characteristics and interpersonal skills of the individuals within a team. He determined that there were nine different roles in an effective team who undertook specific tasks. These nine roles classified into three major groups. The three major groups of Belbin are...
Words: 1806 - Pages: 8
...success of any team is developing a well-written and planned charter. The charter must include essential information such as their goals, timeline, recognizing the roles of the team, clear directions, an established leader and the process of communication all components of succeeding. The leadership in teams vital as the leader sets the tone for informing each team member of their tasks that relevant to them (Jenewein & Morhart, 2008). Also, the leader must frequently communicate to advise the team of deadlines, newly developed updates, and incomplete information that needed to execute the project. Nevertheless, other members of the team contribute essential attributes in areas with strengths where others may lack in those skills. Collaboration and constructive communication, however, play a role in the team outcome as it provides an opportunity to create and share their views openly and honestly....
Words: 489 - Pages: 2
...accidents". Even today knowing the important role culture plays on reducing accidents most managers still firmly believe "unsafe actions" or "at risk behaviors" are responsible for most employee accidents. The idea seems to be embedded in their DNA. In other words it is part of their culture. There are four essential elements for effective team management: The culture of the organization must lead, support and protect teams. People, managers and workers, must have or acquire the interpersonal and rational skills required to work effectively on a team. People must be given the opportunity to practice team skills before working on an actual team managed project and continually thereafter. It will take time and patience to develop and hone these skills. As teams progress they must be given the appropriate level of authority to implement ideas and recommendations without management oversight. Teamwork has to become the intricate part of management structure and culture. The two important questions for the future of our company are: Is our culture the right one for the new challenges of management? Is our company ready for teams to manage quality, productivity and safety in our operations? Culture has a direct effect on how managers interact and treat employees relative to...
Words: 638 - Pages: 3
... In a culture that is micromanaged workers may feel reluctant to innovate and find new and better ways of doing things. White (2010) noted that in general micromanagers “seldom develop people but instead exploit them, preferring to control results rather than inspiring creativity. Fearing competition, they rarely hire people with the talent, experience, and know-how to challenge them” (p. 72). The point here is Dalman’s unwillingness to let go of some of the mundane manager tasks means that running effective teams may not be possible until Dalman adjusts his own managing style. A sandwich chain is a perfect business to implement a team work environment. In these establishments there is generally a breakdown of activities that Lei and Dalman can positively take advantage of. For example, these establishments cannot run without a branch manager or supervisor. This individual can also be a team leader Lei and Dalman can trust. In a side by side comparison of traditional versus team work environments, Zenger, Musselwhite, and Perrin (1994) list cross training as an element of...
Words: 779 - Pages: 4
...Wk 2 Effective Teamwork What are the characteristics of effective teams? There are numerous things that go into making a team successful. Some characteristics of an effective team are: Having a clear unity of purpose where each team member is willing to commit themselves to working toward a common goal. Each member needs to have clear performance goals, like knowing what is the group trying to accomplish and what work needs to be done to achieve the desired outcome? Strong Communication and collaboration: Effective communication between team members and their willingness to work together can set the foundation for collaboration. Each individual carries his or her own weight,meeting or exceeding the expectations of other group members. Each individual is respectful of the mechanics of the group: arriving on time, coming to meetings prepared, completing agreed upon tasks on time, etc. When action is taken, clears assignments are made (who-what-when) and willingly accepted and completed by each group member. How do roles, needs, and diversity affect teamwork? Provide specific examples. Different types of people bring different talents . Generally, roles are the positions team members assume or the parts that they play in a particular operation or process. You may have a person who is better at leading than another, during a particular project you may have a person who is more knowledgeable in that topic. There are people who are better at facilitating meetings and some...
Words: 293 - Pages: 2
...Effective Teamwork 11/30/2015 SOC/110 Professor Rowell An effective team has strong leadership where the team leader not only recognizes what they bring to the team but what each team member brings as well. A strong leader protects their team and doesn’t have a hidden agenda. Respect is a very important characteristic of an effective team because if members of the team disrespect each other and put down team member’s ideas, productivity could possibly slow down because team member’s willingness to contribute ideas and solutions might diminish due to disrespectful communication between members. Open and honest communication between team members and the team leader is important because without communication team work would be impossible. When members of a team feel like they can voice their opinion or ideas that they may have without having to choose words carefully ideas and solutions will get shared more freely. Disagreements and debates are more than likely going to happen when you are working on a team, if they are done respectfully they can help the team reach their common goal. There are different types of roles that team members can take on when working in teams, there are group task roles that affect the team’s ability to achieve their common goal, for example the information seeker asks for facts and information that is needed for the group to be aware of information gaps. Group maintenance roles affect how group members get along...
Words: 750 - Pages: 3
...Effective Team Work Nathalie Plan SOC/110 Teamwork, Collaboration, and Conflict Resolution Effective Team Work * What are the characteristics of effective teams? The group task role is the group’s ability to focus on a common goal by focusng on certain behaviors that essure that the groups goal will be completed. These roles are all about making sure that group members get along with one another and that everyone coopertaes and works well with one another. The self centered roles are each members’ needs that are placed befre the group’s common goal and other members’ needs. (Engleberg & Wynn) There are twelve group task roles: 1. Initiator – contribuor role usually comes up with ideas and provides leadership to the group 2. Information seeker role usually will be the role of the group making everyone aware that some crucial information may be missing and be asking for facts and figures. 3. Information giver role will be the person that will be researching and organizing the information needed to be able to educate the group. 4. Opinion seeker will be the role that will ask others how they think and feel about an issue that could be affecting the group’s common goal. 5. Opinion giver will be the role that will be stating what they think and they feel and how it can be applied to the group’s common goal. 6. Elaborator role will be the role that helps explains ideas by finding examples to support the group’s common goal. 7. Coordinator...
Words: 1174 - Pages: 5
...EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF MULTICULTURAL TEAM Abstract Multicultural teams have become more common in recent years, and contemporary international management literature has identified that the management of multicultural teams is an important aspect of human resource management. This paper has focused on the positive effects of using multicultural teams. Using data from 20 interviews in Mwanza Tanzania, the results show that management within multicultural team environments can be effective when project managers demonstrate an awareness of cultural variation. Participants further highlighted that, one of the critical components of building multicultural teams is the creation and development of effective cross cultural collectivism, trust, communication and empathy in leadership NAME: SARAH CHRISTOPHER KITELEJA 11/23/2012 EMPOWER STUDENT 2012 COUNTRY: MWANZA- TANZANIA A. Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION3 1.2 Objective of diploma paper3 1.3 Significant of the study3 2. BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM3-4 3. MANAGEMENT OF MULTICUTURAL TEAM…………………………………………………………………………………...4 3.1 Type of multicultural team & its diversity 4 3.2 Condition for higher performance4-5 3.3 management of Multicultural team……………………………………………………………………………..6-7 3.4 management of Multicultural team…………………………………………………………………………..7-9 4. THE USE OF DMIS IN MANAGEMENT OF MULTICUTURAL TEAM…………………………………………..10-12 5. CHALLENGES IN MANAGING MULTICULTURAL TEAM……………………………………………………………13-14 6. RECOMME...
Words: 5249 - Pages: 21
...Multicultural teams have become very common in recent years. With cross border mobility becoming much easier the number of people moving from one country to another has grown significantly. This has also led to more people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds intermarrying. Their children could be born and grow up in different countries and have hybrid cultural identities. Globalization and the advances in communication and transportation technology have reduced trade barriers and increased interaction among people. Multicultural teams have become more common in our organizations, and contemporary international management literature has identified that the management of multicultural teams is an important aspect of human resource management. Recent studies have focussed on the positive effects of using multicultural teams, for example, Earleyand Mosakowski (2000) stated that multicultural teams are used because they are perceived to out-perform monoculture teams, especially when performance requires multiple skills and judgement. However, there has been little research into construction-specific multicultural teams, and many construction organisations, although expanding into global operations do not fully appreciate the implications and are often unable to respond to cultural factors affecting their project teams. 1.1 Objective of the diploma paper • To explain challenges faced by Multicultural team and how to manage them • To give recommendations on effective management...
Words: 5038 - Pages: 21
...Online collaboration tools such as IMs, email and video conferencing enables workers to team up with any one globally. In order to gain success, all the virtual team members including the manager need to work in a meticulous way. Three factors such as integrity, communication and performance are the essence of trust. Using collaboration tools such as emails and Instant Messengers (IMs) the team members are not aware of each other’s intention due to absence of visual and aural signs. At times, cultural differences may lead to conflicts at some point of time. Without the availability of proper tools, the project gets affected as there is loss of communication. Not having a visual image of a person can lead to communication gaps. Video conferencing tools help in eliminating misunderstandings, as team members can see others. It’s easy to build trust through effective teamwork training on using online collaboration techniques. Understanding the cultural differences provides a more amicable atmosphere in the virtual team. Those who do not have experience working in a virtual team before will not be familiar with using the most commonly used collaboration software such as instant messengers , video conferencing software etc. Certain people hesitate to learn anything new, if they are resistant to change. Letting them know that the management will offer support for enabling them to adapt to anew and virtual work environment. This will help in eliminating any fear that...
Words: 1072 - Pages: 5
...• EFFECTIVE (adjective) Sense 1 | effective [BACK TO TOP] | Meaning: Producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect Synonyms: effective; effectual; efficacious Context examples: an air-cooled motor was more effective than a witch's broomstick for rapid long-distance transportation / effective teaching methods / effective steps toward peace / made an effective entrance / his complaint proved to be effectual in bringing action / an efficacious law adequate to accomplish a purpose,producing the intendded or expected result * S: (adj) effective, effectual, efficacious (producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect) "an air-cooled motor was more effective than a witch's broomstick for rapid long-distance transportation"-LewisMumford; "effective teaching methods"; "effective steps toward peace"; "made an effective entrance"; "his complaint proved to be effectual in bringing action"; "an efficacious law" * S: (adj) effective, efficient (able to accomplish a purpose; functioning effectively)"people who will do nothing unless they get something out of it for themselves are often highly effective persons..."-G.B.Shaw; "effective personnel"; "an efficient secretary"; "the efficient cause of the revolution" * S: (adj) effective (works well as a means or remedy) "an effective reprimand"; "a lotion that is effective in cases of prickly heat" * S: (adj) effective, good, in effect, in force (exerting...
Words: 344 - Pages: 2
...Contents 1-Abstract 2 2-Introduction 3 3-Theory 4 3.1-Total and effective porosity: 4 3.2Primary and Secondary porosity: 5 4- Experimental Set-up and Procedure 5 4.1-Materials and equipment 5 4.2- Experimental set-up and procedure 5 5-Results and calculations 7 6-Discussion and conclusion 8 6.1- Discussion of the results 8 6.2- Conclusion 8 7- References 9 1-Abstract The aim of this report is to be familiar with the basic procedures of preparing rock samples and to measure the density of and porosity of rock samples. Firstly the rock size and mass was measured to determine the density and bulk volume using an electronic ruler and mass balance. Then using the helium porosimeter the grain volume of each core plug sample was measured. Each of these measurements were repeated three times and then averaged for precision sake. The porosity was then calculated by subtracting the grain volume from the bulk volume, to determine the pore volume, and then dividing by the bulk volume. The porosity results for all the samples were reasonable except for sample 1 and 6 for which the porosity is calculated to be in negative % and make no logic. These possible reasons for these inaccurate results are that the group made high errors in reading the measurements or did the experiment in a wrong method. 2-Introduction For the storage of oil and gas in any reservoir rock presence of porosity is vital. However, the degree of porosity in any rock depends upon...
Words: 1790 - Pages: 8
