L2 - Groups and Teams 1 Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in L2 - Groups and Teams 1 Deck (62)
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1
Q

What is Schein’s (1980) definition of a Group?

A

A group is a number of people who:

  • Interact with each other
  • Are psychologically aware of each other
  • Perceive themselves aware of each other
  • Or perceive themselves to be a group
2
Q

What are other Characteristics of a Group?

A
  • Rely on each other because of the task they perform –> interdependent
  • Embedded in one or more social system (such an organisation they work in)
  • Perform tasks that affect others such has co-workers or customers (Guzzo and Dickson. 1997:308)
3
Q

What is Brill’s (1976) definition of ‘a team’?

A

A team is a group of people:

  • Each of whom possesses expertise
  • Each of whom is responsible for making individual decisions
  • Who together hold a common purpose
  • Who meet together to communicate, collaborate and consolidate knowledge
  • From which plans are made, action determined, and future decision influenced
4
Q

What are other Characteristics of a Group?

A
  • Higher independency –> Team members are dependent upon each other to get things done and the team member are not simply acting under the direction of a supervisor
  • Membership Boundaries –> Team members know who part of the team is
  • Authority –> defined and bounded authority, to be managed without excess interference from outside teams –> autonomy and empowerment
  • Stability –> a relatively stable membership for the lifetime of the team
5
Q

How does Working in a Team/Group affect the Production of New Ideas?

A

The production of new ideas tends to be greater when individuals brainstorm alone with information about other ideas, rather than in the physical present of each other:

  • Free Riding
  • Evaluation Comprehension –> afraid of what people may think of anyone so don’t say anything
  • Production Blocking –> only one person can talk about their ideas –> other people have to listen not develop their ideas
6
Q

What are the Different Areas could make up an Effective Team?

A
  • Direction
  • Processes
  • Atmosphere
  • Structure/Resources
  • Leadership
7
Q

How does Direction help make a Team Effective?

A
  • The team is clear about its values, vision, mission, strategies, goals, and priorities.
  • These are cooperatively structured by the entire team which results in a high degree of individual focus and commitment.
  • The direction is felt to require stretching but to be achievable.
  • Energy is mainly devoted to the achievement of results.
8
Q

How does Processes help make a Team Effective?

A
  • The team manager uses appropriate and flexible leadership styles to develop a team approach and allocates time to improving teamwork.
  • Individuals other than the manager are given the opportunity to exercise leadership when their skills are appropriate to the situation facing the team.
  • Participation and leadership are distributed among team members.
  • The leader represents the team fairly and accurately to the rest of the organization and both monitors and influences the other four key areas in the model.
9
Q

How does Atmosphere help make a Team Effective?

A
  • The team has developed an atmosphere in which people feel supported, accepted, included, trusted, and liked.
  • Cohesion is maintained by this caring atmosphere, and feedback is both encouraged and listened to by team members.
  • As a result, team members feel a sense of belonging and synergistic cohesiveness.
10
Q

How does Structure/Resources help make a Team Effective?

A
  • The amount of structure and the number of procedures is viewed as appropriate by team members.
  • Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and differentiated among team members.
  • Job design is changed so that the best possible match between individual goals and the team’s goals can be achieved.
  • Administrative procedures support a team approach.
11
Q

How is Behaviour defined?

A

the way in which one acts or conducts oneself, especially towards others.

12
Q

What are Behavioural Tests?

A

A method used in the field of psychology to observe, describe, explain, predict and sometimes correct behaviour
- While personality may not change substantially, behaviour is believed to change more easily
- Many behaviour tests will involve observation from other e.g. degree feedback
Others are self-reported e.g. Belbin’s Team Role

13
Q

How is Personality Defined?

A

the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character.

14
Q

What are Psychometric Tests?

A

Objective measurement of skill and knowledge abilities, attitudes, personality traits, and educational achievement

15
Q

What are Psychometric Tools?

A
  • Questionnaires about tendencies and preferences –> Self- reported
  • Tested widely –> for reliability and validity
  • Answers processed to produce graph
  • Compares the individual’s results with results from a relevant sample
  • Simplistic interpretation by untrained personnel is misleading
  • Requires someone who is trained and experience in reading profiles
16
Q

How do Businesses use Psychometrics?

A

Recruitment and Selection (but not MBTI) including:

  • Graduate recruitment
  • Internal promotion

Team Development
Career Development
Improving communication coaching

17
Q

What are some Examples Tests and Questionnaires for Team Development?

A
  • Psychometric –> MBTI
  • Behaviour Test –> Belbin, Team Effectiveness Questionnaire

THESE SHOULDN’T BE USED FOR RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION  THERE NOT VALID OR RELIABLE

18
Q

What is the MBTI?

A
  • The Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator is a self-report inventory designed to identify a person’s personality type, strengths, and preferences.
  • Preferences are not ability –> MBTI preference do not tell you what you can and can’t do
    There are no better or worse types –> all types have potential
  • People are the best judge of their own type –> hence the MBTI questionnaire is an indicator, not a test
19
Q

What are some Ethics associated with the MBTI?

A
  • The MBTI questionnaire should only be used for development
  • The MBTI questionnaire cannot be used for selection, because it tells you nothing about a person’s skills and abilities
  • People should only be asked to share their MBTI type if they feel comfortable doing so – everyone owns their data and can choose to share it or not as they wish
20
Q

What are the 4 Dimensions of type of the MBTI?

A
  • Extraversion and Introversion
  • Sensing and iNtuition
  • Thinking and Feeling
  • Judging and Perceiving
21
Q

What do Extroverted people prefer?

A
  • To get energy for the outer environment of people and experiences
  • Focus energy and attention outwards in action
22
Q

What do Introverted people prefer?

A
  • To get energy from the inner environment of reflection and thoughts
  • Focus energy and attention inwards in reflection
23
Q

How does Extraversion compare to Introversion?

A
  • Where you prefer to get and focus your ‘energy’ or attention
  • Do-think-do vs. think-do-think
  • Action vs. Reflection
  • Talk things through vs. Think things through
  • Expressive vs. Contained
  • Interaction vs. Concentration
  • Breadth of interest vs. Depth of interest
24
Q

What do Sensing people prefer?

A
  • Information coming from the give sense
  • Focus of what is real
  • Value practical applications
25
Q

What do Intuition people prefer?

A
  • Information coming from association –> the big picture
  • Focus on what might be
  • Value imagination and insight
26
Q

How does Sensing compare to Intuition?

A
  • What kind of information you prefer to gather and trust
  • Facts vs. Ideas
  • Specifics vs. Big Picture
  • Realistic vs. Imaginative
  • Here and now vs. Anticipating the future
  • Practical vs. Theoretical
  • Observant vs. Conceptual
27
Q

What do Thinking people prefer?

A
  • To make decisions on the basis of logic and objectivity
  • Quick to see errors and give a critique
  • Step out of situations in order to analyse dispassionately
28
Q

What do Feeling people prefer?

A
  • Prefer to make decisions on the basis of values and personal convictions
  • Quick to show appreciation and find common ground
  • Step into situations to weigh human values and motives
29
Q

How does Thinking compare to Feeling?

A
  • What process you prefer to use in coming to decisions?
  • Guided by cause and effect reasoning vs. Guided by personal values
  • Logical Analysis vs. Understand others’ point of view
  • Seek objective truth vs. Seek harmony
  • Impersonal criteria vs. Personal circumstances
  • Critique vs. Praise
  • Focus on task vs. Focus on Relationship
30
Q

What do Judging people prefer?

A
  • To live in a planned and organised manner
  • Enjoy coming to closure an being decisive
  • Avoid stressful last-minutes rushes
31
Q

What do Perceiving people prefer?

A
  • Prefer to live life in a spontaneous adaptable manner
  • Enjoy keeping options open and being curious
  • Feel energised by last-minute pressures
32
Q

How does Thinking compare to Perceiving?

A
  • How you prefer to deal with the world around you, your ‘lifestyle’
  • Planned vs. Emergent
  • Organised vs. Flexible
  • Controlled vs. Unconstrained
  • Structured vs. Go with the Flow
  • Scheduled vs. Spontaneous
33
Q

What MBTI profile was I and What does it say about me?

A
  • ENTJ
  • Frank, decisive and assumes leadership readily
  • Quickly see illogical and inefficient procedures and policies, develop and implement comprehensive systems to solve organisational problem
  • Enjoy long-term planning and goal setting
  • Usually well informed, well read, enjoy expanding their knowledge and passing it on to others
  • Forceful in presenting their ideas
  • Like to plan
  • Strong communication abilities
34
Q

What are the advantages of MBTI?

A
  • Work more successfully a team
  • Appreciate individual differences and collective synergies
  • Simple and minimalistic only 8 types compared to the ‘Big Five construct’ with has 26+ elements
35
Q

What are the disadvantages of MBTI?

A
  • Some organisations have misused this tool by using it as a head count reduction tool – one firm used this tool and then told employees that whatever they were doing for years was not what they should be doing
  • If everyone used this to pick career/role there is no question of multi-tasking or cross-functional capability
  • People have a mix of all 8 types can be hard to interpret properly
  • Instead of inspiring personal growth it is a crutch–> doesn’t improve public speaking because they are mainly introverted
36
Q

What is Belbin Team Roles?

A

The Belbin Team Role model is a way of measuring preferred behaviour when working within a team.

  • There are no right or wrong answers, and no Team Role is ‘better’ than any others.
  • The underlying idea is to understand your behavioural strengths and allowable weaknesses, and hence use them to best effect.
37
Q

What are the three main Categories of Belbin?

A
  • Action-Orientated
  • People-Orientated
  • Cerebral-Orientated
38
Q

What are the Three Roles under the Category Action-Orientated?

A
  • Shaper – Task Leader
  • Implementer – Practical Organiser
  • Completer/Finisher – Progress Chaser
39
Q

What does the role of Shaper contribute to the Group?

A
  • Challenging
  • Dynamic
  • Thrives on pressure
  • The drive and courage to overcome obstacles
  • Prone to provocation
  • Offend people’s feeling
40
Q

What are the Allowable Weaknesses of the Shaper?

A
  • Prone to provocation

- Offend people’s feeling

41
Q

What does the role of Implementer contribute to the Group?

A
  • Disciplined
  • Reliable
  • Conservative and efficient
  • Turns ideas into practical actions
42
Q

What are the allowable Weaknesses of the Implementer?

A
  • Somewhat inflexible

- Slow to respond to new possibilities

43
Q

What does the role of Completer/Finisher contribute to the group?

A
  • Painstaking
  • Conscientious
  • Anxious
  • Searches out errors and omissions
  • Delivers on time
44
Q

What are the allowable Weaknesses of the Completer/Finisher?

A
  • Incline to worry unduly

- Reluctant to delegate

45
Q

What are the Three Roles under the Category People-Orientated?

A
  • Co-ordinator – Chairperson
  • Teamworker – Group Mediator
  • Resources Investigator – ME/MS Think-on-their-feet
46
Q

What does the role of Co-ordinator contribute to the group?

A
  • Mature
  • Confident
  • A good chairman
  • Clarifies goals
  • Promotes decision-making
  • Delegates well
47
Q

What are the Allowable Weaknesses of the Co-ordinator?

A
  • Can often be seen as manipulative

- Off loads personal work

48
Q

What does the role of Teamworker contribute to the group?

A
  • Co-operative
  • Mild
  • Chairman
  • Clarifies goals
  • Promotes decision-making
  • Delegates well
49
Q

What are the Allowable Weaknesses of the Teamworker?

A
  • Indecisive in crunch situations
50
Q

What does the role of Resource Investigator contribute to the group?

A
  • Enthusiastic
  • Communicative
  • Extrovert
  • Explores opportunities
  • Develops contacts
51
Q

What are the Allowable Weaknesses of the Resource Investigator?

A
  • Over optimistic

- Loses interest once initial enthusiasm has passed

52
Q

What are the Three Roles under the Category Cerebral-Orientated?

A
  • Plant – Ideas person
  • Monitor Evaluator – Analyst
  • Specialist (added in 1981) – Provides ‘rare’ knowledge
53
Q

What does the Plant contribute to the group?

A
  • Creative
  • Imaginative
  • Unorthodox
  • Solves difficult Problems
54
Q

What are the Allowable Weaknesses of the Plant?

A
  • Ignores incidentals

- Too pre-occupied to communicate effectively

55
Q

What does the Monitor Evaluator contribute to the group?

A
  • Sober
  • Strategic and discerning
  • Sees all options
  • Judges accurately
56
Q

What are the Allowable Weaknesses of the Monitor Evaluator?

A
  • Lacks drive and ability to inspire others
57
Q

What does the Specialist contribute to the group?

A
  • Single-minded
  • Self-starting
  • Dedicated
  • Provides knowledge and skills in rare supply
58
Q

What are the Allowable Weaknesses of the Specialist?

A
  • Contributes only on a narrow front

- Dwells on technicalities

59
Q

What can go wrong with Belbin Team Roles?

A
  • Two plants –> clashing of ideas not much getting done
  • No Teamworkers –> people clashing
  • No Action-Oriented Preferences –> nothing gets done
  • Plant, monitor-evaluator, resource investigator and an implementer –> good for ideas, but with no shaper or completer-finisher you will never get anywhere/complete the task
60
Q

What are the Reasons for use of Self-Managed Teams?

A
  • Cost savings: Organisations such as RCAR Electronics in the USA reported annual savings of $10 million following the implementation of self-managed teams.
  • Innovation: Team members
    have the freedom to review and improve working practices.
  • Effective decision making: Self-managed teams can develop quicker or more effective decision-making skills.
  • Increased productivity: Teams work towards a common goal and are responsible for their own actions. When successful, self-managed teams can be 15–20 per cent more productive than other types of team.
  • Improved customer satisfaction: Self-managed teams benefit organisational performance through improved sales figures and customer service. Companies have reported significantly lower customer returns and complaints.
  • Commitment: Team members can become more involved in projects as a direct result of having increased autonomy and responsibility.
  • Motivation: Team members have shared or equal responsibility, so members are accountable for their actions.
  • Increased compatibility between employers and employees: Self-managed teams can relieve stress for the leader, who is then able to concentrate on other tasks. The team is mutually supportive, and members learn from each other instead of approaching the team leader for advice.
61
Q

What are potential problems with Self-Managed Teams?

A
  • Difficult to set up especially if there is not a culture of using self-managed teams in an organisation
  • People new to self-managed teams may be anxious if they perceive that they may be given extra responsibility
  • Team leaders may feel threatened that responsibility may be taken away from them
  • May needed extra training to give them the skills required
  • Redundant communication in self-managed teams as there is no clear structure for it
  • If there are free-riders may affect the morale of others (sucker effect?) and reduce group productivity
62
Q

What can be used to assist in developing Self-Managed Teams?

A
  • Diagnostic tools (questionnaires designed to identify strengths and development needs)
  • Teams will work with feedback more effectively, if feedback is linked to specific criteria/team characteristics
  • Coaching within a from outside the team
  • Clarity, discussion and negotiation about the task(s