After completing this unit, you should be able to: define teams; distinguish departmental teams from team-based organisations; explain why virtual teams are becoming more common; outline the model of team effectiveness; identify six organisational and team environmental elements that influence team effectiveness; explain the influence of the team’s task, composition and size on team effectiveness; describe the five stages of team development; identify four factors that shape team norms; list six factors that influence team cohesiveness; discuss the limitations of teams. | Team dynamics Chapter learning objectives Define teams. Distinguish departmental teams from team-based organisations. Explain why virtual teams are becoming more common. Outline the model of team effectiveness. Identify six organisational and team environmental elements that influence team effectiveness. Explain the influence of the team’s task, composition and size on team effectiveness. Describe the five stages of team development. Identify four factors that shape team norms. List six factors that influence team cohesiveness. Discuss the limitations of teams. Explain how companies minimise social loafing. Summarise the four types of team building. Australia’s submarine teams Crews onboard Australia’s new Collins-class submarines have interesting team dynamics due to their unusual work environment, challenging tasks and difficult entry to this elite team. Courtesy of the Royal Australian Navy What are teams? Groups of two or more people who interact and influence each other . | Team dynamics Chapter learning objectives Define teams. Distinguish departmental teams from team-based organisations. Explain why virtual teams are becoming more common. Outline the model of team effectiveness. Identify six organisational and team environmental elements that influence team effectiveness. Explain the influence of the team’s task, composition and size on team effectiveness. Describe the five stages of team development. Identify four factors that shape team norms. List six factors that influence team cohesiveness. Discuss the limitations of teams. Explain how companies minimise social loafing. Summarise the four types of team building. Australia’s submarine teams Crews onboard Australia’s new Collins-class submarines have interesting team dynamics due to their unusual work environment, challenging tasks and difficult entry to this elite team. Courtesy of the Royal Australian Navy What are teams? Groups of two or more people who interact and influence each other are mutually accountable for achieving common objectives and perceive themselves as a social entity within an organisation Courtesy of the Royal Australian Navy Groups versus teams All teams are groups Some groups are just people assembled together Teams have task interdependence whereas some groups do not (eg group of employees enjoying lunch together) Courtesy of the Royal Australian Navy Types of teams Permanent teams team-based departments team-based organisation quality circles Temporary teams task forces temporary teams that investigate a problem skunkworks formed spontaneously, using borrowed resources, to develop products or solve problems Virtual teams Cross-functional teams that operate across space, time and organisational boundaries using information technology Increasingly possible because of technology knowledge-based work Increasingly necessary because of globalisation knowledge management need for team work Why informal groups exist Relatedness needs .
