Strategies to Develop Effective Groups and Teams
The team members discussed the difference between the definitions of work group and work team. The work group share information and make decisions that assists each member perform tasks in his area of responsibility (Robbins & Judge, 2011). The group members do not engage in “collective work that requires joint effort (Robbins & Judge, 2011, Chapter 10) like a work team does. A work group does not create the synergy of a work team. The individual is accountable in a work group but both the individual and team members mutually are accountable. Work group members provide random and varied skills, whereas work team members bring complementary skills to the joint effort.
Robbins and Judge (2011) categorized the major characteristics of effective teams into three general categories: context, composition, and process. In the context category, managers play a vital role in providing leadership, structure, a climate of trust, adequate resources, and a performance evaluation and reward systems to assist teams in becoming effective and highly productive. In the composition category, the manager must evaluate and select team members with the appropriate abilities, personalities, and diversity. Managers must determine the appropriate team size and either unilaterally or mutually allocate roles. Managers also must be aware of team member preferences and permit flexibility within the team. In the process category, managers must provide a common
References: Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational Behavior (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.