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Full summary Teamwork RUG NOV 2023
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Full summary of Teamwork - Theories, Design and Dynamics RUG November 2023. Lectures + articles
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Teamwork lecture 1Part 1: What are work teams, are they effective? (Based on ‘Structural Interdependence’
by Courtright + ‘Why teams don’t work’ by Hackman)
Work teams = interdependent collection of individuals who share responsibility for specific
outcomes for their organization.
Why are teams popular?
• Teams bring more resources
• Diversity in background and expertise
• Flexibility, keep the work going
What are work teams?
Interdependence as a defining feature (onderlinge afhankelijkheid)
Interdependence = the dependence of two or more people or things on each other.
Interdependence is everywhere. Interdependence can be low or high (determined by features of the
team i.e. the task and required output).
Pooled: two people doing things alone and putting the work together at the end
Sequential: the first person does something and the second person finishes it
Reciprocal: both people are working on it and exchange the work
,Structural interdependence = refers to features of the team that define the interconnectedness of
team members. These ‘features’ refer to task-related team inputs such as resources and workflows
as well as goal and reward systems that can be deliberately manipulated by team leaders and
members.
Behavioral interdependence = refers to the actual level of interaction between team members while
doing taskwork. It captures team-like behavior, or teamwork such as defining the team’s strategy,
monitoring progress, and coordinating efforts.
Two different types of interdependence in work teams:
1. Task interdependence
2. Outcome interdependence
Task interdependence = the degree to which members (a) depend on another for access to critical
resources and (b) create workflows that require coordinated action.
- Low task interdependence → Corona IC (a person can do the tasks on his own)
- High task interdependence → Complex treatment (all members have their own tasks but
they need each other)
Outcome interdependence = The degree to which goals are formulated and outcomes are rewarded
in terms of collective rather than individual contributions.
- Low interdependence → F1 (Max has a team behind his back but has to race alone in the
car)
- High interdependence → Football teams have to work together to make a goal
Teamfunctioning = processes and emergent states (opkomende toestanden) that translate inputs
such as interdependence into outputs such as team performance.
Team processes fit into three broad categories:
1. Transition (task-focused)
2. Action (task-focused)
3. Interpersonal processes (relationship-focused behaviors)
Are work teams really that effective?
“Research evidence about team performance shows that teams usually do less well—not better—
than the sum of their members’ individual contributions”.
Several features are needed for teams to be successful.
,Six most mistakes managers make (by Hackman)
1. Use a team for work that is better done by individuals
Many tasks are better suited for individual execution, as individual abilities and creativity often
outshine collective efforts.
2. Call the performing unit a team but really manage members as individuals
To achieve the benefits of teamwork, real teams must be carefully established with clear
boundaries, shared purposes, and autonomy. Merely declaring a group as a team does not create a
real team. Organizations with a focus on individual performance shouldn’t rely on mixed models, as
they often lead to confusion and underperformance. If a unit is meant to be a team, it should be a
genuine team and managed accordingly.
3. Fall off the authority balance beam
Balancing authority between managers and teams can be challenging and creates anxiety. An
extreme delegation of authority to a team can lead to anarchy while retaining all authority with
managers hinders the benefits of teamwork. Effective authority balance requires managing, not
minimizing, anxieties. Managing authority relations is akin to walking a balance beam, requiring
knowledge, skill, and perseverance to maintain the equilibrium.
4. Dismantle existing organizational structures so that teams will be fully ‘empowered’ to
accomplish the work
Traditional organizations often have rigid structures that can stifle employee behavior. Some
managers wrongly try to empower teams by eliminating all structure, which can cause confusion.
Effective team structures involve well-defined tasks, diverse and well-organized groups, and clear
conduct norms. The focus should be on quality, enabling and supporting teamwork.
5. Specify challenging team objectives, but skimp on organizational supports
Even with clear direction and an enabling structure, work teams can underperform due to
insufficient organizational support. To unleash the potential of work teams, organizations must
provide essential support, a reward system for team performance, and education/training system.
Failing to provide this support can undermine well-directed/structured teams and result in failure.
6. Assume that members already have all the skills they need to work well as a team
Managers should not adopt a completely hands-off approach after forming a team, especially if team
members lack experience in working collaboratively. Providing coaching at three critical stages of a
team's life—beginning, midpoint, and end—can enhance their effectiveness. The beginning stage
involves setting the right track for the team, the midpoint is a time for reflection and strategy
adjustment, and the end is ideal for capturing lessons learned.
Why it doesn’t happen (image a team whose leaders have made none of the six mistakes; the
following facts would be true for that team):
1. The task is one that is fully appropriate for performance by a team.
2. The team is an intact performing unit whose members perceive themselves as a team and
that others deal with as such.
3. The team has a clear, authoritative, and engaging direction for its work.
4. The structure of the team—its task, composition, and core norms of conduct—promotes
rather than impedes competent teamwork.
5. The organizational context provides support and reinforcement for excellence through
policies and systems that are specifically tuned to the needs of work teams.
6. Ample, expert coaching is available to the team at those times when members most need it
and are ready to receive it.
, What do work teams need to be effective?
Task
- Do not use a team for work that is better done by individuals.
- Some projects turn out better when performed by one talented individual on behalf of a
group than by the group as a whole working in lockstep.
Structure
- To reap the benefits of teamwork, one must actually build the team.
- Set boundaries, define relationships, divide tasks, form relationships with stakeholders, etc
Leadership and support
- Leaders need to give direction to avoid ambiguity.
- The organizational context needs to provide support that is specifically tuned to the needs of
work teams.
- It is important to reward collective outcomes.
Part 2: How can we study team effectiveness? (Based on ‘Teams in Organization: From
Input-Process-Output to IMOI models’ by Ilgen)
The basic IMOI model (Ilgen et al., 2005)
For example: star players → coordination → performance
Input (1)
Team design
- Composition (KGA’s, Knowledge/skills and abilities, size, stability)
- Interdependence (task, outcome)
- Leadership and authority
Task factors (complexity, requirements, task type)
Context (organizational culture, resources)
Potential performance = performance that a team could achieve
(is high when teams have the resources (composition, context) that are required by the task)
Task types and potential performance (Steiner, 1972)
Pooled interdependence
Sequential interdependence
Reciprocal interdependence
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