Teams: Characteristics and diversity
TEAM CHARACTERISTICS AND DIVERSITY
A team= Consists of two or more people who work interdependently over some time period to accomplish
common goals related to some task-oriented purpose.
Group= A collection of two or more people
Teams are special for two reasons:
1. Interactions among members within teams revolve around a deeper dependence on one another
than the interactions within groups.
2. The interactions within teams occur with a specific task-related purpose in mind
Use of teams is widespread in today’s organizations:
Why? Most obvious reason is that the nature of today’s work requires them. As work has become more
complex, interactions among multiple team members have become more vital.
Teams may also be useful in ways beyond just accomplishing the work itself
1 WHAT CHARACTERISITCS
Chapter 11: Teams – Characteristics andCAN BE USED TO DESCRIBE TEAMS
diversity
, VARIATIONS WITHIN TEAMTYPES
There are many important variations within those categories.
1. Level of autonomy and self-management
2. How the members typically communicate
Virtual teams= Teams in which the members are geographically dispersed and interdependent activity
occurs through electronic communication.
Different stages of the development of teams
1. Forming: Members orient themselves by trying to understand their boundaries in the team. They
try to get a feel for what is expected of them.
2. Storming: Members remain committed to ideas they bring with them to the team. Initial
unwillingness to accommodate to others’ ideas triggers conflict that negatively affect
some interpersonal relationships.
3. Norming: Members realize that they need to work together to accomplish team goals and
consequently they begin to cooperate with one another.
4. Performing: Members are comfortable to working within their roles and the team makes progress
2 Chapter 11: Teams –toward
Characteristics
goals. and diversity
5. Adjourning: Members experience anxiety and other emotions as they disengage and ultimately
TEAM CHARACTERISTICS AND DIVERSITY
A team= Consists of two or more people who work interdependently over some time period to accomplish
common goals related to some task-oriented purpose.
Group= A collection of two or more people
Teams are special for two reasons:
1. Interactions among members within teams revolve around a deeper dependence on one another
than the interactions within groups.
2. The interactions within teams occur with a specific task-related purpose in mind
Use of teams is widespread in today’s organizations:
Why? Most obvious reason is that the nature of today’s work requires them. As work has become more
complex, interactions among multiple team members have become more vital.
Teams may also be useful in ways beyond just accomplishing the work itself
1 WHAT CHARACTERISITCS
Chapter 11: Teams – Characteristics andCAN BE USED TO DESCRIBE TEAMS
diversity
, VARIATIONS WITHIN TEAMTYPES
There are many important variations within those categories.
1. Level of autonomy and self-management
2. How the members typically communicate
Virtual teams= Teams in which the members are geographically dispersed and interdependent activity
occurs through electronic communication.
Different stages of the development of teams
1. Forming: Members orient themselves by trying to understand their boundaries in the team. They
try to get a feel for what is expected of them.
2. Storming: Members remain committed to ideas they bring with them to the team. Initial
unwillingness to accommodate to others’ ideas triggers conflict that negatively affect
some interpersonal relationships.
3. Norming: Members realize that they need to work together to accomplish team goals and
consequently they begin to cooperate with one another.
4. Performing: Members are comfortable to working within their roles and the team makes progress
2 Chapter 11: Teams –toward
Characteristics
goals. and diversity
5. Adjourning: Members experience anxiety and other emotions as they disengage and ultimately
