Understanding Work

Team
Ch.10
Outline

 Difference between groups and teams

 Types of teams
 Developing successful teams
Differences Between Groups and Teams

we defined a group as two or more individuals, interacting and

interdependent, who work together to achieve particular
objectives. A workgroup is a group that interacts primarily to share
information and make decisions to help each member perform
within his or her area of responsibility.
A work team, on the other hand,
generates positive synergy through
coordination. The individual efforts
result in a level of performance
greater than the sum of the individual
inputs.
Types of Teams
Creating Effective Teams
 Team Context: What Factors Determine
Whether Teams are successful?
 adequate resources Teams are part of a larger organization system; every work team relies on
resources outside the group to sustain it. A scarcity of resources directly reduces the ability of a team
to perform its job effectively and achieve its goals.
 leadership and structure Teams can’t function if they can’t agree on who is to do what and ensure
all members share the workload. Agreeing on the specifics of work and how they fit together to
integrate individual skills requires leadership and structure, either from management or from team
members themselves.
 Climate of Trust Trust is the foundation of leadership; it allows a team to accept and commit to the
leader’s goals and decisions. Members of effective teams exhibit trust in their leaders.24 They also
trust each other. Interpersonal trust among team members facilitates cooperation, reduces the need
to monitor each other’s behavior, and bonds individuals through the belief that members won’t take
advantage of them.
 Performance evaluation and reward system Individual performance evaluations and incentives
may interfere with the development of high-performance teams. So, in addition to evaluating and
rewarding employees for their individual contributions, management should utilize hybrid
performance systems that incorporate an individual member component to recognize individual
contributions and a group reward to recognize positive team outcomes.27 Group-based appraisals,
profit-sharing, small-group incentives, and other system modifications can reinforce team effort and
commitment.
Communication
Functions of Communications
Direction of Communication
Mode of Communication
Barriers of effective communication
Communication must include both the
transfer and the understanding of
meaning. Communicating is more than
merely imparting meaning; that
meaning must also be understood. It is
only thus that we can convey
information and ideas. In perfect
communication, if it existed, a thought
would be transmitted so the receiver
understood the same mental picture the
sender intended. Though it sounds
elementary, perfect communication is
never achieved in practice, for reasons
we shall see.
Direction of Communication

Communication can flow vertically or laterally,

through formal small-group networks or the
informal grapevine. We subdivide the vertical
dimension into downward and upward directions.
Downward Communication
Communication that flows from one level of a
group or organization to a lower level is downward
communication. Group leaders and managers use
it to assign goals, provide job instructions, explain
policies and procedures, point out problems that
need attention, and offer feedback. In downward
communication, managers must explain the
reasons why a decision was made. Although this
may seem like common sense, many managers
feel they are too busy to explain things or that
explanations will raise too many questions.
Evidence clearly indicates, though, that
explanations increase employee commitment and
the support of decisions.
upward Communication
Upward communication flows to a higher level in
the group or organization. It’s used to provide
feedback to higher-ups, inform them of progress
toward goals, and relay current problems. Upward
communication keeps managers aware of how
employees feel about their jobs, coworkers, and
the organization in general. Managers also rely on
upward communication for ideas on how
conditions can be improved
Lateral Communication
When communication occurs between members of
the same workgroup, members at the same level
in separate workgroups, or any other horizontally
equivalent workers, we describe it as lateral
communication. Lateral communication saves time
and facilitates coordination. Some lateral
relationships are formally sanctioned. More often,
they are informally created to short-circuit the
vertical hierarchy and expedite action.
 Modes of Communication

oral Communication A primary means of conveying messages is oral

communication. Speeches, formal one-on-one and group discussions,
and the informal rumor mill or grapevine are popular forms of oral
communication

Video
conferencing &
meetings telephone
conference
calling
 Modes of Communication
Written communication includes letters, e-mail, instant messaging, organizational
periodicals, and any other method that conveys written words or symbols. Written
business communication today is usually conducted via letters, PowerPoint, e-mail,
instant messaging, text messaging, social media, apps, and blogs. We are all familiar
with these methods, but let’s consider the unique current business communication
applications of them

Instant
Letters powerpoint email
messaging

Social
text
media apps blogs
messaging
websites
 Modes of Communication

nonverbal Communication Every time we deliver a verbal message, we also impart an

unspoken message.55 Sometimes the nonverbal component may stand alone as a powerful
message of our business communication. No discussion of communication would thus be
complete without consideration of nonverbal communication—which includes body movements,
the intonations or emphasis we give to words, facial expressions, and the physical distance
between the sender and receiver.

Body Facial intonation

movement expression s

Physical
distance
 Barriers to Effective Communication

information overload Individuals have a finite

Filtering refers to a sender’s capacity for processing data. When the information
purposely manipulating information we have to work with exceeds our processing
so the receiver will see it more capacity, the result is information overload. We’ve
favorably. A manager who tells his seen in this text that dealing with it has become a
boss what he feels the boss wants huge challenge for individuals and for organization
to hear is filtering information.
Emotions You may interpret the same
Selective perception is important because the message differently when you’re angry
receivers in the communication process selectively or distraught than when you’re happy.
see and hear based on their needs, motivations, For example, individuals in positive
experience, backgrounds, and other personal moods are more confident about their
characteristics. Receivers also project their opinions after reading a persuasive
selective Perception Selective perception is message, so well- designed arguments
important because the receivers in the have a stronger impact on their
communication process selectively see and hear opinions.71 People in negative moods
based on their needs, motivations, experience, are more likely to scrutinize messages
backgrounds, and other personal characteristics. in greater detail, whereas those in
Receivers also project their positive moods tend to accept
communications at face value.
 Barriers to Effective Communication
Communication apprehension An
estimated 5 to 20 percent of the
Language Even when we’re communicating in the
population suffers debilitating
same language, words mean different things to
communication apprehension, or
different people. Age and context are two of the
social anxiety.76 These people
biggest factors that influence such differences.
experience undue tension and
anxiety in oral communication,
written communication, or both.7
silence It’s easy to ignore silence or lack of
communication because it is defined by the Lying The final barrier to effective
absence of information. This is often a mistake— communication is outright
silence itself can be the message to communicate misrepresentation of information, or
non-interest or inability to deal with a topic. lying. People differ in their definition of
Silence can also be a simple outcome of a lie. For example, is deliberately
information overload, or a delaying period for withholding information about a
considering a response. For whatever reasons, mistake a lie, or do you have to
research suggests using silence and withholding actively deny your role in the mistake
communication are common and problematic. to pass the threshold? While the
definition of a lie befuddles ethicists
and social scientists, there is no
denying the prevalence of lying.
 Assignment#5 (Individual, word
doc)
 Topic: Overcome the Communication Barriers:
Q:Consider a scenario within a large multinational corporation where employees
from diverse cultural backgrounds are collaborating on a critical project. Describe
the potential barriers in communication that may arise due to cultural
differences, language variations, and hierarchical structures within the
organization. How would you address and overcome these barriers to ensure
effective communication and successful collaboration among team members?“
Write your response in no less than 350 words.

Submit on: Wednesday,20th Dec,23

 Quiz#5
 Topic:
 Communication Process
 Communication Direction
 Communication Modes
 Barriers to effective communication

Test on: Thursday,21st Dec,23