Abstract
What is a team? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having teams
in organizations? What does it take to make a team effective? This paper
examines the theme of effectiveness in teams. A work group is defined as a
group of individuals who are seen by themselves and others as a social
entity, which is interdependent because of the tasks performed as members
of a group. First, the paper briefly examines the advantages and potential
pitfalls of having teams in an organization. Then, three models of work
group effectiveness are presented. These models are from Campion, Guzzo and
Hackman. Implications of these models for teams are discussed, and then the
models are synthesized into a checklist of characteristics needed for
effective teams.
Work Teams:Three Models of Effectiveness
Groups became a new focus of attention in the 1940's after the Hawthorne
studies were published (Roethlisberger & Dickson, 1939). One of the
discoveries outlined in that report is that informal work groups are formed
by workers inside of classic Theory X organizations.
In recent years the
use of work teams in organizations has been increasing substantially, and
this trend is expected to continue (Katzenbach, 1998). Eighty percent of
organizations with over 100 employees report 50% of their employees are in
at least one team (Beyerlein & Harris, 1998). To remain competitive, it is
important for organizations to create and maintain teams which are as
effective as possible.
A work team will be defined for the purposes of this paper by a definition
borrowed from Guzzo (1986) as follows. A team is a group of individuals who
see themselves and are seen by others as a social entity, which is
interdependent because of the tasks performed as members of a group. They
are embedded in one or more larger social systems,