Select one or more methods: (1) fill in the missing key terms for each definition given below from memory; (2) match the key terms from the end of the review with their definitions below; and/
or (3) copy the key terms in order from the key terms at the beginning of the chapter.
involves working together to achieve something beyond the capabilities of individuals working alone.
The states that a team’s performance is based on its structure, dynamics, and stage of development.
refers to the patterns of interactions that emerge as groups develop.
are the group’s shared expectations of its members’ behavior.
is the attractiveness and closeness group members have for one another and for the group.
is the perceived ranking of one member relative to other members of the group.
are the things group members do and say that directly aid in the accomplishment of the group’s objective(s).
brainstorming 353 creativity 352 decision making 348 group cohesiveness 335
maintenance roles 336 norms 334
problem 348 problem solving 348
roles 336
self-interest roles 336 stages in the creative
process 352 status 335
task roles 336 team dynamics 334 team performance
model 333 teamwork 331
/ / / K E Y T E R M S / / /
The following critical thinking questions can be used for class discussion and/or as written assignments to de- velop communication skills. Be sure to give complete explanations for all questions.
1. Many of the TV reality shows have an element of teamwork. However, they often have members of the teams doing negative things to each other to get ahead. Do you believe that these negative examples of poor teamwork influence people’s behavior in real-life groups? Can you think of any TV shows that give positive examples of good teamwork?
2. It has been said that the team performance model is too simplistic; group performance is much more complex. Do you agree with this statement? How can the model be used?
3. What is the difference between a rule and a norm?
Do norms help or hurt groups? Is it ethical to make group members comply with group norms?
Can groups stop having norms?
4. It has been said that success breeds cohesiveness, which in turn leads to more success. What does this mean? How is it supposed to work? Do you agree with the statement?
5. Select a work or sports team to which you belong/
have belonged. Which team member (not the manager or coach) had the highest level of status?
Identify the factors that contributed to that person’s high status.
6. The younger generations have been called the “me generation” because they care only about them- selves. Do you agree with this statement? How does putting oneself as number one affect group performance? Which group role is illustrated through the “me generation” statement?
7. Team development stages state that most people coming to a new group are enthusiastic, but that with time they lose some of their morale. What types of things happen in most groups to cause
/ / / C O M M U N I C A T I O N S K I L L S / / /
are the things group members do and say to develop and sustain group dynamics.
A(n) exists whenever there is a difference between what is actually happening and what the individual or group wants to be happening.
is the process of taking corrective action in order to meet objectives.
is the process of selecting an alternative course of action that will solve a problem.
is the ability to develop unique alternatives to solve problems.
The are (1) preparation, (2) possible solutions, (3) incubation, and (4) evaluation.
is the process of suggesting many alternatives, without evaluation, to solve a problem.
are shared expectations of how group members will fulfill the requirements of their position.
are the things group members do and say to meet their own needs or objectives at the expense of the team.
Copyright © 2017 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.
C A S E / / / Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Facebook
By now, it is a safe bet that most people on the planet know the name Mark Zuckerberg, yet he is a very pri- vate individual who prefers to spend much of his time with friends and family members. The interview that he gave to Time magazine following the announcement that he had been named Time’s 2010 Person of the Year is one of the few occasions that Zuckerberg al- lowed the media into his world. The caption went as follows:
For connecting more than half a billion people and mapping the social relations among them (something that has never been done before); for creating a new sys- tem of exchanging information that has become both in- dispensable and sometimes a little scary; and finally, for changing how we all live our lives in ways that are inno- vative and even optimistic, Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is Time’s 2010 Person of the Year.112
The interview revealed information about Zuckerberg’s interpersonal relationship with his follow- ers and the dynamic between them. The Time inter- viewer reveals that upon meeting Zuckerberg, the first thing that comes across is that he is very warm, with a quick smile, and he does not shy away from eye contact.
His best friends are his staff. There are no offices.
Zuckerberg, it is said, loves being around people. A far
cry from the shy recluse that he has been portrayed as. Zuckerberg’s coworkers are adamant in their decla- rations of affection for him. “He has great EQ,” says Naomi Gleit, Facebook’s product manager for growth and internationalization.
In terms of his attitude, sense of self, and values, Zuckerberg lives a very different lifestyle from what most people might think. He is not materialistic and prefers to help others with his riches. He values personal relationships over the trappings of wealth. He is some- one who is truly comfortable with himself and the val- ues he holds. Recently, Zuckerberg invited some 400 people to watch a movie. The movie was Waiting for Superman, a poignant documentary about America’s failing public schools. The event was organized in con- junction with a group of outfits that are pushing education reform. This was Mark Zuckerberg the phi- lanthropist, not Mark Zuckerberg the Facebook chief executive.98 He is not motivated by material things, rather his desire is to give back and improve the lives of others. In September 2010, Zuckerberg announced that he would put up $100 million of his personal Facebook equity to help the Newark school system. Also, as part of a campaign organized by Bill Gates and Warren Buf- fett, Mark Zuckerberg pledged to give away at least half of his wealth over the course of his lifetime.
this decline in morale? Be sure to focus on the components of team structure and team dynamics.
8. Many people complain about meetings. Recall a meeting that you have attended. Do you have any complaints about it? State whether or not the meeting had each of the four parts of a written meeting plan (Exhibit 11.5) and whether the meet- ing included (1) reviewing objectives, (2) covering agenda items, and (3) summarizing and reviewing assignments. How could the meeting have been im- proved?
9. Identity the types of problem team members you have encountered. Did the team leader effectively handle these problem members? How could the leader have done a better job of managing these members?
10. What is the role of intuition in decision making?
Should managers use more objective or subjective intuition techniques when making decisions?
11. Is following the steps in the decision-making model really all that important? Which steps of the model do you tend to follow? Which steps do you
tend to not use? Will you use the model in your personal and/or professional life?
12. Should managers be ethical in their decision making? If so, how should ethics be used in decision making?
13. Are creativity and innovation really that important to all types of businesses?
14. Is it important to evaluate a creative idea before it becomes an innovation?
15. Have you used any of the five techniques for generating creative alternatives? If yes, which ones?
16. Which of the potential advantages and disadvan- tags of group problem solving and decision mak- ing do you think arise most frequently?
17. With virtual team members from all over the world, how does the global economy affect team performance?
18. How do your personality traits affect your teamwork and decision-making style and your interest and ability to participate in group decision making?
As a problem solver and decision maker, Zucker- berg is described as someone who can easily become im- patient with followers during one-on-one meetings. “If you’re not making compelling points, he kind of just tunes out,” reports one of his team members. However, just as this anecdote seems to reveal something about his personality, the team member follows through with this: “He’s not trying to be rude.” It would appear from this anecdote that Zuckerberg is someone who puts a high premium on his time.
Facebook has been able to recruit and hire some of the best minds in the industry. According to one analyst, everyone at Facebook was a star in their pre- vious employment. In March 2008, Zuckerberg hired Sheryl Sandberg, a veteran of Google who was the chief of staff for former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers. She joined Facebook as the company’s chief operating officer (COO). Former Google employees soon followed. This did not stop with Google; other companies like eBay, Genentech, and Mozilla also saw an exodus of their employees to Facebook. Chris Cox, Facebook’s vice president of product, was doing a master’s in artificial intelligence at Stanford when Zuckerberg personally convinced him to join Facebook. “You don’t get a lot of shy, retiring types at Facebook,” said one writer. These are intelligent, experienced, productive, and highly sought after talents, “power nerds” to say the least.
They are a highly effective team whose creativity and performance is matched only by that of its leader, Mark Zuckerberg.
Zuckerberg does not have one of those plush ex- ecutive suites typical of corporate CEOs. His desk is near the middle of the office, within arm’s length of his most senior employees. He is said to be a hands-on type leader. Facebook is characterized by an open cor- porate culture wherein little personal private space exists. Debate is the hallmark of staff meetings at Facebook and employees describe what an intense listener Zuckerberg is during these dynamic debates. It
is said that he is often one of the last persons to leave the office. He leads his team by example. Most of Zuckerberg’s close friends, who worked for Facebook at the start, have left. These departures, according to some analysts, could in part reflect the status that former Facebook employees have in the industry; but could also point to the difficulty some people have working for Zuckerberg.
Leadership is about having a compelling vision and being able to effectively communicate it to follow- ers so that they become totally committed to it. In 2006, Zuckerberg turned down an offer of $1 billion from Yahoo to buy the company. For a 22-year-old to walk away from such an offer is truly remarkable and indicative of how much he believes in himself and his vision for Facebook. Facebook went public in May of 2012 with a highly anticipated initial public stock of- fering. Although the stock ended up slightly lower on the first day, in reality, the stock has steadily increased for the first four years. Zuckerberg owns 500 million shares (currently about $63 a share) worth about
$31 billion. In 2014, Facebook bought WhatsApp, a mobile-messaging startup company. Half a billion people use WhatsApp for mobile messaging. Facebook paid an astonishing $19 billion to own Whatsapp and ensure being a large player in the mobile messaging industry.114
Facebook is used by billions of people around the world to communicate about social media issues. Plus, advertisers have learned to market products using Facebook by using the incredibly large database Facebook generates to help companies focus on their target markets.115
Go to the Internet: To learn more about Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, visit its Web site at www .facebook.com.
Support your answers to the following questions with specific information from the case and text or with information you get from the Web or another source.
1. There are four team structure components that along with team dynamics and development, affect team performance. Which of the four components does the case feature with examples?
2. How would you describe Mark Zuckerberg as a team leader?
Copyright © 2017 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. O B J E C T I V E C A S E / / / Group Performance
Through reorganization, Christen has been assigned three additional departments that produce the same product. Aiden, Sasha, and Rashid are the supervisors of these departments. Christen would like to increase productivity, so she set up a group to analyze the present situation and recommend ways to increase pro- ductivity. The group consists of Christen, the three su- pervisors, an industrial engineer, and an expert on group dynamics from personnel. The group analyzed the present situation in each department as follows:
Group 1: Aiden’s department produces at or above standard on a regular basis. It averages between 102 and 104 percent of standard on a monthly basis (stand- ard is 100 percent). Members work well together; they often go to lunch together. Members’ productivity levels are all about the same.
Group 2: Sasha’s department produces between 95 and 105 percent on a monthly basis. However, it usually produces 100 percent. The members do not seem to interact too often. Part of the reason for the 3. Describe the team dynamics at Facebook.
4. Based on the facts of the case, at which stage would you categorize teamwork at Facebook? Base your answer on the team development stages in the text.
5. Would you describe Zuckerberg as having a reflexive, reflective, or consistent decision-making style?
Cumulative Questions
6. How do Mark Zuckerberg’s values, self-concept, and ethics (Chapter 3) affect his life and leadership of Facebook?
7. According to the two-dimensional leadership style studies (Chapter 7), a leader’s behavior toward followers can be classified as either initiating structure or consideration or both or neither (Ohio State University Studies). The Leadership Grid identifies concern for production or people or both or neither with five leadership styles. Which dimension(s) would you associate with Mark Zuckerberg?
Case Exercise and Role-Play
Preparation: Have students read up on the meaning of “going public” for a private company like Facebook. The ques- tion before the class is, Should Facebook go public or stay private? The chapter discusses different techniques to use in group decision making—brainstorming, synectics, nominal grouping, consensus mapping, and the Delphi technique.
In-Class Groups: Divide the class into groups of four or five students. Each group selects one of the techniques and a group leader or facilitator. Each team employs the technique it has been assigned to address the question: Should Facebook go public or stay a private company? This is the rehearsal.
Role-Play: Each team takes the stage and plays out its decision-making process using the assigned technique.
Which team made the best use of its technique? The instructor or the class as a whole can vote on the outcome.
1. Christen, Aiden, Sasha, and Rashid make up a(n) group.
a. functional b. task c. informal
2. To increase productivity, Christen set up a(n) group.
a. functional b. ad hoc committee c. standing committee
3. Which group has high agreement and commitment to its own objectives (you may select more than one group)?
a. 1 d. 1 and 2 g. 1, 2, and 3
b. 2 e. 1 and 3
c. 3 f. 2 and 3
4. Which group has objectives (positive norms) in agreement with those of management (you may se- lect more than one group)?
a. 1 d. 1 and 2 g. 1, 2, and 3
b. 2 e. 1 and 3
c. 3 f. 2 and 3
5. Which group is cohesive (you may select more than one group)?
a. 1 d. 1 and 2 g. 1, 2, and 3
b. 2 e. 1 and 3
c. 3 f. 2 and 3
6. Which group most clearly plays self-interest roles?
a. 1 b. 2 c. 3
7. Megan primarily plays a role for her group.
a. task b. maintenance c. self-interest
8. Group 1 appears to be in stage of group development.
a. 1 c. 3 e. 5
b. 2 d. 4
9. Group 2 appears to be in stage of group development.
a. 1 c. 3 e. 5
b. 2 d. 4
standard production level is two employees who con- sistently produce at 115 percent of standard. Sasha will be retiring in six months, and they both want to fill her position. There are three members who consistently produce at 80 to 90 percent of standard.
Group 3: Rashid’s department achieves between 90 and 92 percent of standard on a monthly basis. Megan is a strong informal leader who oversees the productiv- ity level. She lets members know if they produce too
much or too little. John is the only member in the de- partment who reaches production standards. The rest of the department members do not talk to John. At times they intentionally keep his level of production down. All other department members produce at about 90 percent of standard.
Answer the following questions. Then in the space between the questions, state why you selected that answer.
Copyright © 2017 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.
Note: This exercise is designed for class groups that have worked together for some time. (Five or more hours are recommended.)
Preparation (Group)
Answer the following questions as they apply to your class group.
1. Based on attendance, preparation, and class involvement, identify each group member’s level of commitment to the group, including yourself. (Write each member’s name on the appropriate line.)
High commitment Medium commitment Low commitment 2. Our group size is:
too large too small OK Explain why.
3. List at least five norms your group has developed. Identify each as positive or negative.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What positive norms could the group develop to help it function?
4. Based on the group’s commitment, size, homogeneity, equality of participation, intragroup competition, and success, identify its cohesiveness level as:
high medium low
How does cohesiveness affect performance? What can be done to increase cohesiveness?
5. Identify each group member’s status, including your own. (Write each group member’s name on the appropri- ate line.)
High Medium Low
Does the group have status congruence? How can the group improve it?
Team Dynamics
/ / / S K I L L - B U I L D I N G E X E R C I S E 1 1 - 1 / / /
10. Group 3 appears to be in stage of group development.
a. 1 c. 3 e. 5
b. 2 d. 4
11. What would you recommend doing to increase productivity in each of the three groups
6. Identify the roles members play. Write the name of each group member who plays each role on the appropri- ate line. You will most likely use each name several times and have more than one name on each role line, but rank them by dominance.
Task roles Objective clarifier Planner
Organizer Leader Controller
Maintenance roles Former
Consensus seeker Harmonizer Gatekeeper Encourager Compromiser
Self-interest roles (if appropriate) Aggressor
Blocker
Recognition seeker Withdrawer
Which roles should be played more, and which less, to increase effectiveness? Who should and should not play them?
7. Our group is in stage of group development.
1. Orientation/Forming 2. Dissatisfaction/Storming 3. Resolution/Norming 4. Production/Performing
What can be done to increase the group’s level of development?
8. Identify problem people, if any, by placing their names on the appropriate line(s).
Silent member Talker Wanderer Bored member Arguer Social loafer
What should be done to help eliminate the problems caused by these people? Specifically, who should do what?
9. Review the answers to questions 1 through 8. In order of priority, what will the group do to improve its group structure? Specify what each group member will do to help the group’s structure.
In-Class Exercise
Note: This exercise is designed for groups that have met for some time. (Five or more hours are recommended.)