Group Dynamics for Teams / Edition 5

by Daniel J. Levi

Overview

Incorporating the latest research throughout, Daniel Levi’s Fifth Edition of Group Dynamics for Teams explains the basic psychological concepts of group dynamics, focusing on their application with teams in the workplace. Grounded in psychology research and a practical focus on organizational behavior issues, this engaging book helps readers understand and more effectively participate in teams.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781483378343
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	01/27/2016
Edition description:	Fifth Edition
Pages:	408
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Daniel Levi is a professor in the Psychology and Child Development Department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, California. He has an MA and a Ph D in environmental psychology from the University of Arizona. He teaches classes in teamwork and in environmental and organizational psychology. His teamwork class was designed primarily for engineering and business students at Cal Poly. He has conducted research and worked as a consultant with factory and engineering teams for companies such as Nortel Networks, TRW, Hewlett-Packard, and Philips Electronics. In addition, he has worked on international team research projects in Europe and Asia.

Dr. Levi’s research and consulting with factory teams primarily has focused on the use of teams to support technological change and the adoption of just-in-time and quality programs. This work examined a variety of team issues, including job redesign, training, compensation, supervision, and change management approaches. His work with professional teams primarily has been done with engineering design teams. These projects examined the use of concurrent engineering, self-management, and the globalization of teams. The topics of this work included the impact of information technology on teams, facilitation and training needs for professional teams, and the impacts of organizational culture and leadership.

Early work on the present book was sponsored by an engineering education grant from NASA. This project focused on the development of teamwork skills in engineering students working on multidisciplinary projects. This project led to the development of cases and activities for learning teamwork skills and research on teamwork training and evaluating and rewarding student teams. Recent research on student teams examines gender and cross-cultural issues, social support within teams, and bullying and hijacking in student teams.

Table of Contents

Introduction
PART I: CHARACTERISTICS OF TEAMS
CHAPTER 1. Understanding Teams
Defining Groups and Teams
Purposes and Types of Teams
Why Organizations Use Teams
History of Teams and Group Dynamics
Leading Virtual Teams: Virtual Meetings and Virtual Collaboration—Selecting Technologies to Use for Your Team
Team Leader’s Challenge 1
Survey: Attitudes Toward Teamwork
Activity: Working in Teams
CHAPTER 2. Defining Team Success
Nature of Team Success
Conditions for Team Success
Characteristics of Successful Teams
Positive Psychology View of Team Success
Using Teams in the Workplace
Team Leader’s Challenge 2
Activity: Understanding Team Success
PART II: PROCESSES OF TEAMWORK
Chapter 3. Team Beginnings
Stages of Teamwork
Group Socialization
Team Goals
Team Norms
Application: Jump-Starting Project Teams
Leading Virtual Teams: Starting a Virtual Team
Team Leader’s Challenge 3
Activity: Observing Team Norms
Activity: Developing a Team Contract
CHAPTER 4. Understanding the Basic Team Processes
Motivation
Group Cohesion
Team Roles
Task and Social Behaviors
Team Adaptation and Learning
Leading Virtual Teams: Motivating Participation in Virtual Meetings
Team Leader’s Challenge 4
Activity: Observing Task and Social Behaviors
CHAPTER 5. Cooperation and Competition
Teamwork as a Mixed-Motive Situation
Why Are People in Teams Competitive?
Problems With Competition
Benefits of and Problems With Cooperation
Application: Encouraging Cooperation
Leading Virtual Teams: Building Trust and Social Relationships
Team Leader’s Challenge 5
Survey: Cooperative, Competitive, or Individualistic Orientation
Activity: Understanding Competitive Versus Cooperative Goals
CHAPTER 6. Communication Written by David Askay
Communication Process
Flow of a Team’s Communications
Emotional Intelligence
Facilitating Team Meetings
Communication Skills for Team Meetings
Leading Virtual Teams: Running Virtual Meetings to Ensure Everyone Is Following the Agenda and People Arrive at the Same Understanding
Team Leader’s Challenge 6
Survey: Team Emotional Intelligence
Activity: Observing Communication Patterns in a Team
PART III: ISSUES TEAMS FACE
CHAPTER 7. Managing Conflict
Conflict Is Normal
Sources of Conflict
Impact of Conflict
Conflict Resolution Approaches
Managing Team Conflicts
Leading Virtual Teams: Reducing Conflict and Developing Collaboration
Team Leader’s Challenge 7
Survey: Conflict Resolution Styles
Activity: Observing Conflict Resolution Styles
CHAPTER 8. Power and Social Influence
Definitions of Power and Social Influence
Types of Power
Power Dynamics
Empowerment
Application: Acting Assertively
Leading Virtual Teams: Ensuring Dissenting Voices Are Heard and Empowering the Team
Team Leader’s Challenge 8
Activity: Using Power Styles—Passive, Aggressive, and Assertive
CHAPTER 9. Decision Making
Value of Group Decision Making
Approaches to Group Decision Making
Decision-Making Problems
Decision-Making Techniques
Application: Consensus Decision Making
Leading Virtual Teams: Encouraging Agreement on a Decision
Team Leader’s Challenge 9
Activity: Making Consensus Decisions
Activity: Group Versus Individual Decision Making
CHAPTER 10. Leadership
Alternative Designs of Leadership for Teams
Approaches to Leadership
Situational Leadership Theory
Self-Managing Teams
Application: The Functional Approach to Leading Teams
Leading Virtual Teams: New Approaches to Leadership in Virtual Teams
Team Leader’s Challenge 10
Survey: Leadership Styles
Activity: Observing the Leader’s Behavior
CHAPTER 11. Problem Solving
Approaches to Problem Solving
Descriptive Approach: How Teams Solve Problems
Functional Approach: Advice on Improving Team Problem Solving
Prescriptive Approach: Rational Problem-Solving Model
Problem-Solving Teams
Application: Problem-Solving Techniques for Teams
Team Leader’s Challenge 11
Activity: Using Problem-Solving Techniques
CHAPTER 12. Creativity
Creativity and Its Characteristics
Individual Creativity
Group Creativity
Organizational Environment and Creativity
Application: Team Creativity Techniques
Leading Virtual Teams: Virtual Creativity
Team Leader’s Challenge 12
Activity: Comparing Different Creativity Techniques
CHAPTER 13. Diversity
The Nature of Diversity
Problems of Diversity
Causes of Diversity Problems
Effects of Diversity
Application: Creating a Context to Support Diversity
Team Leader’s Challenge 13
Survey: Attitudes Toward Diversity
Activity: Understanding Gender and Status Differences in a Team
PART IV: ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT OF TEAMS
CHAPTER 14. Team, Organizational, and International Culture
Team Culture
Defining Organizational Culture
Organizational Culture and Teamwork
Dimensions of International Culture
International Differences in Teamwork
Transnational Teams
Leading Virtual Teams: Dealing With Cultural Issues
Team Leader’s Challenge 14
Survey: Individualism–Collectivism
Activity: Evaluating a Team’s Culture and Cultural Context
Activity: Comparing United States and Japanese Teams
CHAPTER 15. Virtual Teamwork
Use of Communication Technologies
Communication Impacts
Team Impacts
Selecting the Right Technology
Challenge of Virtual Teams
Team Leader’s Challenge 15
Activity: Developing Netiquette for Virtual Teams
Activity: Experiencing Teamwork in a Simulated Virtual Team
CHAPTER 16. Evaluating and Rewarding Teams
Team Performance Evaluations
Reward Systems
Rewarding Individual Team Members
Team and Organizational Reward Programs
Relationship of Rewards to Types of Teams
Team Leader’s Challenge 16
Survey: Individual Versus Team Rewards
Activity: Evaluating and Rewarding a Project Team
Activity: Team Halo Effect
CHAPTER 17. Team Building and Team Training
What Is Team Building?
Does Your Team Need Team Building?
Types of Team-Building Programs
Team Training
Types of Training
Team Leader’s Challenge 17
Activity: Team Building
Activity: Appreciative Inquiry of Teamwork
Appendix: Guide to Student Team Projects
Starting the Team
Planning and Developing the Project
Monitoring the Project and Maintaining Teamwork
Performing Team Writing
Wrapping Up and Completing the Project
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

"The author’s analysis is very up-to-date, for he includes chapters on very recent analyses of teams, such as questions of diversity and teams-communicating-via-computers. . . . The book’s key strength is its aim to help students and professionals better understand the groups to which they belong by reviewing key concepts in the area of groups."

Donelson R. Forsyth