Analyzing the Main Three Criteria for Evaluation of Group Work

Define the Three Criteria for Evaluating Effective Team/Group Work and Analyze Whether The "Team" Assembled By Bernie Hollis And Pete Denson Is Effective or Not.

The three criteria for evaluating team effective team are task performance, member satisfaction, and team viability (Uhl-Bien, Schermerhorn, & Osborn, 2014). Teams are established for diverse purposes, some of which may be formal or informal (Grand Canyon University, 2011) and they are made up of members who have diverse personalities and capabilities. Therefore, for a group to be effective, it must satisfy certain criteria. One of the criteria is task performance. An effective team should be able to exhibit satisfactory task performance. In addition, a team should be able to attain the specific goals within the stipulated timelines and be able to deliver quality and quantity in the outcomes (Uhl-Bien et al., 2014). A case in point, the West Coast team should be able to deliver a foolproof marketing strategy within the six-week turnaround time.

The second criterion is member satisfaction. Member satisfaction largely influences team performance in terms of motivation, commitment, trust, collaboration, and synergy. An effective team features high levels of member satisfaction (De Dreu & Weingart, 2003). When members are satisfied, they tend to be highly motivated in contributing towards the attainment of the team objectives. Member satisfaction also signifies that the members are satisfied with the tasks allocated to them and they have good interpersonal relationships with other team members (Uhl-Bien et al., 2014). Considering the West Coast case, it is evident that there was no team satisfaction because of the short turnaround time and lack of overtime pay. Jon Mahoney and Katarina Tanney were particularly not satisfied to work under such terms.

Team viability is illustrated by harmonious working relationships among different team members who are willing to work together for the long-term or short-term. The ability to work together on long-term projects determines a team’s potential (Uhl-Bien et al., 2014). The team assembled by Pete Denson was not effective because there was no team viability.

Provide a Review Of Each Of Tuckman's Five Stages of Group Formation and Identify What Stage(s) Are Evident In the Case. Explain Your Answer.

There are five key stages of group formation namely forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning (Uhl-Bien et al., 2014). The forming stage involves recruiting members into a group. In this stage, members begin to becoming acquainted with other group members. Some of the lingering questions among new group members include; how does the group benefit me? What am I required to contribute? In this stage, the members learn the behavior that is acceptable in the group and they are allocated specific tasks.

The storming stage is among the most difficult stages in group formation. This is because group members tend to be hostile towards each other, as was evident in the West Coast team. Tensions, emotions, and infighting run high between the group members due to the changing group dynamics. The changing dynamics may cause the team to break up into different cliques or coalitions, which fight for dominance and the need to impose their preferences on others (Uhl-Bien et al., 2014). This may result in conflict and non-performance. The West Coast case study, illustrate some of the challenges faced by teams in this stage.

The nominal stage features team integration and development. In this stage, members forego their partisan interests for the common interest and purpose of the team. Members aim to overcome the misunderstandings in the storming stage, which cause the team members to build bridges and work in harmony. When team members are in harmony, they are capable of achieving team tasks and goals. In this stage, criticism tends to be discouraged because team members feel a sense of belonging.

The performing stage is considered to culminate in total integration, which creates a well-coordinated, organized, and mature team. In this stage, group members are able to deal with sophisticated tasks and handle internal wrangles in a mature way. The team structure is stable and the members are generally satisfied. The only challenge in this stage is the need to enhance performance and adapt to the changing working dynamics (Uhl-Bien et al., 2014).

The last stage in group formation is the adjoining stage, which involves the disbandment of the group after successful completion of the specific tasks. The adjourning stage is crucial for teams that work on a temporary basis such as committees. The adjourning stage helps the team members to take stock of what the team has been able to accomplish and draw out lessons (Uhl-Bien et al., 2014).

Define Schein’s Three Behavioral Profile Roles during Team Entry and identify how the Profiles are demonstrated in the Case. Explain Your Answer.

The three main behavioral profiles are the tough battler, the objective helper, and the friendly helper. The tough battler symbolizes a team member who acts in an aggressive way. The tough battler may feel that he or she does not personally identify with the group and this may lead to insubordination. The tough battler characteristics best describe Tanney in the West Coast team. The best solution to such a profile is to allow the tough battler to share his or her interests and skills.

The friendly helper role is epitomized by team members who are uncertain, insecure, dependent, and unsure of their control in team affairs. In most instances, a friendly helper offers immense support to other team members in order to gain acceptance into the different cliques or alliances in the team. The friendly helper role is best illustrated by Mahoney, who encourages his team members to see the bigger picture. The most appropriate solution in such a case is to provide encouragement and support to enhance the confidence of the friendly helper.

The objective thinker is a team member who is always anxious about how the group will satisfy the needs of the individual members. Objective thinkers tend to be single-minded, reflective, and passive actors. They strive to assimilate personal goals with the group objectives. Lea Jing comes out as an objective thinker. The best solution to such a case is to engage the objective thinker so that they may understand what the team and individual roles are.

Was the Communication among the Participants in the Case Effective or Not? Justify Your Answer.

The level of communication among the team members was not effective. This observation is supported by the fact the company provides a short turnaround time for teams to support and complete projects. The team tasked with developing a marketing strategy only had six weeks to complete a plan that would help West Coast catch up with its competitors

The Organizational Behavior Textbook Describes Two Main Types of Conflict. Define Them and Then Describe the Type (S) Of Conflict That is Evident in the Case.

Conflict is negatively associated with team member’s satisfaction (De Dreu & Weingart, 2003). There are two major types of conflicts namely substantive and emotional conflict. Substantive conflict can be defined as the lack of consensus with regards to the objectives and the plans for attaining the objectives. Emotional conflict is associated with resentment, dislike, mistrust, anger, and fear due to diverse personalities among the group members. In the West Coast case study, there was a mixture of substantive and emotional conflict. There was an emotional conflict between Tanney and Denson. Tanney resented working on the marketing project during overtime hours without pay. She also disliked Denson’s language, which equated her family issues to complaints. The substantive conflict was evident when Mahoney and Tanney considered the proposed project to be unattainable within the stipulated time

. Propose How Denson Should Manage the Conflict in This Case Using One Direct Conflict Management and One Indirect Conflict Management Approach. Explain Your Response.

The conflict in Denson’s team may be managed through direct and indirect conflict management strategies. The appeal to common goals is proposed as one of the indirect strategies that Denson may use to solve this conflict (Uhl-Bien et al., 2014). The employees on the team all have shared goals such as the desire to advance their careers and to maintain their employment status in the organization. Therefore, if the employees do not work together they risk layoffs. The desired goal is to develop a strategy for West Coast to remain competitive. The manager may also adopt a win-win direct conflict management strategy that involves assertiveness, collaboration, and problem-solving (Uhl-Bien et al., 2014). This strategy may involve solving the issue of overtime payment in order to keep the employees motivated.

Identify One Specific Task Leadership Activity And One Specific Maintenance Activity That Should Be Encouraged. Identify The Most Significant Disruptive Behavior That Should Be Discouraged.

One of the maintenance activities that should be encouraged in the West Coast case is reconciling differences. This is because the prevailing differences between the manager, Mahoney, and Tanney threaten to derail the marketing strategy development process. The proposed task leadership activity, in this case, is giving information. It is imperative for the manager to provide the team members with all necessary information to facilitate the completion of the task. Disrespect is the most significant disruptive behavior that should be avoided (Uhl-Bien et al., 2014) for the team to be able to attain its objectives. The case study has illustrated that there is no respect between Tanney and Denson. Lack of respect may negatively influence the team’s activity and this may have adverse effects on the entire staff.

Identify the Most Obvious Individual Motivational Problems Experienced by Jing, Mahoney, and Tanney. How Should Denson Motivate Each Person? Be Sure To Provide a Specific Motivational Suggestion for Each Person Based On That Person's Motivational Needs.

From the case study, one can conclude that Jing is motivated because she had already reviewed the meeting agenda and drafted some suggestions at the time of the meeting. Her only motivation problem is the fact that she was soon going to be relocated to another department. Mahoney and Tanney were not motivated to work hard on a project that will not compensate their overtime hours.

In order to keep Jing motivated, the manager may propose to delegate some of his responsibility to her because she has already proven to be highly committed to her work. Mahoney, on the other hand, may be motivated by identifying and satisfying his need for personal growth and desire to persuade the team members. Mahoney has a need for self-actualization (part of the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory), the manager can satisfy this need to keep him motivated. Tanney, on the other hand, may be motivated by overtime pay or adjusting her work schedule so that she may work on the project during normal working hours. In addition, Tanney’s behavior illustrates her need for power; this need may be satisfied based the acquired needs theory.