Presentation for Chapter 11 of PSY 126 with Dr. Eisenhard.

1. Team Dynamics, Creativity &
Problem Solving, & Decision Making
Matthew L. Eisenhard, Psy.D.
Week 11: Psychology for Business & Industry

2. Teamwork
• Involves working together
to achieve something beyond
the capabilities of individuals working alone.
▫ Organizations today are based on teams.
▫ Being a team player requires high levels of
emotional intelligence.
▫ Being a team player is the 2nd
most sought after
skill employers seek.
 Communication and personal skills is 1st
.

3. Types of Teams (a.k.a. Groups)
• Formal Groups
▫ Functional Groups
 Formal ongoing groups = permanent.
 Typically managers and employees in specific
departments (marketing, production, etc.).
• Informal Groups
▫ Develop spontaneously when people get together
because of similar interests.
▫ They come and go according to events and people
in the group and can vary accordingly.

4. Types of Teams (a.k.a. Groups)
• Task Groups
▫ Consist of functional group members.
▫ Put together for a specific task (job).
▫ Coming called committees.
 Ad hoc committee (task force).
 Formal and temporary
(temporary groups) = discontinue
after task is accomplished.
 Standing committee.
 Formal and ongoing, but has
rotating members.

5. Types of Teams (a.k.a. Groups)
• Virtual Teams
▫ Do most of their work via electronic digital
communication.
 Groupware is a digital tool to work on a document
at the same time.
▫ One of the challenges of virtual teams is
developing trust.
 Effective teamwork is even more challenging when
teams are put together from many different
countries around the world.

6. Your Team Behavior
• Self-assessment 11.1.
• Every person on the team does not have to do all
the things on the assessment to have an effective
team – as long as someone is doing them.
▫ Questions 1-5 refer to team structure.
▫ Questions 6-13 refer to team dynamics.
▫ Questions 14-17 refer to team development.

7. Teamwork – The Formula
• Team Performance Model Formula
▫ A team’s performance (TP) is based on its
structure (TS), dynamics (TD), and stage of
development (SOD).
 TP = TS + TD + SOD
▫ All teams face the Systems Effect.
 A team is only as strong/effective as its weakest link.
 If one link is weak… so is the whole chain.
 If one person is weak… so is the whole team.

8. Team Structure
• The structure of a team affects the team’s
performance.
FOUR PARTS

9. Team Structure
1. LEADERSHIP
▫ Leadership styles affect the team performance.
▫ Teams with effective leaders outperform teams lacking good,
strong leaders.
1. COMPOSITION
▫ Refers to diversity of team members (functional/technical
skills).
▫ Diversity enhances performance – better decisions – more
innovations than homogeneous teams.
1. PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING
▫ How the team works together when they encounter problems
reflects on the overall performance.
1. CONFLICT
▫ Can be useful or not useful.
▫ Solving conflicts important to how team functions effectively.

10. Team Dynamics
• A.K.A. Group Process.
▫ Refers to the pattern
of interactions that
emerge as the group/team develops.
▫ Job recruiters & employers seek applications with
leadership and team dynamics skills.
▫ Most people have little or no training in working
in groups/teams.
▫ Six parts of group dynamics.

11. Objectives
• To be effective teams need clear objectives (goals).
▫ And must be committed to achieving them.
• Managers/Leaders
▫ Make certain there are goals and set priorities.
• Team Members
▫ Must work toward gaining consensus of
commitment to goals.
▫ Without goals and everyone working
toward them – teams will struggle
and fail.

12. Size
• No ideal size – it varies depending on the team’s purpose.
▫ Functional groups: about 14-15.
▫ Task groups: 3-9 (5)
 Too small = too cautious.
 Too large = too slow, but larger groups tend to generate more
choices and better ideas due to greater diversity.
• Effects on group diversity
▫ Larger teams = more formal/autocratic leadership is needed to
provide direction.
 Larger groups tend to stifle equal participation.
▫ Smaller groups = leaders are more informal and participative.
▫ Generally equal participation is seen more in groups of 5.
• Managers/Leaders
▫ Appropriate leadership style will vary according to group size.

13. Norms
• The group/team’s
shared expectations of
its members’ behavior.
▫ Develop spontaneously as the group interacts.
▫ All groups tend to form their own unwritten rules
about how they will do things.
▫ If one team member fails to conform to the norm,
other teammates may try to force compliance =
peer pressure.
 Ridicule – ostracism – sabotage – physical abuse.

14. Cohesiveness
• The attraction and closeness team
members have for each other and
the group as a whole.
▫ The more desirable
membership in a certain group,
the more team members are
likely to conform to the
normative behavior.
▫ Sometimes individuals will do
things with and for a team that
they would not do on their own.
 Can be positive or negative
depending on the nature of the
team/group.

15. Factors Influencing Cohesiveness
• OBJECTIVES
▫ Stronger the agreement and commitment of the group, the
stronger the cohesiveness.
• SIZE
▫ Smaller = more cohesive.
▫ Larger = more difficult to agree.
• HOMOGENIETY
▫ The more similar people are, the greater the cohesiveness –
people tend to be attracted to and agree with people most like
themselves.
▫ Growing diversity in the workplace can lead to decreased
cohesiveness.

16. Factors Influencing Cohesiveness
• PARTICIPATION
▫ More equal the participation, the higher the cohesiveness.
▫ Domination by one or a few tends to make other members feel
excluded.
• COMPETITION
▫ Intragroup = competition with each other which leads to
decreased cohesiveness.
▫ Intergroup = results in team pulling together to beat the rivals,
increased cohesiveness.
• SUCCESS
▫ More you win the stronger the cohesiveness.
▫ Losers argue among themselves more than winners.
▫ Success breeds more success.

17. Solomon Asch’s (1951, 1956) Line
Judgment Studies
• Solomon Asch (1951, 1956) had participants guess which
line in the right box is the same length as the line on the
left. Almost everyone easily gets this right—when alone.
▫ Asch had people repeatedly evaluate lines like these, while
hearing other people also evaluate the lines.
▫ Sometimes, though, everyone else got it wrong.

18. • 76% of the participants conformed on at least one trial.
• 12/18 trials confederates gave incorrect answers.

19. Status
• Perceived ranking of one member
relative to other members of the
group.
▫ Based on…
 Job title – amount of pay – seniority – knowledge/expertise -
interpersonal skills – appearance – education – race – sex.
▫ It affects team performance.
 High status members have a major influence.
 In functioning groups, the manager/supervisor usually takes
the leader role.
 There can also be “informal” leaders.

20. Status Congruence
• The acceptance and satisfaction members get
from their status in the group.
▫ Members who are not happy with their status may
feel excluded and not be active participants.
 May cause team conflict if they fight for higher
status.
 Leadership struggles may go on for a long time –
and never be resolved.
 These struggles can ultimately undermine the team’s
productivity.

21. Roles
• Shared expectations of how group members will fulfill
the requirements of their positions.
▫ People often have multiple roles in a group/team or
job.
▫ Example: Professor
 Teacher – researcher –
writer- consultant – advisor –
committee member.
 Plus all personal and
family roles.

22. • Task Roles = things group members do and say that directly aid in
the accomplishment of its objective.
▫ OBJECTIVE CLARIFIERS
 Role = make sure everyone understands the goal.
▫ PLANNERS
 Role = determine how the goal will be met.
▫ ORGANIZERS
 Role = to assign and coordinate resources.
▫ LEADERS
 Role = to influence members by directing.
▫ CONTROLLERS
 Role = to take corrective action to make sure goal is met – keeping
people on target.
Classes of Group Roles

23. Classes of Group Roles
• Maintenance Roles = the things that group members do and say to
develop and keep the group going.
▫ FORMERS
 Role = get the members involved and committed.
▫ CONSENSUS SEEKERS
 Role = get members’ input and agreement on decisions.
▫ HARMONIZERS
 Role = resolving conflicts with members.
▫ GATEKEEPERS
 Role = see that appropriate norms are developed and enforced.
▫ ENCOURAGERS
 Role = be supportive, friendly.
▫ COMPROMISERS
 Role = get members to adjust their positions to gain cohesiveness.

24. Classes of Group Roles
• Self-Interest Roles = things members do and say to meet their own
needs or goals at the expense of the team.
▫ AGGRESSORS
 Role = deflate others’ status – negative criticism – putting other
members down.
▫ BLOCKERS
 Role = resist the group effort and try to prevent the team meeting its
goal.
▫ RECOGNITION SEEKERS
 Role = try to take credit for the groups’
accomplishments.
▫ WITHDRAWERS
 Role = physically or mentally not involved
with group – more concerned about their
own personal matters.

25. Development of Team Stages
• 5 stages of team development.
▫ Not all groups go through the same stages as they grow
and develop.
▫ There are specific supervisory strategies recommended
for each stage.

26. Stages of Team Development
• Orientation
▫ Leader = Autocratic.
▫ Forming stage – roles and goals
must be clearly defined.
• Dissatisfaction
▫ Leader = Consultative.
▫ Storming stage – learning about
each other and building trust;
differences are experienced.
• Resolution
▫ Leader = Participative.
▫ Norming stage – relationships are
built, affiliations are made, norms
are set; learning to work together.

27. Stages of Team Development
• Production
▫ Leader = Laissez-faire.
▫ Performing stage – commitment is high and
performance is enhanced; conflicts are resolved
quickly, members are open with each other.
• Termination
▫ Adjourning stage – found in task groups (not
functional/ongoing groups); people usually have
feelings of sadness at group dissolving or if a
negative experience may be relief at ending.

30. Your Preferred Group Leadership Style
• Self-assessment 11.2.
▫ More even the distribution of scores, the more
flexible you are at leading in a group.
▫ Total of 0-1 in any style indicates a problem using
it and could be a problem if ever needed.
▫ Compare this to scores on your
self-assessments of situational
supervision and communication
style.

31. Meetings & Leadership Skills
• Planning the Meeting
▫ Have a written plan that includes…
 Goals – purpose of meeting.
 Participants and assignments – who and what.
 Agenda – list of items to be covered in order of priority (with
approximate time allotted for it).
 Time (start and finish) – date – place.
• Conducting the Meeting
▫ Begin on time – review progress (minutes – secretary)
▫ Cover the items on the agenda – stay on task.
▫ Summarize and review assignments – end meeting on time
– was everything accomplished? – get commitments from
people on assignments – record all assignments to
encourage accountability and follow-up on them.

32. Handling Problem Team Members
• The Silent Member
▫ Usually not leaders – leaders should draw them out – team
needs input and benefits from all members.
• The Talker
▫ Has something to say about everything – tries to dominate
– can cause intragroup conflicts – leaders have
responsibility to slow these folks down and include others
without alienating them.
• The Wanderer
▫ Distracts the team from its focus – likes to complain and
criticize – wants to socialize and divert focus of team –
leader needs to divert and keep team on track.

33. Handling Problem Team Members
• The Bored Member
▫ Preoccupied with other things – tend to be “know-it-alls”
that feel superior to others in group – leader is obligated to
keep members interested and active.
• The Arguer
▫ Likes to be center of attention – likes to argue just for the
sake of it rather than for productive purposes – leaders
should never engage in arguments – don’t allow personal
attacks – keep the focus on the goal and move on.
• The Social Loafer
▫ Lets everyone else do the work and reaps all the benefits
from the group’s efforts – leaders should not allow.

34. Meetings & Leadership
Skills
• Important considerations
when working in a team…
▫ Never embarrass, intimidate,
argue with others – no matter
how provoked!
 The result will make them look
like martyrs and make you look like a bully.
 If there are serious problems with members that do
not respond to the positive techniques – see them
outside of the meeting in private and try to gain their
support and cooperation.

35. Problem Solving & Decision Making
• Problem = when there is a difference between what is
actually happening and what you wanted/expected to
happen.
▫ Problem solving = process of making corrective actions in
order to meet your goal.
• Decision making = process of selecting an alternative
course of action to solve the problem.
▫ Decisions are made to solve problems and take advantage of
opportunities.
▫ These can occur at the same time.

36. Decision Making Styles
• Self-assessment 11.3.
• REFLEXIVE
▫ Shoot from the hip – make decisions fast (sometimes without getting or
considering all of the necessary information).
▫ Positive = not procrastinators.
▫ Negative = can lead to waste and having to start over if not right the first
time.
• REFLECTIVE
▫ Takes plenty of time to decide – gets lots of information and checks out
alternatives thoroughly.
▫ Positive = decisions are not rushed.
▫ Negative = procrastination can be costly.
• CONSISTENT
▫ Makes choice without rushing or wasting time – the happy medium.
▫ Know when they have enough information.
▫ Follows generally the 5-step model for decision making.

38. Decision Making Model
• Step 1 – Define the Problem.
▫ Separate the symptoms from the cause.
▫ If you do not find the “cure,” it will keep recurring.
• Step 2 – Set Objectives and Criteria.
▫ Setting goals in place – you need to have a “must”
and “want” list for your criteria in meeting the
goal.
▫ Example: Hiring.
 Must have a certain degree – B.A., M.A., Ph.D.?
 Want to have bilingual skills – Spanish, French?

39. Decision Making
Model
• Step 3 – Generate Alternatives.
▫ Start thinking of ideas, methods,
or other choices to use to solve
the problem.
▫ Plan A, B, and C.
• Step 4 – Analyze Alternatives and Pick One.
▫ Do a cost-benefits analysis to try to pick which plan will be
the best.
• Step 5 – Plan, Implement, and Control.
▫ Do it! Make sure to oversee the process and outcome.
▫ Be willing to cut your losses and change if you need to
(switching to Plan B, C, etc.)

40. Creativity
• The ability to develop unique alternatives to
solve problems.
▫ Thinking “outside the box.”
▫ Innovation – the
organizational use of
creative ideas.
 Vital to success
 Pressure to come up
with new ideas.

41. Four Stages of Creativity
• PREPARATION
▫ Get familiar with the problem, the facts.
▫ Asks others what it is and get their ideas.
▫ Look for new or unusual angles.
▫ Do not set limits or boundaries.
• POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
▫ Brainstorming – look for as many solutions as possible
without passing judgment on them.
• INCUBATION
▫ Take a break – sleep on it – allow for insight.
• EVALUATION
▫ Make sure it works, change course if necessary.

42. 5 Techniques of Group Creativity

43. Brainstorming
• The process of suggesting many alternatives,
without evaluation, to solve a problem.
• Rules…
▫ Quantity – the more the better.
▫ No Criticism – hold evaluation of ideas.
▫ Freewheel – think “outside the box.”
▫ Extend – build on the ideas presented.
▫ Brainwriting – put it in writing.

44. Synectics
• Process of generating novel alternatives through role-
playing and fantasizing.
• The nature of the exact situation is not revealed in order
to expand the group’s creativity.

45. Nominal Grouping
• Process of generating and evaluating alternatives
through a structured voting method – helps to
lessen the influence of status in the group and
usually involves these steps.
▫ Each member separately writes her or his ideas.
▫ Ideas are then presented round-robin fashion.
▫ Discussion and clarification take place.
▫ First voting – members can defend and explain.
▫ Final vote is made for ideas to be presented to the
leader for decision to implement or not.

46. Consensus Mapping
• A cooperative attempt to
develop a solution acceptable
to all employees instead of a
competition.
▫ A discussion where everyone
has to mutually agree to a
solution.
▫ Major benefit is the group is
more committed to the result
since the solution is one they
equally generated and decided
on as best.

47. Delphi Technique
• Variation on nominal grouping – a poll is taken
by a series of anonymous questionnaires.
▫ Opinions of each round are analyzed and
resubmitted to
successive rounds.
▫ May take up to five
rounds to reach a
consensus.
▫ Used for technological
forecasts.

48. Pros & Cons of Group Decision Making
• Pros
▫ Better decisions – avoid errors.
▫ More choices.
▫ Acceptance and commitment.
▫ High morale levels – better job satisfaction.
• Cons
▫ Time consuming.
▫ Domination – those in power may prevail.
▫ Conformity of groupthink.
▫ Lack of responsibility – no individual held accountable and
social loafing (some people do not pull their weight).

49. Global Team Decision Making
• Collective cultures (such as
Asian) groups are cohesive
and there is less conflict –
they are not competing
against each other as much.
▫ Individualistic cultures
(such as U.S., Europe) more
intragroup competition.
• Internet has made virtual
teams more common.

50. Chapter Summary
• Team dynamics and how they affect
performance.
• 5 stages of team development.
• 4 situational supervisory styles for groups.
• How to plan and conduct effective meetings.
• Identifying and handling 6 types of problem
team members.
• 5 steps in decision-making.
• 5 techniques for generating creative alternatives.