Page 322 - leadership-experience-2008

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CHAPTER 10: LEADING TEAMS 303
it was introduced in 2005, and applying the hybrid technologies developed during
the project is key to Ford’s turnaround plans. 35
When team interdependence is high, true team leadership, which involves
empowering the team to make decisions and take action, is especially important
to high performance. However, for teams with low interdependence, traditional
leadership, individual rewards, and granting authority and power to individuals
rather than the team may be appropriate. 36

Leadership and Team Effectiveness

Team effectiveness can be defined as achieving four performance outcomes— T Team effectiveness
eam effectiveness
the extent to which a team
37

innovation/adaptation, efficiency, quality, and employee satisfaction. Innovation/ the extent to which a team
achieves four performance
adaptation means the degree to which teams affect the organization’s ability to achieves four performance
outcomes: innovation/
outcomes: innovation/
learn and to rapidly respond to environmental needs and changes. Effi ciency per- adaptation, effi ciency, quality, ,
, quality
ciency
adaptation, effi
and employee satisfaction
tains to whether the team helps the organization attain goals using fewer resources. and employee satisfaction
Quality refers to achieving fewer defects and exceeding customer expectations.
Satisfaction pertains to the team’s ability to maintain employee commitment and
enthusiasm by meeting the personal needs of its members. Three areas related to
understanding team effectiveness are team cohesiveness and performance; team
task and socioemotional roles; and the personal impact of the team leader.
Team Cohesiveness and Effectiveness

Team cohesiveness is defined as the extent to which members stick together and Team cohesiveness
eam cohesiveness
T
the extent to which members
38
remain united in the pursuit of a common goal. Members of highly cohesive the extent to which members
stick together and remain united
stick together and remain united
teams are committed to team goals and activities, feel that they are involved in in the pursuit of a common goal
in the pursuit of a common goal
something significant, and are happy when the team succeeds. Members of less

cohesive teams are less concerned about the team’s welfare.
Determinants of Cohesiveness Leaders can use several factors to infl uence
team cohesiveness. One is team interaction. The greater the amount of contact
between team members and the more time they spend together, the more cohe-
sive the team. Through frequent interaction, members get to know
one another and become more devoted to the team. Another factor Action Memo
is shared mission and goals. When team members agree on purpose Cohesiveness is generally considered an
and direction, they will be more cohesive. The most cohesive teams attractive feature of teams. Leader’s Self-
are those that feel they are involved in something immensely relevant Insight 10.1 on page 304 gives you a chance
and important—that they are embarking on a journey together that to measure the cohesiveness of a team you
will make the world better in some way. An aerospace executive, recall- have been involved in at school or work.
ing his participation in an advanced design team, put it this way: “We
even walked differently than anybody else. We felt we were way out
there, ahead of the whole world.” A third factor is personal attrac-
39
tion to the team, meaning members find their common ground and enjoy being

together. Members like and respect one another.
The organizational context can also affect team cohesiveness. When a team is in
moderate competition with other teams, its cohesiveness increases as it strives to win.
Finally, team success and the favorable evaluation of the team’s work by outsiders
add to cohesiveness. When a team succeeds and others in the organization recognize
this success, members feel good and their commitment to the team will be higher.
Consequences of Team Cohesiveness The consequences of team cohesive-
ness can be examined according to two categories: morale and performance. As