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8: Teams in the Workplace

  • Page ID
    14911
    • Anonymous
    • LibreTexts
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    Many people work together in teams in organizations. Think about all the teams and groups that you belong, such as family, friends, work, church, etc. We are involved with a variety of groups for different reasons. You are probably involved with certain groups and teams based on your abilities, experiences, and/or talents. Your participation and the degree to which you contribute will often depend on the communication interactions in that group. In this chapter, we will discuss the importance of teams. We will discuss the characteristics of teams, types of teams and downside to teams.

    • 8.1: Introduction
    • 8.2: Group
      Many organizations have several different kinds of groups. These groups can be informal or formal. Formal groups are usually assigned by a supervisor or higher administrator. Formal groups can include: sales teams, work teams, problem-solving groups, management teams, and unions. Informal groups usually occur due to common interests and/or social compatibility. Informal groups can include: Christmas office particies, coffee breaks, poker night, car pooling, and complaining sessions.
    • 8.3: Types of Teams
      Work teams are integral for an organization because they have the have the objective of completing certain outcomes. Parallel teams are formed externally. Parallel teams look at specific items that the organization might overlook or not perceive accurately. Project teams are composed of specific/specialized members that need to obtain a goal in a set amount of time. Management teams have the responsibility of running and maintaining the organization.
    • 8.4: The Downside to Teams
      Not only are there different types of groups and teams, there are also different types of outcomes and challenges that groups can encounter. In this section, we will look at some of the negative challenges to teams. In this section, you will learn about the downside to teams and ways to prevent them from happening.
    • 8.5: Group Communication Roles
      Kenneth Benne and Paul Sheats created a scheme for understand the functional roles of group members. It was created by the First National Training Laboratory in Group Development in 1947. They classified three types: (1) Group task roles, (2) Group building and maintenance roles, and (3) Individual roles.
    • 8.E: Exercises


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