Daniel J. (Jay) Levi - Group Dynamics for Teams

Fourth Edition

Group
Dynamics
forTEAMS

Fourth Edition

Group
Dynamics
forTEAMS

Daniel Levi

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

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Copyright 2014 by SAGE Publications, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Levi, Daniel, PhD

Group dynamics for teams / Daniel Levi.4th ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4129-9953-3 (pbk.)

1. Teams in the workplace. I. Title.

HD66.L468 2014

658.4022dc23

2012042913

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

13 14 15 16 17 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Many people helped shape this book. My understanding of work teams, including both manufacturing and professional teams, was fostered by the many opportunities I have had to study and consult with actual teams in industry. Andrew Young, Margaret Lawn, and Don Devito created a number of opportunities for me to work with teams in the United States and abroad. Most of my research and consulting on work teams was performed with Charles Slem, my partner at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. In addition, I had the opportunity to work with engineering teams at Cal Poly as part of a NASA-supported program to improve engineering education. Daniel Mittleman, associate professor of Computing and Digital Media at DePaul University, helped me understand the impacts of virtual teamwork and contributed to the Leading Virtual Teams sections of the book. As a teacher of group dynamics, I learned by coteaching with Fred Stultz and Robert Christenson. The psychology, business, and engineering students in my group dynamics and teamwork classes have helped teach me about what is important about how teams operate.

The support of various editors at SAGE Publications has been invaluable. I have also benefited from the many anonymous academic reviews of the book and proposed revisions. In addition, Judith Barnes, Kathy Johnston, and Sara Kocher labored diligently to improve my language and make the text more readable. My wife, Sara, deserves special credit for her thoughtful reviews and supportive presence throughout this process.

For comprehensive reviews of the manuscript, I would like to thank the following reviewers:

Russell O. Mays, Georgia Southern University

Mark A. Arvisais, Towson University

Anita Leffel, The University of Texas at San Antonio

Kevin L. Nadal, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Kerrie Q. Baker, Cedar Crest College

C. Kevin Synnott, Eastern Connecticut State University

T here are two sources of information about teamwork. First, there is a large body of research in psychology and the social sciences called group dynamics that examines how people work in small groups. This research has been collected over the past century and has developed into a broad base of knowledge about the operation of groups. Second, the use of teams in the workplace has expanded rapidly during the past three decades. Management researchers and applied social scientists have studied this development to provide advice to organizations about how to make teams operate more effectively. However, these two areas of research and knowledge often operate along separate paths.

The purpose of this book is to unite these two important perspectives on how people work together. It organizes research and theories of group dynamics so this information can be applied to the ways in which teams operate in organizations. The concepts of group dynamics are presented so they are useful for people who work in teams and enlarge their understandings of how teams operate. It is hoped that this integration will help readers better understand the internal dynamics of teams so they can become more effective team leaders and members.

The larger goal of this book is to make teams more successful. Teams and groups are important in our society, and learning teamwork skills is important for individual career success. This book presents many concepts related to how groups and teams operate. In addition, the chapters contain application sections with techniques, advice for leading virtual teams, case studies (called Team Leaders Challenge), surveys, and activities that are designed to develop teamwork skills. The appendix contains tools and advice to help students in project teams. Teamwork is not just something one reads about and then understands: Teamwork develops through guided experience and feedback. This book provides a framework for teaching about teams and improving how teams function.

The seventeen chapters in this book cover a wide range of topics related to group dynamics and teamwork. These chapters are organized into four parts: characteristics of teams, processes of teamwork, issues teams face, and organizational context of teams. An appendix provides advice and tools to support student project teams.

explains the differences between groups and teams. This chapter also examines the purpose of using teams in organizations and why they are increasing in use. It concludes with a brief history of both the use of teams and the study of group dynamics.

explores the characteristics of successful teams. It explains the basic components that are necessary to create effective teams and examines the characteristics of successful work teams. In many ways, this chapter establishes a goal for team members, whereas the rest of the book explains how to reach that goal.

examines the processes that relate to forming teams. Team members must be socialized or incorporated into teams. Teams must establish goals and norms (operating rules) to begin work. These are the first steps in team development.

presents some of the main concepts from group dynamics that explain how teams operate. Working together as groups affects the motivation of participants both positively and negatively. Team members form social relationships with one another that help define their identities as teams. Teams divide their tasks into different roles to coordinate their work. The actions of team members can be viewed as either task oriented or social, both of which are necessary for teams to function smoothly. Teams are dynamic entities that adapt to changes and learn how to work together more effectively.