Team Management and Conflict

By: Nataliah Francois, Shantelle Keizer, Austin

Nichols, Malaika Badnock, Faith Martin
Objectives:​
• Discuss nature of teams​
• Outline the stages of team or
group development​
• Explain the characteristics of effective teams​
• Describe the forces that influence
group cohesiveness​
• Evaluation of teamwork; advantages
and disadvantages of working in teams.​
• Outline the benefits of team management
to the organization​
• Discuss the possible causes of conflict
in organizations and evaluate the strategies
used to manage conflict
What is a Team?​​
A team or group can be defined as the interaction of two or more people, in an
interdependent way, to achieve a common goal or objective.​
​
Nature of teams​​
1. Composition- The team must have members with the desired skills, knowledge
and experience in the field in which they will be working​​.

2. Objectives- The objective of the team must be clearly defined and achievable.​​

3. Interaction-The effectiveness of any team will depend on the level and quality
of interaction among team members.​​
Stages of team development​​
1. Forming​

2. Storming​

3. Norming​

4. Performing​

5. Adjourning​
• Forming- this is the stage where team members are eager to be apart of the
team, reflecting both excitement and uncertainty/anxiety they might feel
towards the purpose or structure of the group.​

• Storming- members are more acquainted with one another, they now begin
to express individuality and conflicts and disagreements begin when discussing
the roles and responsibilities among one another.​

• Norming- discrepancy felt between each individual begins to get

resolved, everyone now has a clearer understanding of the purpose of the team
along with developing good relationship and cohesion.​
• Performing- the main focus is getting the job done and achieving
its objectives as the members feel a sense of satisfaction towards the
team's progress.​​

• Adjourning- teams that are temporary will wrap up all activities and
ensure tasks are performed and look towards separation.​​
Types of formal groups​
Formal teams are those that are created by the organization, with a defined and
designated task to accomplish.

In organizations groups are formed to carry out different functions where these
functions determine the type of group.

1. Command group

2. Functional group

3. Task group
1. Command group- usually consists of heads of department and its subordinates
that work in the department. This group derives their function given by the
organizational structure of the firm.

2. Functional group- this group is formed to carry out a particular goal or

function of the firm where the goal of the group is determined by the major
operative areas of the business. Eg: Customer service and marketing.

3. Task group- Created to accomplish a specific objective or task within a given

time period, where once the task is complete the group is usually dispersed. A
task group is normally formed to work on a project or to solve a problem that’s
being experienced by a firm.
Roles of common groups
In all groups or teams people play different roles, some of which is specified by
management. A role is the function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a
particular situation.
1. Coordinator or chairman​

2. Initiator​

3. Shaper​

4. Informer

5. Clarifier

6. ​Summariser or recorder​
• Coordinator or chairman- This person rules over the team and
coordinates its activities to meet its target or goal.

• Initiator- This person produces new ideas, determines problems or

suggests procedures for the group.

• Shaper- This person is usually dedicated (task-oriented); an extrovert who

usually gets things (work) done.
• Informer- This person gathers accurate information and
makes observations or gives opinions and suggestions.

• Clarifier- this individual is responsible for interpreting ideas,

defining important terms and seeking clarification on issues for the group.

• Summariser or recorder-This person is responsible for

summarizing information that was discussed, suggesting decisions and
outlining the necessary conclusions.
Characteristics of effective teams

1. Commitment ​ 5. Flexibility​

2. Participation​ 6. Encouragement ​

3. Trust​ 7. Support and growth​

4. Decision by census​ 8. Synergy ​

• Commitment- for a team to be effective the management of the firm must ensure
that the members are committed to the tasks given and are all focused on achieving
a common goal or objective otherwise not much work will be done in the firm

• Participation- It is imperative that all members of a team are involved in the

decision-making process of a firm so that no one feels left out or unimportant
towards the firm. This is why it is important that the team leader has a democratic
style of leading.
• Trust- this characteristic allows members of the team to conduct their work
in a more efficient manner as it removes the problem of management or
other members continuously needing to go over your work or watch over
your shoulder, which improves the amount of time necessary to complete a
goal or objective.

• Decision by consensus- issues must be thoroughly discussed where the

opinions of all members are explored. This way by the time a conclusion
arrives all members have inputted into the discussion, are satisfied, and
agree with the decision made.
• Flexibility- team members must be aware of the possible changes that can occur
in the business world so that they are readily capable of quickly adapting and
making new decisions based on unforeseen changes in order to get the job done.

• Encouragement- It is the team leader’s job to motivate and inspire the team
members to achieve the objectives, this is why it Is important that the leader has
the necessary skills to achieve this. This way members will not become
disinterested in working which in turn will decrease the overall time it takes to
accomplish the tasks at hand.
• Support and growth- In an effective team, the members support and ensure
that they all grow from the experiences gained from working in the group.
As relationships deepen among team members not only will they encourage
each other but they will also lend their support where needed. Over time the
team will mould each member to the point where there is personal growth.

• Synergy- this characteristic is based on the idea that when working together
the output of the members will be much greater than the total where all
members worked individually. In other words, it is important that all members
work towards the same goal and are not separated to greatly increase the
output of the firm.
Team or group cohesiveness

Team cohesiveness refers to the degree to which group

members are drawn to each other and are encouraged to
remain within the group.
Forces that influence group cohesiveness

1. Size​

2. Similarities

3. Attraction

4. Diversity​

5. Group goals
• Size- The size of the team or group can influence its cohesiveness. Large groups may
find it difficult to work together effectively. Smaller groups may find it easier to agree
on a common goal and make decisions.

• Similarities- Members who share similar characteristics, such as social background,

interest, ethnicity, age, values and beliefs are more likely to develop cohesion.

• Attraction- Personal attraction is also important for group cohesiveness. The more
connected group members are to each other, the greater will be their cohesion.
• Diversity- Group cohesiveness can also be affected by the level of diversity
of its members. The group should consist of people with a variety of
abilities but who are willing to work to a common goal. Where members are
too diverse in personality, ability and experience it can result in competition
and conflict.

• Group goals- a group should include people with a common interest or

objective. In doing so, group cohesiveness will improve. However, the level
of cohesiveness may be low if everyone is not on the same page.
Evaluation of teamwork; Advantages of teamwork
1. The feeling of being an essential part of the organization will improve
workers' commitment and enhance them to work towards stated goals.

2. Teamwork enhances flexibility- makes it easier to adjust to changes in the

business environment since the skills and knowledge of each member is
broad.

3. The abilities and strength of each individual member will improve the
effectiveness of the team and have a great impact on the firm.

4. Teamwork helps to motivate employees, build character and cater for social
needs.

5. Productivity can be improved as each member can influence the other.

Evaluation of teamwork; Disadvantages of teamwork
1. It may be difficult to be aware of which member of the team is accountable
for mishaps that might happen.

2. Decision making can be time consuming: since there are many people
involved in the decision making it may take some time to reach an agreement.

3. Firms may incur additional cost to set up teams due to the cost for training
and retraining of members to get a task done.

4. Productive time may be lost during the establishment process of the team, this
time lost could be used to produce products instead.

5. One major drawback of teamwork is that not everyone will be working in the
same direction for everyone will have different opinions on how to do things.
Benefits of team management to the organization
An effective team can bring numerous benefits to an organization.
These include:

• The firm benefits from improved performance as there are more ideas and
skills being implemented into the firm that affect the growth and speed at
which the objectives are achieved.

• The output quality is likely to increase as members are working together as

one and not as separate entities

• The usage of groups helps to decrease the workload on senior

management while giving them the opportunity to focus more on effecting
change at the corporate level
• The level of flexibility- if group members are aware of the dynamics of the
business and its environment, they can easily adapt quickly to changing
customer needs resulting in the firm being able to keep its current customer
base.

• Increased contribution to the total output as teams increase motivation​

Conflict management
A conflict is defined as a disagreement that exists between two or more individuals.​

Causes of conflict​
• Conflict of duties- When employees do not understand their tasks, roles,
and responsibilities conflict arises. Due to this, they may not complete their
tasks as the manager expected from them.

• Clash of personalities- Since we are all different individuals, there will be

times when our personalities, values and attitudes vary. As a result, some
employees may have a hard time getting along or seeing eye to eye. This will
cause conflict in the workplace.
• Lack of communication- In order to ensure that the intended message is
communicated, managers must ensure that communication is clear. That isn't
always the case, as the message is frequently misinterpreted. Conflict arises
from poor communication. Employees who experience a lack of
communication may also feel unimportant and excluded. Information that is
purposefully withheld can lead to mistrust, resentment, and eventually conflict
among those involved.
• Competition for scarce resources- When there aren't enough resources at
work for everyone, this can lead to competition and conflict. The resources of
the business may include cash, supplies and information. These have to be
shared among the different departments of the firm. For example, if the sales
department is getting a significant portion of the budget, other departments
might feel like their employer favors the sales department. A sense of
favoritism can lead to lowered employee morale since people might feel like
they aren't getting the recognition and resources they deserve.​
Strategies to manage conflict
• Confrontation- Confrontation happens where conflicting parties meet face to
face and are coerced into stating their disagreements and stances on the issue.
Using this method should lead to open communication which, in the end,
should solve the problem.

• Smoothing- The smoothing strategy is sometimes referred to as

‘accommodating’. This occurs when the manager tries to emphasize the points
of agreement while downplaying the points of disagreement. By using this
strategy, one party will give up their rights or interests in order to appease the
other.
Strategies to manage conflict cont'd...

• Compromise- A compromise is where each party agrees to give up something.

In this situation there will be no clear winner or loser but a willingness of both
parties to accept the solution.

• Collaboration- Collaboration seeks to meet the needs and satisfy the concerns
of each party. This will result in a "win-win" situation where both parties feel
satisfied when the conflict is resolved. To make sure that a fair and mutually
beneficial agreement occurs, the opinions of both parties must be heard and
thoroughly discussed.
 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS ​
1. Which of the following would be classified as an informal team?
a. Quality circle
b. Task group
c. Lunch group
d. Functional group

2. During which stage of group development do members express their individuality and resist the
pressures and influence of the remaining team members?
a. Adjourning
b. Storming
c. Forming
d. Norming

3. All of the following are causes of conflict EXCEPT which one?

a. Clash of personalities
b. Lack of communication
c. Management styles
d. Increased overtime pay
 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS ​

4. The strategy where management allow both parties to solve their conflict themselves is
known as:
a. Smoothing
b. Avoidance
c. Compromise
d. Collaboration

5. Which of the following is an advantage of working in teams?

a. Helps to motivate employees
b. Decisions can be time consuming
c. Loss of productive time during team development
d. Additional cost to set up teams
Thank you
from
2kool Gang!
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