Exam 8: Team and Work Group Communication

'Teams are the answer in the current highly fluid chaotic business environment'. Provide a balanced response to this assertion in which you discuss the advantages and disadvantages of teams.

The difference between a group and a team is that:

Focusing involves keeping a group discussion on track, and highlighting or clarifying what has occurred.

According to Shaw et al (2000), the characteristics of effective teams include appropriate leadership, clear goals, relevant skills, mutual trust, unified commitment, good communication, negotiating skills and internal and external support.

There are team members who are dysfunctional with regard to the purpose of the team. Such types of people are seen in roles of:

Which two dimensions are considered when evaluating a work team's effectiveness?

Gatekeeping involves asking questions and giving information in a group in order to solve problems, get to know one another, clarify information and receive and give feedback.

A work team's effectiveness is shown by:

Cross-functional teams are:

Factors affecting group performance include: size, leadership, members, team structure, cohesiveness, groupthink, climate, environment, intervention, work-group moods, work-team enablers, power, accountability, capability, direction and transparency.

Dysfunctional roles are behaviours intended to distract a group from its purpose or to inhibit progress towards its goals.

Gender equality in the workplace is achieved when people are able to access and enjoy the same rewards, resources and opportunities regardless of gender.

In the theory of teams and groups in communication practice, the informal group is known as:

Diversity of backgrounds, experiences and approaches is uncommon in cross-functional teams.

Explain what a team is and describe the types of teams, their characteristics, purposes, functions and effects in practice. Which one do you recommend and why?

Working in groups and teams has both advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantage is 'risk-shifting'. Which of the following describes the process of 'risk-shifting'?

Why are self-managed work teams considered a suitable vehicle for achieving work?

Supervisory groups are critical to the effectiveness of self-managing work teams.

According to Dyer et al (2013), the four Cs of team performance enhance performance and employee satisfaction. Explain the four Cs and provide an example of each one.

Think about a group you are currently part of, or that you have been part of. What 'type' of group do you think best describes it and why? Which stage of development is this group and explain through behaviours why you think this group is in that stage.