This individual assignment is intended to get you thinking more critically about teams and team effectiveness. In this assignment, you will complete an analysis of a team you are familiar with and consider effective. You are expected to select a team and analyze the team using all course materials, and with particular attention to the article by Bang and Midelfart (2017). Your goal is to analyze this team and describe the factors that contribute to this team’s effectiveness. Drawing on the article mentioned above, analyze your team’s effectiveness in relation to four factors: output, emergent states, input, and processes.
Starting with output factors, describe your team’s output in terms of task performance OR individual well-being and growth.
Describe your team’s emergent state with one item listed in the article (e.g., psychological safety, team cohesion, or functional team norms). Does this emergent state contribute to the team’s effectiveness? Why?
Describe your team’s input factors with one item listed in the article (e.g., clear team purpose, appropriate team tasks, appropriate team size, balanced team composition, or team-reinforcing reward systems). Does this input factor contribute to the team’s effectiveness? Why?
Describe your team’s processes factor with one item listed in the article (e.g., clearly stated meeting goals, focused communications, communication that capitalizes on the differences between team members, absence of political behavior, behavioral integration, active external relationships, team learning behavior, or effective team leadership). Does this processes factor contribute to the team’s effectiveness? Why?
The purpose of this paper is as follows:
Practice analytical thinking. Understand an evidence-based model that describes factors that contribute to effective teams and compare them to an effective team that you have been part of.
Develop communication skills for a business audience. Practice concise writing skills that you will use in your career.
Format and content: The written assignment should be no more than three pages, double-spaced and is due Week 06.
Grading (20 points total):
Paper:
Effective team summary: Include a short (five sentences or less) summary of the team and include descriiption of type of team.
Analysis: Describe characteristics of this effective team as compared to the four factors described in the Bang and Midelfart (2017) article while addressing why or why not characteristics impact team effectiveness. Use one item only from each of the four main factors. Be very specific to show you understand the material and use specific examples.
Recommendation: For only one factor, provide a recommendation for how this team might improve its effectiveness.