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Acknowledgements xi <p><b>Part 1 Team Effectiveness 1</b></p> <p><b>1 Creating Effective Teams 3</b></p> <p>Task and Social Elements of Team Functioning 6</p> <p>Team Effectiveness 7</p> <p>Key Revision Points 12</p> <p>Further Reading 12</p> <p>Web Resources 12</p> <p><b>2 Real Teams Work 13</b></p> <p>Why Work in Teams? 17</p> <p>Barriers to Effective Teamwork 21</p> <p>What is a Team? 27</p> <p>What do Teams do? 29</p> <p>How can we build Effective Teams? 31</p> <p>Conclusions 35</p> <p>Key Revision Points 37</p> <p>Further Reading 37</p> <p>Web Resources 38</p> <p><b>Part 2 Developing Teams 39</b></p> <p><b>3 Creating Teams 41</b></p> <p>Personality and Ability 43</p> <p>Teamwork Skills 49</p> <p>Diversity of Team Members 52</p> <p>Benefiting from Team Diversity 57</p> <p>Implications of Diversity 58</p> <p>Key Revision Points 59</p> <p>Further Reading 59</p> <p>Web Resources 59</p> <p><b>4 Leading Teams 60</b></p> <p>The Three Team Leadership Tasks 61</p> <p>The Three Elements of Leading Teams 63</p> <p>Tripwires for Team Leaders 77</p> <p>Developing Team Leadership Skills 79</p> <p>Self-managing or Shared Leadership Work Teams 84</p> <p>Key Revision Points 85</p> <p>Further Reading 85</p> <p>Web Resources 86</p> <p><b>5 Team Training 87</b></p> <p>The Stages of Team Development 89</p> <p>Types of Team Training Interventions 91</p> <p>Conclusions 101</p> <p>Key Revision Points 102</p> <p>Further Reading 102</p> <p>Web Resources 102</p> <p><b>Part 3 Team Working 105</b></p> <p><b>6 Setting Team Direction 107</b></p> <p>Team Objectives 107</p> <p>The Elements of Team Vision 113</p> <p>Strategy for Teams 115</p> <p>Key Revision Points 117</p> <p>Further Reading 117</p> <p>Web Resources 118</p> <p><b>7 Team Playing 119</b></p> <p>Interaction 120</p> <p>Information Sharing 124</p> <p>Influencing and Decision Making 125</p> <p>Creating Safety in Teams 131</p> <p>Key Revision Points 133</p> <p>Further Reading 134</p> <p>Web Resources 134</p> <p><b>8 Team Quality Management 135</b></p> <p>Groupthink 136</p> <p>Team Pressures to Conform 138</p> <p>Obedience to Authority 139</p> <p>Team Defence Mechanisms 139</p> <p>Commitment to Quality 141</p> <p>Task Focus/Constructive Controversy 142</p> <p>Encouraging Constructive Controversy in Teams 143</p> <p>Conclusion 151</p> <p>Key Revision Points 152</p> <p>Further Reading 153</p> <p>Web Resources 153</p> <p><b>9 Creative Team Problem Solving 155</b></p> <p>Team Innovation 156</p> <p>Creative Problem Solving in Teams 160</p> <p>Techniques for Promoting Creativity within a Team 162</p> <p>Using Creativity Techniques in Team Meetings 166</p> <p>Other Influences on Team Innovation 167</p> <p>Key Revision Points 170</p> <p>Further Reading 170</p> <p>Web Resources 171</p> <p><b>10 Team Support 172</b></p> <p>The Emotional Life of Teams 174</p> <p>Social Support 176</p> <p>Support for Team Member Growth and Development 182</p> <p>Balance between Home and Work Life 184</p> <p>Social Climate 184</p> <p>Conclusions 186</p> <p>Key Revision Points 187</p> <p>Further Reading 187</p> <p>Web Resources 187</p> <p><b>11 Conflict in Teams 188</b></p> <p>Team Conflicts 188</p> <p>Types of Team Conflict 189</p> <p>Resolving Team Conflicts 189</p> <p>Organizational Causes of Conflict 191</p> <p>Interpersonal Conflicts 193</p> <p>Difficult Team Members 195</p> <p>Key Revision Points 198</p> <p>Further Reading 198</p> <p>Web Resources 198</p> <p><b>Part 4 Teams in Organizations 199</b></p> <p><b>12 Teams in Organizations 201</b></p> <p>Introducing Team-based Working (TBW) 202</p> <p>The Relationship between Teams and their Organizations 205</p> <p>What do Teams need from their Organizations? 207</p> <p>The Role of Human Resource Management (HRM) 209</p> <p>What do Organizations require from Teams? 213</p> <p>Bridging across Teams 216</p> <p>Conclusions 219</p> <p>Key Revision Points 219</p> <p>Further Reading 220</p> <p>Web Resources 220</p> <p><b>13 Virtual Team Working 221</b></p> <p>What is Virtual Team Working? 225</p> <p>Advantages and Disadvantages of Virtual Teams 227</p> <p>How to Develop Effective Virtual Team Working 228</p> <p>Lifecycle of Virtual Teams 235</p> <p>Conclusion 238</p> <p>Key Revision Points 239</p> <p>Further Reading 239</p> <p>Web Resources 240</p> <p><b>14 Top Management Teams 241</b></p> <p>Task Design 243</p> <p>Team Effort and Skills 245</p> <p>Organizational Supports 248</p> <p>Top Management Team Processes 251</p> <p>Top Team Participation 254</p> <p>Corporate Social Responsibility 255</p> <p>Top Team Meetings 257</p> <p>Conflict 262</p> <p>CEO Leadership 263</p> <p>Conclusions 266</p> <p>Key Revision Points 268</p> <p>Further Reading 268</p> <p>Web Resources 268</p> <p><b>References 269</b></p> <p><b>Author Index 286</b></p> <p><b>Subject Index 292</b></p>

<p>"The book provides an in-depth examination of the range of positive and negative factors which can affect team functioning.  The ethics and values in team performance are considered and form a fundamental part within each section."  (<i>The British Psychological Society</i><i>,</i> 1 September 2012)</p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

<b>Michael West</b> is Professor of Organizational Psychology at Lancaster University Management School, UK. Previously Executive Dean of Aston Business School, he has authored, edited or co-edited seventeen books. He has also published over 200 articles for scientific and practitioner publications, and numerous chapters in scholarly books. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS), the American Psychological Association (APA), the Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology (SIOP), the British Academy of Management (BAM) and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

More organizations than ever before have come to the realization that effective teamwork is essential to success. Yet businesses still find that the reality of working in teams is fraught with psychological barriers and practical difficulties. Utilizing the most up-to-date research evidence, the third edition of <i>Effective Teamwork</i> provides business managers with the necessary tools to build and maintain effective teamwork strategies in order to maximize efficiencies and further their organizational objectives. <p>Psychologist and business expert Michael West provides an in-depth examination of the range of positive and negative factors that can affect team functioning. Reflecting the newest developments in the field, the third edition features new chapters on top management teams and virtual team working, as well as increased coverage of such areas as team appraisal rationale, training for team working, 'shared mental models,' dealing with typical failures, and contributions of positive psychology to effective teamwork. Consideration of ethics and values in team functioning—a theme that emerged during the recent financial crisis—is also incorporated into all chapters.</p> <p>With its clear insights and careful balance of rigorous science with organizational practicalities, <i>Effective Teamwork</i> is an invaluable guide to the establishment and maintenance of effective management teams today.</p>

<p>Imagine seven billion individuals on earth … most of whom at some time experience life as members of teams, especially at work but elsewhere as well … and imagine the incalculable combinations of people and situations that make for teams. Where can we possibly look for advice on how to get so many different teams to be effective?</p> <p>Look first to Michael West’s new book. It maintains a laser focus on what it really means for a team to be effective. It embraces the complexity of things that matter – leadership, goals, support, technology to name just a few – and it consistently delivers evidence-based advice on the surest ways of making teamwork effective.<br /> —<b><i>Rick Guzzo</i></b><i>, Principal and Worldwide Partner, Mercer Human Resources Consulting</i></p> <p>Yet again, in the 4^th edition of this deservedly popular pocket book, Michael West has produced a masterly digest of knowledge from a sprawling literature on this vitally important topic. Insights, examples and learning points emerge from first page to last, including, new to this edition, the very latest research on virtual and top management teams. It is unusual for books to successfully bridge the academic and practical divide, but this one has equal appeal for scholars wanting the lowdown on the state of the field, and for practicing managers trying to figure out what goes right and what goes wrong with teams in their organisations. You will not find a finer, more concise, authoritative and clearer assembly of available knowledge on teams anywhere.<br /> —<b><i>Nigel Nicholson</i></b><i>, Professor of Organisational Behavior, London Business School, UK; author of Managing the Human Animal and Family Wars</i></p> <p>This new edition of Michael West’s book helps us understand what a team is and what we can do to improve teams' functioning. The book covers the most important factors impacting on teams’ operation and outcomes. It is based on solid scientific knowledge and the author’s extensive applied experience in the field. It provides readers with useful tools that can be implemented to help managers lead and develop their teams. Based on my own experience as director of a university service, I can tell that these tools, and the knowledge on which they are based, really work.<br /> —<i><b>Vicente González-Romá</b>, Director of the Observatory of Job Insertion and Occupational Guidance, University of Valencia, Spain; Editor of the European Journal of Work & Organizational Psychology</i></p> <p>Once again Michael has brought together the great management and leadership concepts of this decade to provide a practical, well evidenced contribution to leading successful organisations. With a clear and insightful understanding of organisation realities, Michael's understanding of team work, staff engagement and heath and well being are combined to provide an extremely helpful practitioner and leadership guide supported by all the research, evidence and exercise material we've come to expect. In a world where the focus of personal and organisational psychology is often remedial, this books engages us in using positive psychology to enhance the quality of life for staff through the achievement of shared goals.<br /> —<b><i>Dean Royles</i></b><i>, Director, NHS Employers, UK</i></p>

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