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Improving Performance
Through Empowerment,
Teamwork, and
Communication

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1 Describe why & how organizations
empower employees.

2 Distinguish among the five types of

teams in the workplace.

Describe the factors that cause

conflict in teams and how to
manage conflict.

Explain the importance and

process of effective
communication.

Compare the different types of

communication.

Explain external communication

and how to manage a public
crisis.

3 Identify the characteristics of an

effective team.

4 Summarize the stages of team

development.

5 Relate cohesiveness and norms to

effective team performance.

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Empowerment - giving employees authority and
responsibility to make decisions about their work
without traditional managerial approval and control
Sharing Information and Decision-Making Authority
Keeping them informed about companys financial
performance
Giving them broad authority to make workplace
decisions

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Linking R
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Employee Stock Ownership Plans

11 million workers at 10,000 companies participate.

Gives employees ownership, motivating them to work
smarter and harder.

Stock Options

Right to buy a specified amount of company stock at a given

price within a given time period.
Being offered more and more to employees at all different
levels.
1/3 of all options go to the top five executives
at a firm.

Teams
Group of employees who are committed to a common
purpose, approach, and set of performance goals.
Mutually responsible and accountable for accomplishing
objectives.
Ability to work on teams often emphasized during the
hiring process.
Work teams are groups of people with complementary
skills who are committed to a common purpose.
Two-thirds of U.S. firms currently use work teams.

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of Teams

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Team Size
Can range widely, but most have fewer than 12
members.
Ideal size is often six or seven members.

Team Level and Team Diversity

Team level - average level of ability, experience,
personality, or any other factor on a team.
Team diversity - variances or differences in ability,
experience, personality, or any other factor on a team.

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Team Coh
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Team cohesiveness is the extent to which
team members feel attracted to the team and
motivated to remain part of it.
Increases when members interact frequently,
share common attitudes and goals, and enjoy
being together.
Cohesive teams quickly achieve high levels of
performance and consistently perform better.
Team norms are the informal standards of
conduct shared by team members that guide
their behavior.
Can be positive or negative.

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Tea
Cognitive conflict focuses on problem-related
differences of opinion.
Reconciling these differences strongly improves team
performance.
Affective conflict refers to the emotional reactions
that can occur when disagreements become personal
rather than professional.
Team leaders should facilitate good communication so
that teammates respect each other and work
cooperatively.

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Importance
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Managers spend 80 percent of their time in
direct communication with others.
Company recruiters rate
effective communication as the most
important skill theyre looking for in hiring new
college graduates.

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Cultura
Communication in low-context cultures tends to
rely on explicit written and verbal messages.
U.S., Switzerland, Germany, Austria

Communication in high-context cultures depends

not only on the message itself but also on the
conditions that surround it, including nonverbal cues,
past and present experiences, and personal
relationships between the parties.
Japan, Latin America, India

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Cynical listening: Receiver of a message feels that the sender
is trying to gain some advantage from the communication.
Offensive listening: Receiver tries to catch the speaker in a
mistake or contradiction.
Polite listening: Receiver listens mechanically to be polite
rather than to communicate.
Active listening: Requires involvement with the information
and empathy with the speakers situation; the basis for effective
communication.

Formal
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Flows within the chain of command

Downward communication
Upward communication
Open and honest communication is key

Informal
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Carry messages outside formally
authorized channels
The grapevine is an internal channel that
passes information from unofficial sources

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Crisis M

Meaningful exchange of information through to major

audiences: customers, suppliers, firms, general public,
government officials
Every communication with customers should create
goodwill.
Communication during crisis:
1.
2.
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Respond to crisis quickly

Put top company management in front of the press
Stick to the facts
When you dont know, offer to find out
Never say no comment
Speak to your audience