Group Dynamics for Teams

This brief, readable book explains the basic psychological concepts of group dynamics with a focus on their application with teams in the workplace. The content is grounded in psychology research but with a very practical focus on organizational behavior issues. The goal is to improve readers' knowledge of the group dynamics that underlie teamwork in order to help them understand and participate in teams more effectively in day-to-day work. The book begins with an overview of how teams are being used in the workplace and the factors that relate to team success. It goes on to examine basic topics such as goals, norms, cooperation, and communication while reviewing the main challenges teams face, including conflict, decision making, problem solving, creativity, and valuing diversity. The final section analyzes the use of teams in the workplace, including the impact of organizational culture, technological support for teams, differences among types of work teams, team building, and team evaluation and reward.