Organizational BehaviorChapter 8Team dynamics Teams: groups of two or more people who interact with and influence each other, are mutually accountable for achieving common goals associated with organizational objectives, and perceive themselves as a social entity within an organization.All teams exist to fulfill some purpose.Team members are held together by their interdependence and need for collaboration to achieve common goals.Team members influence each other.A team exist when it members perceive themselves as a team.Each type of team in an organization can be distinguished by three characteristics:Team permanenceHow long that type of team usually existsSkill diversityMembers possess different skills and knowledgeAuthority dispersionThe degree that decision-making responsibility is distributed throughout the teamInformal groups Why do informal groups exist?Human beings are social animalsSocial identity theoryThey accomplish personal objectives that cannot be achieved by individuals working alone.We are comforted by the mere presence of other peopleInformal groups and organizational outcomes Informal groups potentially minimize employee stress. This improves employee well-being.Informal groups are the backbone of social networks. In many situations, people are potentially more motivated when working in teams than when working alone.Employees have a...