Discussion Questions
1. Think of a team that you are on, or have been on recently (as a student). How does it stack up against the criteria for quality teamwork? What specific steps could be used to improve the performance of your team? How could TQ techniques be used to improve team processes?
2. If self-managed teams can succeed without active intervention from managers, what if anything- does this imply about the traditional roles of management ( to plan, organize, and control) in organizations? Should a new set of roles be identified for such situations?
3. How might a team leader deal with "social loafing," when members of the team are freeloaders. Willing to receive the benefits of teamwork without doing the work themselves? How would you deal with it if it occurred in a class project?