Skip to Main Content

PSY-6414 v5

Week 4 Required Resources

Textbook

Your course textbook can be accessed via the Redshelf link in the Getting Started module.

Levi, D & Askay, D.A. (2021). Group dynamics for teams (6th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.

Read Chapters 11 and 12: Teams often form to address workplace problems, but sometimes encounter challenges in the process. This week's exploration focuses on harnessing the creativity of individual team members to tackle team goals and problem-solving. While collaboration in teams brings diverse perspectives and abilities to problem-solving, it can also pose challenges. Problems vary from clear paths with objective solutions to complex, ambiguous ones, requiring thorough problem analysis and solution development. The study of team problem-solving involves descriptive, functional, and prescriptive approaches to understand and improve the process. Effective problem-solving teams navigate through problem recognition, definition, analysis, criteria establishment, alternative generation and evaluation, solution selection, implementation, and evaluation, while considering factors like problem severity, norms, and information processing. Creativity and innovation are key to addressing challenges, with techniques like design thinking and brainstorming aiding idea generation and implementation. However, organizational factors and conflicts may hinder creativity, emphasizing the need for management support, resource availability, and a collaborative environment to foster innovation. Recognizing individual strengths, encouraging outside-the-box thinking, and addressing conflicts are crucial for effective leadership and team performance improvement.

Articles

Week 4 Optional Resources