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COM 520, Spring 2007 – Reading Guide Questions for April 9

For Burtis & Turman, Ch. 9:

1. For each of their nine general exigencies against grouping:

    a. Identify and explain the exigency

    b. When (if ever) is believing in this exigency ever justified?

    c. What is the advice they give (often in italics) for this exigency ?  To what extent does this advice help?  To what extent doesn’t it help?

For Hackman:

1. In the first part of the article, he offers six mistakes managers make, each of which is the failure to do something requisite to team success.  (The six mistakes are framed positively as requisites in the list on p. 256)  For each of the six mistakes:

a. Briefly explain the nature of the mistake.

b. Do you agree with his characterization of it as a mistake?

c. Have you seen this mistake happen in groups you’ve been part of (at work, school or elsewhere)?  What bad things have happened as a result?

d. Is there an equivalent to this mistake discussed anywhere in the Burtis and Turman book?

2. In the next part of the article, he discusses two institutional barriers to doing these six requisite things for team success.  For each of the two:
a. Briefly describe the nature of the barrier.

b. Have you encountered this barrier in groups you’ve been part of?

3.  In the final section of the article, “Thinking Differently About Teams,” he argues that mangers should emphasize establishing conditions for successful teams over trying to micro-manage team success.   Does your experience as a team member bear this out?

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Last Updated: 3 April  2007
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