A Study On

Team Characteristics, Negative Factors

And

Their Effect on Team Productivity

In Public Organizations

PARTICULARS ABOUT THE PROJECT

1.Title of the project:
The Relationship between team characteristics with team
performance in Management teams and the Negative factors
Conflict and Negative Mood that affect this Relationship
and ultimately the team performance.

2. Research Objective:
To determine the impact of conflict, negative mood and on
teams productivity
Team Characteristics, Negative Factors and Team Performance

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3. Proposed Research Method

Research Design:

Questionnaire

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, all praise is due to Allah Subhana-wa-taala for bestowing us
with health, knowledge and patience to complete this work. The almighty, who
alone made this accomplishment possible. I seek his mercy, favor and forgiveness.
We wish to begin by thanking our advisor Ms. Amani Baig, thank you for the
wisdom, understanding, and compassion that you have imparted to us and our
ideas. We have been blessed to have such a brilliant mentor to help us navigate the
dissertation process. You have offered guidance, support, and unwavering patience
throughout this process.

We are grateful to our parents, brothers and sisters for their extreme moral support,
encouragement and patience during the course of studies as well as throughout our
academic career. No personal development can ever take place without the proper
guidance of parents.

This work is dedicated to our parents for their constant prayer and never ending
love.
.

Team Characteristics, Negative Factors and Team Performance

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Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS..4
ABSTRACT.....5
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background6
1.2ProblemStatement...7
1.3 Objectives of the Study..8
1.4 Significance of the Study.
1.5 Limitations of the Study..

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Team characteristics
2.2 Conflict
2.3 Negative Mood

CHAPTER 3: HYPOTHESIS
CHAPTER 4: RESEARCHMETHODOLOGY
4.1 Research Design..
4.2 Instrumentation...
4.3Unit of Analysis
4.4 Sample.
Analysis Technique..

CHAPTER 5:
5.1 Discussion and Conclusion ...

LIST OF REFERENCES.
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APPENDIX....
QUESTIONAIRE.....

ABSTRACT
Management's new challenge is to create a work environment that attracts, keeps,
and motivates its workforce. The responsibility lies with managers and supervisors
at all levels of the organization. Businesses must step outside their traditional roles
and comfort zones to look at new ways of working. They have to create a work
environment where people enjoy what they do, feel like they have a purpose, have
pride in what they do, and can reach their potential.
Today's workplace is different, diverse, and constantly changing. The typical
employer/employee relationship of old has been turned upside down. Workers are
living in a growing economy and have almost limitless job opportunities. This
combination of factors has created an environment where the business needs its
employees more than the employees need the business.
Over the years, team performance has been thoroughly scrutinized by scholars,
especially to discover potential factors that might have an influence on it. The
ultimate goal of these studies is to find ways to enhance the quality of team
performance, which is precisely the pursuit of this study.
Although organizations often implement team-based structures to improve
performance, such restructuring does not automatically ameliorate poor
performance. The study in this project explores the relationship between team
members negative mood conflict, workplace environment and team productivity.
The findings of this study show that there is a significance relationship between the
team performance and these negative factors.
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CHAPTER NO 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1: Back ground
In general, teamwork consists of attitudes, knowledge, and skills (Stout, Salas, & Fowkles,
1997). Therefore, developing sustainable efforts to improve teamwork requires thoughtful
application. Interventions focused on changing the behavior of team members must first take into
account their attitudes. Subsequently, skills and knowledge are assessed, and a training program
can be designed to improve teamwork. The benefits of improved teamwork are well documented
in the literature. In general, teamwork results in enhanced effectiveness (Risser et al., 1999),
fewer and shorter delays, improved morale and job satisfaction, increased efficiency, lower stress
and improved patient satisfaction (Firth-Cozens, 2001; Majzun, 1998; Sexton, Thomas, &
Helmreich, 2000).
In relation to patient safety, fewer errors occur when teamwork is strong because processes are
planned and standardized. Each member knows his own responsibilities as well as those of his
teammates; members look out for each other and notice errors before they happen; and members
trust one another's judgments and attend to one another's safety concerns (IOM, 1999).
Teamwork, by allowing proper integration and execution of clinical activities and giving
caregivers increased control over their work environment, provides a safety net against errors
(Risser et al., 1999). Examples from other industries illustrate this point, as breakdowns in
teamwork and communication have been identified as a major contributor to accidents in
aviation (Helmreich, 2000; Salas et al., 1999) and the armed services (Prince & Salas, 1993). In
health care, a report of 2,000 critical incidents showed that 70% to 80 % of medical errors are
due to interpersonal interaction issues (Williamson et al., 1993).
While evidence suggests that teamwork is crucial for better quality care, teaching of teamwork
skills and team concepts is virtually nonexistent in nursing and medicine, where training is
almost exclusively focused on individual technical skills (Sexton et al., 2000).
Our education, training, and testing seem based on the assumption that health care is delivered
by individuals in isolation (Wears & Leape, 1999). And while providers are trained individually
in their autonomous professions, on the job, they are always expected to perform as a team. But
identifying a group of providers and calling them a team does not imply that they will perform
well or at all as a team (Drinka & Clark, 2000).
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Evidence suggests that effective teamwork does not arise spontaneously, but rather requires
specific skills and development (Sexton et al., 2000).
Health care's focus on individual technical training is similar to aviation's approach 25 years ago,
dominated by the image of the individual pilot whose heroic efforts kept the plane flying safely
(just as medicine continues to reinforce the physician's solo use of knowledge and skills). In
reality, both the pilot and the physician accomplish their work as part of a team (Prince & Salas,
1996). Looking beyond technical skills to nontraditional competencies, Crew Resource
Management and similar standardized teamwork training systems have been uniformly adopted
in aviation settings to reduce the risk of errors (Povenmire, 1989).
The IOM report recommends, among other things, that health care organizations implement
patient safety programs that "promote team functioning" and that "train in teams those who are
expected to work in teams" (IOM, 1999). Other evidence of the growing support for greater
interdisciplinary teamwork is the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations requirement of evidence of interdisciplinary collaboration, and the report of the
President's Advisory Committee on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care
Industry explicitly stating that "the training of physicians, nurses and other health care workers
should provide those individuals with greater experience in working in interdisciplinary teams"
(Drinka & Clark, 2000).
Efforts to improve teamwork in long-term and primary care date back to the 1940s (Drinka &
Clark, 2000). However, the focus has shifted recently to hospitals' high-risk areas. ICUs EDs,
and ORs with their diverse activities, arrays of specialists, dynamic change and time stress, are
complex and tightly coupled systems (Bogner, 1994; Cook, Woods, & Miller, 1998) and,
therefore, prone to "normal accidents" (Perrow, 1984). In the ICU, evidence suggests that
communication between nurses and physicians account for only 2% of all the activities, yet is
responsible for 37% of all the errors (Schull et al., 2001). In a retrospective study of EDs' claims,
8 out of 12 deaths were judged to be preventable if appropriate teamwork action had been taken
(Risser et al., 1999). Observations in the OR reveal that communication at the interface between
anesthesiologists and surgeons was classified as unacceptable/absent in 20% of the cases (Sexton
et al., 2002).

1.2: Problem Statement

Teams are a part of every ones life. The multidimensional and multidiscipline nature of many
problems requires a team approach, but problems can also rise during team work. There are some
factors that hinder good working relationship and result with the lack of production. The research
we are conducting is about the factors that impede good working relationship and affects the
productivity of organization. The factors like that poor communication, Lack of leadership,
uneven work load, lack of trust, and lack of common goals misguide the team members. When
members of the team do not clear about each and every thing in which they are putting effort,
they avoid to making all their best and the outcome would be lack of productivity. Interpersonal
skills are necessary if you are to work together effectively. The focus of our research or study is
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all about to make deep analysis of this problem which is the critical barrier of team performance.
Keep in mind, the development of an effective team requires a positive attitude and commitment
toward teamwork.

1.2.1: Research Question:

The Relationship between team characteristics with team performance in Management teams
and the Negative factors Conflict and Negative Mood that affect this Relationship and
ultimately the team performance.

1.3: Objectives of the Study

Team work is highly used by organizations these days. When people recognized that working
in teams is more beneficial than individual work they started to move toward team structure.
Studies were conducted on the efficiency and effectiveness of team work. But team work has
also some draw backs. There are several factors that influence the team performance. The
purpose of the study is to find out those negative factors that influence team work.
The objectives are:

Find the relationship between conflict and team performance

Find the relationship between negative mood and team performance

Find the relationship between lack of communication and team performance

These are the factors (conflict, negative mood, lack of communication) which we want to study
in our research. This research will continue study from previous research done. The study will
take an exploratory approach. The aim will be to gain familiarity with the issue and to gain a
deeper understanding about the topic.

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1.4: Significance of the study

This study will be beneficial to many in the society, from the results of the study the
organizations will benefit where they will be aware of the importance negative factors affecting
the performance of the team work, workers will also benefit from the study when such strategies
are initiated and working conditions improved.
This study will also be a breakthrough into academics where the importance of teamwork will be
emphasized and new discovery added to the social science field of study.
Organizations that will adopt the new findings of this study will benefit whereby they will be in a
position to consider the influence of negative factor on team performance and would take some
effective measures, this will as a result increase efficiency and effectiveness of the organization
leading to higher levels of productivity which will lead to higher profits.
There are various methods by which data can be collected for the purpose of statistical analysis
for hypothesis test and statistical significance, there exist many methods by which data can be
collected and they include face to face interview, telephone interviews, mailed questionnaires,
questionnaires that are presented and collected where the respondent is present and secondary
sources such as findings from previous studies.

1.5: Limitations of the study

Limitation in the study can be arise if there s any difficulty in Access to information, Access to
resources
Time management, Access to experts for editing, proofreading, and guidance
Support from organizations and participants.
The limitation that we can face in our study is that, there are lots of researches on the team work
but to find any article on relationship between team performance and conflict, negative mood,
lack of communication is difficult. In other word there is difficulty in access to information. As it
is known that today team work is appreciated and organizations culture is flattering, so the
research on the team strengths are more done by the researchers.
The influence of the other factors, Access to resources, Time management, Access to experts for
editing, proofreading, and guidance, Support from organizations and participants is also an issue.
Team Characteristics, Negative Factors and Team Performance

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Limitation of the study is also related to the validity (external or internal) and reliability.
Quantitative approach can decrease the issue of generalizability but there may be some issues of
reliability because the study is using both quantitative and qualitative approaches.
The findings of the study may also be limited because sample size may decrease because of the
non responses. The study would include questionnaire method so the chances of non responses
can increase.

CHAPTER NO 2
Literature Review
This chapter will thoroughly discuss the concept of teamwork within organizations.
Afterwards, the role of team characteristics in teams along with the different coordinative
dimensions will be presented. Finally, a review of existing literature regarding team
characteristics, conflict, negative mood, negative work place environment and their influence on
teamwork will also be addressed.

2.1: Team Characteristics

Throughout this study, the term team will be mentioned at numerous times.
Therefore, two useful definitions will be now provided.
A set of interdependent team members, each of whom possesses unique and expert-level
knowledge, skills, and experience related to task performance, and who adapt, coordinates, and
cooperate as a team
Salas, Rosen, Burke, Goodwin, and Fiore (2006) (page 440).
Arrow, McGrath and Berdahl (2000) described a team as a complex, adaptive, dynamic,
coordinated and bounded set of patterned relations among members, tasks and tools (page 34).
Teamwork requires team members who have positive attitudes toward the team and its task, have
been provided adequate direction, and support for accomplishing team goals, communicate often,
and knows their own tasks and those of other members with whom they interact
(Brannick, Salas & Prince, 1997; Wee & Morse, 2007)
Morgan (1986) and Brannick (1997) categorized seven components of teamwork, namely
communication, team orientation, leadership, monitoring, feedback, backup and

Team Characteristics, Negative Factors and Team Performance

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coordination. Out of these components, communication is one with major influence on the
teamwork processes (McIntyre et al., 1990).
Interpersonal communication involves the active exchange of information between two or more
members of the team, as well as an individual team member providing information to others in
the appropriate manner. The essence of interpersonal communication is the notion that team
members are mutually responsive to one anothers actions (Cappella, 1997).

2.2: Conflict
Conflict starts when an individual perceives that someone is negatively affecting or about to
affect, something they care about. Many conflicts in the work place occur between individuals who
share similar end goals but disagree over the means by which they can b achieved. Team members
must share and integrate their different perspectives to reach creative decisions this requires the
skillful management of conflict in the team. Two types of conflicts affect team performances
which are task conflict and relationship conflict. Task conflict has generally been found to have a
positive effect on task performance, provided that the level of conflict appropriate to the
complexity and uncertainty of the teams work. At the same time, task conflict can cause unease
among individuals and weaken their commitment to the team. Relationship conflict generally has a
negative effect on team performance. Relationship conflict lowers task performance by distracting
members attention, reducing their ability to think clearly, and encouraging perceptions of hostile
intentions in others actions. When teams are developed the conflict arise mostly in storming stage
because of personal issues. There is more concern for the values, views and problems of others in
the teams. Past research has revealed that team effectiveness and satisfaction suffer when teams
experience relationship conflict - conflict related to interpersonal issues, political norms and
values, and personal taste. This study examined how teams should respond to these conflicts.
Three types of conflict responses were studied: collaborating responses, contending responses, and
avoiding responses. A field study involving a heterogeneous sample of teams performing complex,
non-routine task showed that collaborating and contending responses to relationship conflict
negatively relate to team functioning (i.e., voice, compliance, helping behavior) and overall team

Team Characteristics, Negative Factors and Team Performance

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effectiveness, while avoiding responses were associated with high team functioning and
effectiveness.

2.3: Negative Mood

Today organizations are moving towards team structure. It is argued performance can be
increased by team work. Many studies and researches are conducted on team performance and
factors that affect team performance. Both positive and negative factors affect team performance.
The Centre of the study is negative factors that influence team performance.
The study in the article by peter j Jordan explores the relationship between team members
negative mood and the team process(social cohesion, workload sharing, team conflict).in
addition to these some other factors includes group think(e.g. Kerr & Tindale 2004), social
loafing(e.g. Mulvey & Klein 1998)& poor goal setting(e.g. Wegge & Kleinbeck)
(e.g. Wegge & Kleinbeck The factors that influence team performance and may have a negative
impact on the team performance include organizational culture (Ashforth 1985), stages of team
development (Gersick 1991; Tuckman 1965), length of tenure of the team (Pelled 1996), team
diversity (Simons,Pelled & Smith 1999; Swezey, Meltzer & Salas 1994) and individual
difference variables (Barrick, Stewart, Neubert & Mount 1998; Stewart, Fulmer & Barrick
2005).

One of the studies, which show the relationship between moods and performance, was conducted
on sports psychology. Investigation of relationships between mood and performance has been a
major focus of research in sport psychology (LeUnes & Burger, 1998; LeUnes, 2000). According
to the article there is a vast amount of anecdotal evidence suggesting that poor performance is
associated with a failure to get into an appropriate mood.
Several studies have provided contrasting views on the predictive effectiveness of mood (Beedie,
Terry, & Lane, 2000; Renger, 1993; Rowley, Landers, Kyllo, & Etnier, 1999; Terry, 1995).
Despite the vast amount of research, findings are unclear. Recent research has suggested that
mood is an effective predictor of performance.
Recent research has further supported the notion that mood can predict performance in
basketball, an open-skilled invasion game like soccer. Because study was conducted for the
sports teams the article tells that there is relationship between mood and team performance.
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Further study in the article showed that there is also a relationship of mood and team cohesion
but that point is under controversy.
Another study suggests that positive mood promotes creative problem solving (A. M. Isen,
2000).Temporary workgroups were induced to experience positive, neutral, or negative mood
before engaging in a creative production task. The results indicated that positive mood increased
creative performance and implementation efficiency, creative performance is needed for good
performance of the group

2.5: Hypothesis
This section will build the hypotheses of this study based on past literature.
H1: The presence of conflict during teamwork is negatively correlated to the team performance.
H2: The stronger the negative group mood, the poorer the team performance.

Independent

Dependent

Conflict

Negative
Mood

Team
Performance

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CHAPTER NO 3
Research Methodology
3.1: Design
The study will employ quantitative and qualitative strategy or mixed approach would be used.
In quantitative method questionnaire would be used. Questionnaire would include close ended
questions. This would be beneficial for the validity of the study. Two methods of data collection
would be used. Questionnaire & mailed questionnaire.

3.2: Instrumentation
Questionnaires:
When we prepare questionnaires, they can be handed physically to the respondents; the cost of
this type of data collection is minimal, however this type of method could be time consuming in
that one will have to be physically present when the questionnaire is completed by respondents

Mailed questionnaire:
This is also another method of data collected, this method requires that one prepare
questionnaires and send them via mail to respondents, this method is both time consuming and
also costly because it requires one to purchase postage stamps to mail to respondents and also
from the respondents to the research agent. However this is an appropriate method and
acceptable to undertake data collection, the other problem that may occur is that respondents
may not return questionnaires or may fail to complete them, this method has an advantage in that
one can collect data from a large sample simultaneously.

This study will also employ qualitative research method because it will try to find the
relationship of one variable with another variable through qualitative elements in research.
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Through this method, qualitative elements that do not have standard measures such as behavior,
attitudes, opinions, and beliefs within the team members will be analyzed. Interviews will be
included in data collection process.

Face to face interviews and telephone

interviews:
This is a method by which data can be collected. Data collected in this method can be used for
statistical analysis, this methods are costly and time consuming, this is because they require one
to travel if the method is a face to face interview, however it is a reliable method and also the
research agent can be in a position to clarify answers given by the respondent by ease, also in
this method it is easy to check for any biased responses.

3.3: Unit of Analysis

Management teams

3.5: Analysis Technique

The tool for analysis will used is SPSS software. By this software we will try to find out the

CHAPTER NO 4

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The aim of the present study was to investigate relationships between conflict, mood, and team
productivity. Distinguishing questions which mood should be used to answer has advanced mood
research. Recent research has suggested mood is an effective predictor of performance.
In conclusion, we suggest that future research should test the effectiveness of the study on
relationship of mood and conflict with performance.

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Questionnaire:
For each of pair of statements select the radio button nearest the statement you agree with most.
For the statements where you agree or disagree with both, select a radio button near the middle
I really enjoy comforting other people
who feel hurt or upset

I really enjoy forming my own

explanations of how things work

I really enjoy getting people to

organize themselves better

I really enjoy thinking about what I

believe is important

I really enjoy dreaming up

imaginative ideas

I really enjoy getting things done as

and when they arise

I really enjoy it when I can get to

know one thing/person really, really
well

I really like building better

relationships between people

I really enjoy thinking about the

unfathomable

I get annoyed if people insist on

following procedures

I really enjoy it when things are

constantly changing

I really like finding logical flaws in

theories or explanations

I really enjoy accomplishing

immediate tasks

I get annoyed if people won't

compromise over their private
convictions

I get annoyed if people change things

that are already working well

I get annoyed if people want all the

facts before trying anything new

I very much like trying out new ways

of doing things

I very much like contemplating my

own observations

I very much like holding fast to my

own, personal values

I very much like checking that

everyone has done what they were
meant to do

Team Characteristics, Negative Factors and Team Performance

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I very much like forming my own

rationale of why things happen

I very much like taking care of other

people's feelings

I very much like thinking about what

is in the unknown

I very much like doing practical things

that have a tangible result

If need be, I am comfortable taking an

individual stand on my personal
beliefs

If need be, I am comfortable imposing

rules on other people

People irritate me when they invest

effort in something that will soon be
obsolete

People irritate me when they think so

much about the future that today's
tasks are left undone

People irritate me when they make

notes of every detail

People irritate me when they start

new, experimental initiatives

I really enjoy a theory when it is true

and correct

I really enjoy relationships when there

is a lot of rapport

I feel very satisfied by challenging the

status quo, to shake things up a bit

I feel very satisfied by reviewing my

own experiences and knowledge

My personal convictions are the most

important thing

Following the rules is the most

important thing

I feel very satisfied by imagining a

radical vision of the future

I feel very satisfied by building a more

appreciative atmosphere amongst
friends

I really enjoy having my own moral

compass to guide my thoughts and
beliefs

I enjoy getting things done

I feel very satisfied by taking

immediate action to deal with things
as they arise

I feel very satisfied by figuring out for

myself how something works

I really enjoy overcoming opposition

to get people to do what they are
supposed to do

I enjoy anticipating the future

Team Characteristics, Negative Factors and Team Performance

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I enjoy changing things to see what

happens

I enjoy meeting friends

I feel satisfied when I'm dealing with a

crisis

I enjoy gathering lots and lots of

information

I enjoy thinking about what I know

I enjoy solving problems on my own

I feel satisfied when I'm contemplating

the mysterious

I enjoy flitting from one activity to

another

I feel satisfied when my explanations

are correct

I feel satisfied when others have good

relationships

I feel satisfied when others follow the

correct procedures

I feel satisfied when I can adhere to

my personal values

I dislike having to compromise my

values

I dislike it when there is chaos around

me

I dislike doing the same things again

and again

I dislike ambiguity and lack of clarity

in information

I dislike conflict between people

I dislike incoherent theories

Team Characteristics, Negative Factors and Team Performance

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Reference:
Bibliography
jordan, p. j., & lawrence, s. a. (2006, june). the impact of negative mood on team performance.
journal of management & organization, 131-145.
Lowther, j. (2002, december). Relationship between mood, cohesion and satisfaction with
performance among soccer players. journel of sportpsychology, 4(3).
Grawitch, mathew j; David, Munz c; Thomas, Kramer j. (2003, march). effect of member mood
states on creative performance in temporary workgroups. group dynamic:Theory,
Research, and Practice, 7(1), 41-54.
Distinguishing the effect of functional or dysfunctional conflict on strategic decision [Journal] /
auth. Wood Stewphen // Academy of management . - Vol. 39. - pp. 123-148.

References
http://jmo.e-contentmanagement.com/archives/vol/12/issue/2/article/355/the-impact-of-negativemood-on-team-performance
http://www.athleticinsight.com/Vol4Iss3/MoodPDF.pdf

http://jmo.e-contentmanagement.com/archives/vol/12/issue/2/article/355/the-impact-of-negativemood-on-team-performance
http://www.athleticinsight.com/Vol4Iss3/MoodPDF.pdf
s.j.wood@sheffield.ac.uk

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