Question: Individual Differences in Teams

Objective: In organizations like Merck & Co., the pharmaceuticals giant, and Microsoft Corporation, the leading producer of computer software, research scientists or computer programmers often work together in small teams on complex, path-breaking projects to create new drugs or computer software. Team members interact closely, often over long time periods, in order to complete their projects. Individual differences in personality and ability provide teams not only with valued resources needed to complete their projects but also with potential sources of conflict and problems. Your objective is to understand how individual differences in personality and ability affect people's behavior in teams.
Procedure The class divides into groups of three to five people, and each group appoints one member as spokesperson to present the group's findings to the whole class. Each group discusses how the personalities and abilities of team members may affect team performance and may cause conflict and problems. Using the knowledge of personality and ability gained in this chapter, each group answers the following questions.

1. Do certain personality traits make people good team members? If so, what are they and why are they important? If not, why not?

2. Is it more effective for teams to be composed of members who have different personality types or similar personality types?

3. What kinds of abilities make people good team members?

4. Should team members have similar or different kinds and levels of abilities?

When all the groups are finished discussing these issues, the spokespersons take turns presenting the groups' findings to the rest of the class, and the instructor lists the findings on the board.