Never Underestimate the Power of an Effective Team As today's businesses increasingly structure work around teams, it's more important than ever for students to understand group processes. Through the research summaries and case studies of this text, students will learn valuable theory and develop a rich picture of teams in action. Blending theory and practice in areas such as team design, team social processes, and team effectiveness provides them with a realistic view of how teams function in actual work organizations. The combination of research and case examples also shows students how to help teams become more effective. Because key concepts are specifically presented in and applied to business settings, students can gain a real-world perspective of ways they can influence teams. They'll not only learn the complex issues associated with teams, but they'll not only learn the complex issues associated with teams, but they'll also develop tools to succeed as designers, leaders, and members. Special Features of the Text: Numerous examples are included to clearly illustrate important theoretical points. Theory and research is summarized in a non-technical style that is applied to situations familiar to students. Each unit includes a short scenario that provides students with the perspective of someone who is actually involved with teams in an organizational setting. Relationships between group theories and business goals (e.g., increasing profit, providing a motivating work environment) are discussed throughout.