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Meet their co-worker, Matthew Matthew Jones, a recent graduate from Dunedin, was hired at the same time as Henry and Anisa. He really wants to make a good impression in his new job and is keen to make the most of this new opportunity. He is the sort of person who gets stressed easily and worries about things. In the first few weeks in his new job he often turns up to work half an hour early and is happy to stay late to make sure he keeps on top of his workload. Matthew and the rest of his team are managed very closely and are not really trusted by management to get their work done without being monitored. Matthew hates the lack of autonomy that the organisation offers. He is not surprised that others in his team often seem to complain about their own workload and regularly miss deadlines. Most arrive at work late and, though they seldom leave early, they will take long lunch breaks if they can, chat with each other, talk on the phone to their friends and surf the internet. Although they keep themselves separate from the rest of the organisation, they all get on well together, and there is a pleasant and friendly atmosphere in the team. They will cover for each other if someone is “pulling a sickie” and exaggerate to management about how long tasks really take so that they can work slowly and take plenty of breaks. Matthew really wants to be liked by his workmates. As he is a naturally shy person, he sometimes finds it difficult to make friends. It does not take long for Matthew to realise that he has to fit in with the rest of his team if he wants them to like him. He particularly admires Samuel, a fun loving, vivacious, and popular designer who always seems to be surrounded by friends. So, (although it goes against his nature), he soon begins to relax about his own deadlines and go out for extended lunches with 6 his colleagues. He and Samuel become firm friends and although he is not happy about not being very productive at work, he decides that he loves working for Advert Co. more than ever. Four months later Matthew’s mum calls to advise Matthew that his father is unwell and asks that he make plans to visit. While he agrees to do so, he is concerned how it might impact his work at Advert Co. Due to a decline in performance within Matthew’s team, management initiates a new performance-based reward scheme. The goals the team is required to achieve in order to get rewards are not only significantly more challenging than the level at which they are currently performing but also include more ambiguous requirements such as to “improve work quality” and to “try hard.” For example they are expected to not only design new layouts for many of the print advertisements of Advert Co.’s clients, but also to learn how to use the brand new computer software required for the redesign. Although some feedback is given by management and clients about whether the finished product is satisfactory, no proper computer training is given and not a single team member manages to master the new computer software before the first deadline passes. Matthew becomes increasingly stressed. He feels that the work is too hard and he is unsupported by management. His peers are also under a lot of pressure so he cannot rely on them to help him either.

(300 words) (a) Explain the relationship between team norms and team cohesiveness in relation to team performance. How does this explain Matthew’s changing approach to his work at Advert Co.? (b) Identify five ways management can decrease cohesion in Matthew’s team.