Steiners taxonomy of tasks

Prepared by: Abhishek Mishra Ketan Vaghasiya Apexa Patel Nitish Jaiswal Mitul Shah Hiren Vaghela

Building an Effective Team

Steiners taxonomy of tasks and task demands Distinguishes between the types of tasks groups perform based on how members inputs are combined Task Demands the effect that a problem or tasks features, including its divisibility and difficulty, have on the procedures the group can use to complete the task


Asks three basic questions. Quantity vs. Quality, Interdependence

Divisibility,

Task Demands
Question Task Type Qualities


Examples
Playing a football game Building a house Preparing a sixcourse meal Pulling on a rope Reading a book Solving a math problem

Divisible Subcomponents can be identified Can the task be and assigned to specific broken down members into subtasks? Unitary The task does not have subcomponents

y y

Quantity vs. Quality

Quantity:


Maximizing Is quantity produced more important than quality of performance ? Optimizing

The more produced the better the performance

Generating many ideas Lifting a great weight Scoring the most goals

Quality:


A correct or optimal solution is needed

Developing the best answer Solving a math problem

Interdependence
Additive
Individual inputs are added together averaging together individual decisions
 y 

Pulling a rope Shoveling snow

Compensatory Decision is made by

How are individual inputs Disjunctive combined to yield a group product ?

Conjunctive

Estimating a pigs weight by asking 3 people to guess & averaging their guesses y Averaging ratings of job applicants


Group selects one solution or product from a pool of members solutions or products All group members must contribute to the product for it to be completed Group decides how individual inputs relate to group product

Picking one persons answer to a math problem to be the groups answer Letting one art project represent the entire school Climbing a mountain Eating a meal as a group

 y

Discretionary

Deciding to shovel snow together Choosing to vote on the best answer to a problem

Types of Tasks


Additive Task a task or project that a group can complete by cumulative combining of members input

Compensatory Task a task or project that a group can complete by averaging together individual members solutions or recommendations  Groups outperform individuals on additive tasks and compensatory tasks.


Types of Tasks
Disjunctive Task a task or project that is completed when a single solution, decision, or recommendation is adopted by the group  Groups perform well on disjunctive tasks if the group includes at least one individual who knows the correct solution.  Groups rarely perform better than the best member (synergy, or an assembly bonus effect)


Types of Tasks


Conjunctive Task a task that can be completed successfully only if all group members contribute Groups perform poorly on conjunctive tasks unless less skilled members increase their efforts (the Khler Effect) or the task can be subdivided.

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