Jeffrey T. Polzer
UPS Foundation Professor of Human Resource Management
Jeff Polzer is the UPS Foundation Professor of Human Resource Management in the Organizational Behavior Unit at Harvard Business School. He studies how people collaborate in diverse teams by focusing on the interplay among individual expertise and identity, interpersonal processes such as conflict, and team performance. He also studies the use of communication technologies to foster global collaboration. He has taught a variety of courses in the MBA, Executive, and Doctoral Programs at HBS. He has also conducted executive training sessions for a variety of organizations including IBM, Novartis, Seagate, Jabil, Merrill Lynch, Royal Bank of Scotland, Citizens Bank, Young President's Organization, and Ernst & Young. Professor Polzer has published his research in the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Administrative Science Quarterly, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Psychological Science, and Small Group Research. He also serves on the editorial board of ASQ. Professor Polzer currently teaches the required MBA course Leadership and Organizational Behavior and is the faculty chair of the Organizational Behavior PhD program. He previously taught the elective MBA course Leading Teams and the doctoral course Human Behavior. Before coming to Harvard, he taught courses in Organizational Behavior and Negotiations at the University of Texas at Austin and Northwestern University, where he won the Kellogg Graduate School of Management's Doctoral Teaching Award. More recently, HBS awarded Professor Polzer the Robert F. Greenhill Award for outstanding service as well as the Apgar Award for Innovation in Teaching. A native of Wisconsin, Professor Polzer earned a B.S. in Finance and Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and an MBA from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, where he worked for Burlington Northern Railroad as a marketing analyst. He received his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He then taught and conducted research as an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and was a Visiting Scholar in the Program on Negotiation at Harvard University.
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Article
| Psychological Science
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Not Just for Stereotyping Anymore: Racial Essentialism Reduces Domain-General Creativity
Carmit Tadmor, Melody Chao, Ying-yi Hong and Jeff Polzer
Individuals who believe that racial groups have fixed underlying essences use stereotypes more than do individuals who believe that racial categories are arbitrary and malleable social-political constructions. Would this essentialist mind-set also lead to less creativity? We suggest that the functional utility derived from essentialism induces a habitual closed-mindedness that transcends the social domain and hampers creativity. Across studies, using both individual difference measures (in a pilot test) and experimental manipulations (Experiments 1, 2a, and 2b), we found that an essentialist mind-set is indeed hazardous for creativity, with the relationship mediated by motivated closed-mindedness (Experiments 2a and 2b). These results held across samples of majority cultural-group members (Caucasian Americans, Israelis) and minority-group members (Asian Americans), as well as across different measures of creativity (flexibility, association, insight). Our findings have important implications for understanding the connection between racial intolerance and creativity.
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Article
| Administrative Science Quarterly
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Friends in High Places: Structural Discrimination in Salary Negotiations
M. D. Seidel, J. Polzer and K. Stewart
Keywords: Negotiation;
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Article
| Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
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Beyond Individual Creativity: The Superadditive Benefits of Multicultural Experience for Collective Creativity in Culturally Diverse Teams
Carmit Tadmor, Patricia Satterstrom, Sujin Jang and Jeffrey Polzer
Although recent research has consistently demonstrated the benefits of multicultural experience for individual-level creativity, its potential advantages for collective creativity in culturally diverse teams have yet to be explored. We predicted that multicultural experience among members of a collective would enhance joint creativity in a superadditive fashion. Using a two-step methodology that included both individual and dyadic brainstorming sessions, we found that even after controlling for individual creativity, multicultural experience had a superadditive effect on dyadic creativity. Specifically, dyads performed best on a creative task in terms of fluency, flexibility, and novelty—three classic dimensions of creativity—when both dyad partners had high levels of multicultural experience. These results show that when it comes to multicultural experience, the creative whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Implications for diversity research are discussed.
Keywords: Creativity;
Groups and Teams;
Citation: Tadmor, Carmit, Patricia Satterstrom, Sujin Jang, and Jeffrey Polzer. "Beyond Individual Creativity: The Superadditive Benefits of Multicultural Experience for Collective Creativity in Culturally Diverse Teams." Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 43, no. 3 (April 2012): 384–392.
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Article
| Organization Science
|
Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth: How High Status Individuals Decrease Group Effectiveness.
Boris Groysberg, Jeffrey T. Polzer and Hillary Anger Elfenbein
Can groups become effective simply by assembling high status individual performers? Though an affirmative answer may seem straightforward on the surface, this answer becomes more complicated when group members benefit from collaborating on interdependent tasks. Examining Wall Street sell-side equities research analysts who work in an industry in which individuals strive for status, we find that groups benefited-up to a point-from having high status members, controlling for individual performance. With higher proportions of individual stars, however, the marginal benefit decreased before the slope of this curvilinear pattern became negative. This curvilinear pattern was especially strong when stars were concentrated in a small number of sectors, likely reflecting suboptimal integration among analysts with similar areas of expertise. Control variables ensured that these effects were not the spurious result of individual performance, department size or specialization, or firm prestige. We discuss the theoretical implications of these results for the literatures on status and groups, along with practical implications for strategic human resource management.
Keywords: Groups and Teams;
Equity;
Theory;
Human Resources;
Integration;
Body of Literature;
Performance Effectiveness;
Status and Position;
Experience and Expertise;
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Article
| Journal of Management Inquiry
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Crossing Boundaries to Increase Relevance in Organizational Research
Jeffrey Polzer, Ranjay Gulati, Rakesh Khurana and Michael Tushman
Keywords: Organizations;
Research;
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Article
| Harvard Business Review
|
Making Diverse Teams Click
Jeffrey T. Polzer
High interpersonal congruence-meaning alignment between team members' self-assessments and their appraisals of one another-improves the performance of diverse teams. And 360-degree feedback can help.
Keywords: Diversity Characteristics;
Performance Evaluation;
Groups and Teams;
Alignment;
Citation: Polzer, Jeffrey T. " Making Diverse Teams Click." HBS Centennial Issue. Harvard Business Review 86, nos. 7/8 (July–August 2008): 20–21.
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Article
| Academy of Management Journal
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Extending the Faultline Concept to Geographically Dispersed Teams: How Colocated Subgroups Can Impair Group Functioning
Jeffrey T. Polzer, Brad Crisp, Sirkka L. Jarvenpaa and Jerry W. Kim
We theorize that in geographically dispersed teams, members' geographic locations are likely to activate "faultlines" (hypothetical dividing lines that split a group into subgroups) that impair team functioning. In a study of 45 teams comprised of graduate students from 14 schools in ten countries, we found that geographic faultlines heightened conflict and reduced trust. These faultlines were stronger when a team was divided into two equally sized subgroups of colocated members and when these subgroups were homogeneous in nationality.
Keywords: Groups and Teams;
Geographic Location;
Conflict and Resolution;
Trust;
Nationality Characteristics;
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Article
| Human Resource Development Review
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Group Learning: A Multi-Level Model Integrating Interpersonal Congruence, Transactive Memory and Feedback Processes
Manuel London, Jeffrey T. Polzer and Heather Omoregie
Keywords: Groups and Teams;
Learning;
Integration;
Relationships;
Agreements and Arrangements;
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Article
| Journal of Management
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How Subgroup Interests and Reputations Moderate the Effect of Organizational Identification on Cooperation
J. Polzer
Keywords: Groups and Teams;
Interests;
Reputation;
Organizations;
Cooperation;
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Article
| Academy of Management Review
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Finding Value in Diversity: Verification of Personal and Social Self-Views in Diverse Groups
W. B. Swann Jr., J. Polzer, D. C. Seyle and S. J. Ko
Keywords: Value;
Diversity Characteristics;
Groups and Teams;
Identity;
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Article
| Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
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Fostering Group Identification and Creativity in Diverse Groups: The Role of Individuation and Self-verification.
William B. Swann Jr., Virginia S. Y. Kwan, Jeffrey T. Polzer and Laurie P. Milton
Keywords: Groups and Teams;
Creativity;
Identity;
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Article
| Social Cognition
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Waning of Stereotypic Perceptions in Small Groups: Identity Negotiation and Erosion of Gender Expectations of Women.
William B. Swann Jr., Virginia S.Y. Kwan, Jeffrey T. Polzer and Laurie P. Milton
Keywords: Perception;
Groups and Teams;
Identity;
Negotiation;
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Article
| Administrative Science Quarterly
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Capitalizing on Diversity: Interpersonal Congruence in Small Work Groups
J. Polzer, L. P. Milton and W. B. Swann Jr.
Keywords: Diversity Characteristics;
Groups and Teams;
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Book Review
| Administrative Science Quarterly
|
Book Review of Identity in Organizations: Building Theory Through Conversations edited by David A. Whetten and Paul C. Godfrey
J. Polzer
Keywords: Identity;
Organizations;
Theory;
Communication;
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Article
| Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
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Should We Create a Niche or Fall in Line? Identity Negotiation and Small Group Effectiveness
W. Swann, L. Milton and J. Polzer
Keywords: Identity;
Negotiation;
Groups and Teams;
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Article
| Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
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A Social Categorization Explanation for Framing Effects in Nested Social Dilemmas
J. Polzer, K. Stewart and J. Simmons
Keywords: Problems and Challenges;
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Article
| Administrative Science Quarterly
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Being Different Yet Feeling Similar: The Influence of Demographic Composition and Organizational Culture on Work Processes and Outcomes
J. Chatman, J. Polzer, S. Barsade and M. Neale
Keywords: Demographics;
Organizational Culture;
Outcome or Result;
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Article
| Academy of Management Journal
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Interest Alignment and Coalitions in Multi-party Negotiation
J. Polzer, E. Mannix and M. Neale
Keywords: Negotiation;
Alliances;
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Article
| Small Group Research
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Positive Illusions About Oneself and One's Group: Antecedents and Consequences
J. Polzer, R. Kramer and M. Neale
Keywords: Social Psychology;
Groups and Teams;
Outcome or Result;
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Article
| Journal of Conflict Resolution
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Intergroup Negotiations: The Effects of Negotiating Teams
J. Polzer
Keywords: Negotiation;
Groups and Teams;
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Article
| Human Performance
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Constraints or Catalysts? Reexamining Goal Setting Within the Context of Negotiation
J. Polzer and M. Neale
Keywords: Negotiation;
Goals and Objectives;
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Article
| Psychological Science
|
Organization of Information and the Detection of Gender Discrimination
C. Rutte, T. Diekmann, J. Polzer, F. Crosby and D. Messick
Keywords: Information;
Groups and Teams;
Gender Characteristics;
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Article
| Group Decision and Negotiation
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The Effects of Relationships and Justification in an Interdependent Allocation Task
J. Polzer, M. Neale and P. Glenn
Keywords: Relationships;
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Book Review
| Journal of Organizational Behavior
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Book Review of Intuition in Organizations: Leading and Managing Productively edited by Weston H. Agor
J. Polzer, K. Diekmann and M. Neale
Keywords: Leadership;
Management;
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Chapter
| Handbook of Research in Conflict Management
Using a Negotiation Framing to Overcome Power Differences and Promote Change in Healthcare Systems
Patricia Hernandez, Jeff Polzer and Robert Wei
Citation: Hernandez, Patricia, Jeff Polzer, and Robert Wei. "Using a Negotiation Framing to Overcome Power Differences and Promote Change in Healthcare Systems." In Handbook of Research in Conflict Management, by Jeff Polzer., forthcoming.
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Chapter
| Looking Back, Moving Forward
| 2012
When Identities, Interests, and Information Collide: How Subgroups Create Hidden Profiles in Teams
Jeff Polzer and Lisa Kwan
Purpose—We review how team members’ identities and interests affect team functioning, paying special attention to subgroup dynamics triggered by fault lines and coalitions. This review sets the stage for describing novel pathways through which identities and interests, when considered together, can affect team processes and outcomes. Design/approach—We use an extended example of a hypothetical team's decision-making process to illustrate how team members’ identities and interests intertwine to affect the distribution and flow of information, subgroup dynamics, and team decisions. Findings—We develop three specific ideas to demonstrate the utility of this integrative approach. First, we show how the formation of identity-based subgroups can shape information sharing to create a hidden profile where there was none initially. Second, we describe how individual defection can weaken subgroup competition and, paradoxically, increase the chance that a team will optimize its collective welfare. Third, we analyze how shared identities can shape team members' side conversations in ways that create shared interests and information among those with similar identities, even before the team begins its formal meetings. Originality/value—By identifying new routes through which identities and interests can affect team functioning, we provide a foundation for scholars in this domain to theoretically develop and empirically test these and related ideas. More generally, we encourage scholars to study the interplay among identities, interests, and information in their own research to paint a more complete picture of how individuals, subgroups, and teams perform.
Citation: Polzer, Jeff, and Lisa Kwan. " When Identities, Interests, and Information Collide: How Subgroups Create Hidden Profiles in Teams." In Looking Back, Moving Forward. v.15, Research on managing groups and teams edited by Margaret Neale, and Elizabeth Mannix, 359–381. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing, 2012.
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Chapter
| Advances in Group Processes
| 2011
Changing Identity, Changing Language
Kathleen L. McGinn and Jeffrey T. Polzer
Environmental jolts and shifting membership challenge a group's efficacy and survival. Group identity is critical for a shared interpretation of and response to these challenges, but external and internal changes may require corresponding changes in a group's core identity. In a qualitative study of longshoremen in San Pedro, California, we observe an evolution in group identity as we track communication spoken and printed in the hiring halls, on the docks, and during casual social interactions. The emphasis in the shared language gradually shifts from safety and solidarity to safety, collaboration, and economic power. The newly developed language supports and shapes the longshoremen's identity and provides an interpretive guide for how to react to and benefit from disruptive external events.
Keywords: Change;
Spoken Communication;
Performance Efficiency;
Problems and Challenges;
Safety;
Identity;
California;
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Chapter
| Diversity at Work
| 2008
Identity Negotiation Processes Amidst Diversity: Understanding the Influence of Social Identity and Status Differences
Jeffrey T. Polzer and Heather M. Caruso
We integrate an identity negotiation framework with research on diversity, social identity theory, and status differences. This integration reveals the distinct advantages and challenges that high and low status people face when they engage in identity negotiation processes. In particular, our analysis systematically disentangles the obstacles that members of low status social groups must overcome to elicit verification of their positive self-views. People in this situation are not only working against a stereotype from a position of low influence, but are also threatening the relative standing of those whose appraisals they are attempting to change. By considering status differences, we are able to identify certain conditions under which verification effects should have especially potent effects, and other conditions under which appraisal effects may be of greater benefit than verification effects to the performance of diverse groups.
Keywords: Diversity Characteristics;
Organizational Culture;
Groups and Teams;
Identity;
Power and Influence;
Prejudice and Bias;
Status and Position;
Citation: Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Heather M. Caruso. "Identity Negotiation Processes Amidst Diversity: Understanding the Influence of Social Identity and Status Differences." In Diversity at Work, edited by Arthur P. Brief. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2008.
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Chapter
| Research on Emotions in Organizations
| 2007
Team Emotion Recognition Accuracy and Team Performance
H. A. Elfenbein, J. T. Polzer and N. Ambady
Keywords: Groups and Teams;
Emotions;
Perception;
Performance;
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Chapter
| Research on Managing Groups and Teams: Identity Issues in Groups
| 2003
The Benefits of Verifying Diverse Identities for Group Performance
J. Polzer, W. Swann and L. Milton
Keywords: Groups and Teams;
Identity;
Diversity Characteristics;
Performance Evaluation;
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Dictionary Entry
| Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Human Resource Management
| 1997
Negotiation Tactics
J. Polzer
Keywords: Negotiation Tactics;
Citation: Polzer, J. " Negotiation Tactics." In Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Human Resource Management, edited by L. Peters, S. Youngblood, and C. Greer. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 1997.
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Dictionary Entry
| Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Organizational Behavior
| 1996
Role; Role Ambiguity; Role Distancing; Role Set; and Role Theory
J. Polzer
Keywords: Managerial Roles;
Citation: Polzer, J. "Role; Role Ambiguity; Role Distancing; Role Set; and Role Theory." In Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Organizational Behavior, edited by N. Nicholson. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 1996.
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Chapter
| Negotiation as a Social Process
| 1995
Multiparty Negotiation in Its Social Context
J. Polzer, E. Mannix and M. Neale
Keywords: Negotiation;
Society;
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Chapter
| Diversity in Work Teams: Research Paradigms for a Changing Workplace
| 1995
Diversity, Social Indentity, and Performance: Emergent Social Dynamics in Cross-functional Teams
G. Northcraft, J. Polzer, M. Neale and R. Kramer
Keywords: Groups and Teams;
Diversity Characteristics;
Identity;
Performance;
Citation: Northcraft, G., J. Polzer, M. Neale, and R. Kramer. " Diversity, Social Indentity, and Performance: Emergent Social Dynamics in Cross-functional Teams." In Diversity in Work Teams: Research Paradigms for a Changing Workplace, edited by Susan E. Jackson, and Marian N. Ruderman. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 1995.
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Chapter
| Health Care Management: Organization Design and Behavior
| 1994
Conflict Management and Negotiation
J. Polzer and M. Neale
Keywords: Conflict Management;
Negotiation;
Citation: Polzer, J., and M. Neale. " Conflict Management and Negotiation." In Health Care Management: Organization Design and Behavior, edited by S. Shortell, and A. Kaluzny. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers, 1994.
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2013
Bridgewater Associates
Jeffrey T. Polzer and Heidi K. Gardner
Citation: Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Heidi K. Gardner. " Bridgewater Associates." Harvard Business School Video Case 413-702, May 2013.
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Teaching Plan
| HBS Case Collection
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2013
Bridgewater Associates (TP)
Jeffrey Polzer and Heidi K. Gardner
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Module Note
|
2009
Leading Teams Note
Jeffrey T. Polzer
This note, which describes the architecture and processes that characterize effective teams, begins by detailing the steps involved in designing a team, from diagnosing the complexity, interdependence, and objectives of the task to harnessing the key resources teams need from their environment. It describes the qualities to search for when selecting team members, including finding the right number of people, individual skills along both technical and interpersonal dimensions, and a mix of skills appropriate for the task. Once the team is designed, team leaders and members need to shape and monitor team processes, starting with the team launch. Describes how to diagnose emergent team processes such as information exchange, collaboration, decision making, impression formation, and underlying identity dynamics. Includes steps managers can take to improve dysfunctional team processes such as restructuring and shaping the social forces within the team. Ends with a discussion of bridging differences in teams across both geographic and cultural divides.
Keywords: Interpersonal Communication;
Experience and Expertise;
Decision Choices and Conditions;
Knowledge Sharing;
Leadership;
Business Processes;
Groups and Teams;
Citation: Polzer, Jeffrey T. " Leading Teams Note." Harvard Business School Module Note 410-051, September 2009.
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Module Note
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2005
Team Processes: Instructor's Overview
Jeffrey T. Polzer
Describes the cases and exercises that comprise the Team Processes module of the Leading Teams course. Also describes the sequence in which the materials are used, along with the connections and transitions among the materials.
Keywords: Groups and Teams;
Curriculum and Courses;
Management Practices and Processes;
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
|
2005
(Revised from original 2004 version)
Army Crew Team, The (TN)
Jeffrey T. Polzer and Scott A. Snook
Teaching Note to (9-403-131).
Keywords: Sports;
Sports Industry;
Citation: Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Scott A. Snook. " Army Crew Team, The (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 404-117, March 2005. (Revised from original June 2004 version.)
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
|
2005
(Revised from original 2004 version)
Flextronics: Deciding on a Shop-Floor System for Producing the Microsoft Xbox (TN)
Jeffrey T. Polzer, Hillary Anger Elfenbein and Jenny Illes
Teaching Note to (9-403-090).
Keywords: Factories, Labs, and Plants;
Video Game Industry;
Manufacturing Industry;
Spain;
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
|
2005
(Revised from original 2004 version)
National Semiconductor's India Design Center (TN)
Jeffrey T. Polzer
Teaching Note to (9-404-102).
Keywords: Semiconductor Industry;
India;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2004
(Revised from original 2003 version)
Flextronics: Deciding on a Shop Floor System for Producing the Microsoft Xbox
Jeffrey T. Polzer and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld
Jim McCusker must guide a group decision-making process aimed at getting input and buy-in from key people in California, Mexico, and Austria to choose a shop floor IT system for Flextronics. McCusker is Flextronics' account manager for the Microsoft Xbox project. Geographical distance and time pressure make it difficult for all the relevant parties to assemble in person in one location. In a company culture that values fast, decisive action, McCusker wonders whether he has the authority to make the decision himself and, if not, how he should involve the other parties who are keenly interested in the outcome.
Keywords: Groups and Teams;
Decision Making;
Power and Influence;
Geographic Location;
Problems and Challenges;
Leadership;
California;
Mexico;
Austria;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2004
(Revised from original 2004 version)
National Semiconductor's India Design Center
Jeffrey T. Polzer and Elizabeth Kind
The senior managers of the India Design Center used 360-degree feedback to develop their team competencies. Now, three new managers are about to join their management team, and Ashok Kumar, director of the center, must decide how to integrate the new managers in a way that maintains the team's newfound trust and camaraderie. Describes the managers' work activities, including engineering, human resources, and finance responsibilities, to allow a diagnosis of how the managers can benefit from working together as a team. Also notes the challenges these managers face as they work with their bosses and counterparts at the company's headquarters in California, which is 13.5 time zones away. The team is one that could presumably benefit from better cross-functional coordination and communication regarding their collective relationship with the company's headquarters in California.
Keywords: Groups and Teams;
Information Technology Industry;
India;
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
|
2004
Henry Tam and the MGI Team (TN)
Jeffrey T. Polzer and Hillary Anger Elfenbein
Teaching Note to (9-404-068).
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2004
(Revised from original 2002 version)
Chapter Enrichment Program Teams at the American Red Cross (A)
Jeffrey T. Polzer and Anita Williams Woolley
The American Red Cross has a system for structuring, staffing, and leading teams to review its local chapters. Mirroring professional services firms that use teams to serve clients, this system provides detailed guidelines to increase individual team member's efficiency and thoroughness. The protagonist at Red Cross headquarters who designed the system, however, is concerned that the structure she has provided is detracting from the teams' overall creativity and integration. Highlights the trade-offs of providing teams with too little structure (e.g., inefficiency, variable quality of team's work products) vs. too much structure (e.g., team members have little opportunity to utilize their expertise and creativity).
Keywords: Planning;
Groups and Teams;
Management Teams;
Leadership;
Organizational Structure;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2004
(Revised from original 2003 version)
Chapter Enrichment Program Teams at the American Red Cross (B)
Jeffrey T. Polzer and Anita W. Woolley
Supplements the (A) case.
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
|
2004
Chapter Enrichment Program Teams at the American Red Cross (TN) (A) and (B)
Jeffrey T. Polzer, Anita Williams Woolley and Jenny Illes
Teaching Note to (9-402-042) and (9-403-091).
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2004
(Revised from original 2003 version)
Army Crew Team, The
Scott A. Snook and Jeffrey T. Polzer
The coach of the varsity Army crew team at West Point assembled his top eight rowers into the first crew team and the second tier of rowers into the second team using objective data on individual performance. As the second boat continually beat the first boat in races, the coach attempted to discern the team dynamics causing these aberrant results. By using very clean, objective performance data, the case makes clear that a team can be more (or less) than the sum of its individual parts, but allows students to analyze the factors that make this true.
Keywords: Groups and Teams;
Performance;
New York (state, US);
Citation: Snook, Scott A., and Jeffrey T. Polzer. " Army Crew Team, The." Harvard Business School Case 403-131, March 2004. (Revised from original January 2003 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2003
Henry Tam and the MGI Team
Jeffrey T. Polzer, Ingrid Vargas and Hillary Anger Elfenbein
Within a short time frame, seven diverse team members assemble to write a business plan for a new company and struggle to define their roles, make decisions together, and resolve conflict. Henry Tam, a second-year Harvard MBA student, who joins an aspiring start-up company and a fellow classmate to enter the school's business plan contest. The founders of the company are two internationally accomplished musicians and a 1987 Harvard MBA, all Russian, who are trying to create, produce, and sell a unique computer-based music game. Conflict builds as the team generates a range of ideas about how to market their product, but has trouble agreeing on which ideas to pursue. Henry Tam wrestles with how to fix the problems that have hindered the team's progress.
Keywords: Interpersonal Communication;
Groups and Teams;
Management Teams;
Leadership Style;
Human Resources;
Jobs and Positions;
Diversity Characteristics;
Business Plan;
Decision Making;
Conflict and Resolution;
Citation: Polzer, Jeffrey T., Ingrid Vargas, and Hillary Anger Elfenbein. " Henry Tam and the MGI Team." Harvard Business School Case 404-068, October 2003.
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Background Note
| HBS Case Collection
|
2003
Leading Teams
Jeffrey T. Polzer
This note which describes the architecture and processes that characterize effective teams, begins by detailing the steps involved in designing a team, from diagnosing the complexity, interdependence, and objectives of the task to harnessing the key resources teams need from their environment. It describes the qualities to search for when selecting team members, including finding the right number of people, individual skills along both technical and interpersonal dimensions, and a mix of skills appropriate for the task. Once the team is designed, team leaders and members need to shape and monitor team processes, starting with the team launch. Describes how to diagnose emergent team processes such as information exchange, collaboration, decision making, impression formation, and underlying identity dynamics. Includes steps managers can take to improve dysfunctional team processes such as restructuring and shaping the social forces within the team. Ends with a discussion of bridging differences in teams across both geographic and cultural divides.
Keywords: Communication;
Decision Making;
Leadership;
Managerial Roles;
Performance Effectiveness;
Groups and Teams;
Citation: Polzer, Jeffrey T. " Leading Teams." Harvard Business School Background Note 403-094, February 2003.
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Background Note
| HBS Case Collection
|
2003
Identity Issues in Teams
Jeffrey T. Polzer and Hillary Anger Elfenbein
This note explains how identity dynamics underlie many of the observable interpersonal problems that team members encounter, ranging from lack of participation and low involvement to misunderstandings and dysfunctional emotional conflict. It provides a framework for understanding how to recognize and manage identity issues in teams, including sections on communicating identities, forming impressions, and the consequences of the resulting level of congruence between people's identities and others' impressions of them. Outlines action steps managers can take to increase the level of interpersonal congruence in their teams, which should, in turn, make their teams more effective.
Keywords: Framework;
Managerial Roles;
Outcome or Result;
Performance Effectiveness;
Groups and Teams;
Conflict and Resolution;
Emotions;
Identity;
Citation: Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Hillary Anger Elfenbein. " Identity Issues in Teams." Harvard Business School Background Note 403-095, February 2003.
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Conference Presentation
|
Jun
2011
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2011
Perceiving Collaborative Potential
Patricia Satterstrom, Lisa Kwan, Wannawiruch Wiruchnipawan and Jeff Polzer
Citation: Satterstrom, Patricia, Lisa Kwan, Wannawiruch Wiruchnipawan, and Jeff Polzer. "Perceiving Collaborative Potential." Paper presented at the International Association for Conflict Management Annual Conference, Istanbul, Turkey, June 2011.
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Conference Presentation
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Aug
2009
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2009
The Influence of Multiculturalism and Self-verification on Creativity in Culturally Diverse Dyads
Carmit Tadmor, Patricia Hernandez, Sujin Jang and Jeff Polzer
Citation: Tadmor, Carmit, Patricia Hernandez, Sujin Jang, and Jeff Polzer. "The Influence of Multiculturalism and Self-verification on Creativity in Culturally Diverse Dyads." Paper presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Chicago, August 2009.
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