Failure to assign roles or responsibilities can create unbalanced workloads amongst members and subsequently lead to resentment, so it is imperative to distribute roles to each member. The authors of the book, Tools For Teams, offers three strategies to reduce free riding. First, build team identity that will blur the line between self-interest and that of the group. Second, make social contracts to induce cooperation. Finally, change the incentive structure because "when it is more cost-effective for group members to cooperate rather than adopt self-interested behavior, cooperation increases" (223). These strategies should discourage "free riding" and encourage social relationships between members.
The positive formation and maintenance of relationships within a team can be quite advantageous; however, if relationships are ill formed or badly managed, the probability of team downfall is greatly increased. One way to form a relationship with the team is to create rapport amongst members. Rapport is established when people find similar aspects of their personalities and the team can capitalize on these similarities and/or differences. Team members usually fall into two types of personalities, the introverted and the extroverted. When in a group setting, the extroverted individuals are usually the ones who assume leadership roles.