SCENARIO ASSIGNMENT

NAME

: VINOD A/L VENKATESAN

ID NO

:I06003365

SESSION

: 5MF

SUBJECT

: MANAGING ORGANISATION

SUBJECT CODE

: MGT 6204

LECTURER

: DR. SHAHEEN MANSORI

1. Describe the job titles of the employees who will form these work groups. What type of formal work group will they be? Teams: Based on the objectives the teams can be classified, there are four (4) most commonly known forms of team that one can find in an organization which may be problem-solving team, selfmanaged teams, cross-functional teams and virtual teams. Out of these groups a organization can either choose to use any one or use all accordingly. Problem-solving teams: In order to have this type of team the team should be consisting of approximately 5 to 12 employees from the same department who would be meeting up for a few hours an week in order to discuss the possible ways to improve quality, efficiency and regarding the work environment as well. (Flynn, Chatman, 2002) Most of the organization teams rely on the problem solving team in order to help in solving the organizational problems. The team can be given as the diagram below:

From the diagram above it can be said that the problem is centered with the number of people focusing into it. In this way it gains more opportunity and united work to solve the problem. In problem-solving teams the team members usually share their ideas or even provide any suggestions on the problems or on how to govern a problem in the near future. Normally in rare case these types of teams when given the authority may have possibility to have havoc on implementing suggestion unilaterally. Self-Managed Teams Unlike the previous type of team this team is generally bigger number of employee in a group. This may consist to somewhere between 10to 15 in a team who primarily take over the responsibilities of the previous managers. In this type of teams the typical responsibility would be to be collectively in control over the pace of work and work assignment determinations, break organizations and shared choice of inspection procedure that are used(Mark M. Chatfield,

P.E,2009) . The fully self- managed teams usually has the habit of selecting their own team members, in turn those members will evaluate each other performances. Consequently the administrative positions take on decreased or lower importance and in some cases it may even be eliminated. As we see in the model figure below:

There is a sort of inter link and communication among all the member of the team hence there is a constant interactions among the team members which is supposing healthy for a new team.

Cross-Functional team: When we focus on the cross-functional teams they are comprised of team members i.e, employees at the same or similar hierarchical level, though not from the same working areas, who is gathered together to accomplish an task. Cross-functional teams allows the employees from diverse range in the organization to exchange informations and which will help them to develop newer ideas, and they turn out to be problem solving and helpful in co-coordinating complex projects. Cross-functional team utilizes employees who are from different functional areas and specialties in order to design better and deliver a product or even services. The common motive of using this type of team enables us to combine innovations with speed and efficiency that is a result of early co-ordination considered among various specialties. (Flynn, Chatman, 2002) Virtual Teams: On finally moving on to the last considered team which is virtual teams, from the name it suggests that the team uses the computer technologies in order to tie a snugger depressed members in order to accomplish a common set goal. This team allows the employee in the group to collaborate online and even though they are a room apart or even separated by continents( David Gould, Ed.D, 2006) This type of team has primarily three factors which help in differentiating the virtual team from the face-face team is: The absence of Para-verbal and non-verbal cues. Limitations in social context.

The ability to overcome time and space restraints.

Scenario: In our case the work team that will be used will be part of the advertising agency. Assuming the advertising company is what we are running and has to be split into teams. In the context of advertising team the team will be given a task to complete i.e. a team will be formed in order to complete an advert. As creation of advert needs more innovation a complete team work is required for a successful project outcome. Hence the team is formed and they would be assigned a task and team may consist members of five or more. This team would function more as a formal work group utilizing the self-managed work team, basically this team would not be having a team leader provided the team should be regularly reporting their progress to the higher authority, thus to avoid conflict inside the team everyone is given equal reasoning and sharing power. In order to come out with an effective outcome a healthy interaction is necessary. As the team members are new to each other following the self-management style there would be interaction and communication of members with each other in this way it would be helpful to build team confidence. The team members will act with their own roles but their ideas would be shared in every meeting.

Conclusion: As a team in an advert company needs a good and an innovative workers team from various specializations the need to communicate with each other is important and vital for the development of the project and successful completion of it, hence in order to achieve all these task the team has to be a good self- managed team which can potentially communicate with each other and thence can form a perfect team suitable for the theme of work. Since the team is with small numbers of members it becomes eventually easier to communicate among each other and hence the formal self-managed team is recommended for this advert team to cater the needs of the organization when compared to other types of team.

2. List three to five group norms that you want the team to embrace. reasoning for each norm.

Explain your

Group norms: Group norms are the standards that largely govern behavior within a group. Once a team has been newly created the group norms becomes vital. The group norms are the informal rules that the tam usually adopt in order to maintain standard and regulate the behavior of the members. These norms can be categorized based on their evaluative nature, in simple terms they refer to what should be performed. Norms signify valuable judgments regarding their appropriate behavior in social conditions. Even though they are rarely noted down and discussed, there is a powerful influence of norms on groups behavior. In some cases if the individuals in a group has decided on how to be behaving in their every interactions, in such case no one would be able to forecast the behavior of such group members, commotion would rein. Norms acts as a guide for the behavior and helps in reducing the vagueness in teams. (Flynn, Chatman,Phipps, 2002 &2000) Creating Norms: In general the norm setting is led by the organizer; mostly the preferred one would be the one who doesnt have any palisade in the end result. It is usually a flexible process to gather an initial set of norms which a team can possibly adopt to their size and needed preferences. For instance the team members who are positioned closer to each other or being able to get along in order to kick start a project. Can possibly create a starter list for the discussions.

In order to achieve this team members should be seated in a circular manner, when the organizer posts norms on a flip chart each member should describe in a circle until no more suggestion is there to be raised. This type of norm setting works promptly if the team members are well known to each other and who would feel comfortable in articulation their views or ideas. (Phipps & Phipps, 2000) The team separated into two or three per group and each group would do a brainstorming and create their own customized list of norms. After which they can gather as an original team and they can share their own created norms listening to each groups list. This would be an effective way when the team members are not well known to each other as the chance to interact in a smaller group will enable them to know each other better. Though in this scenario the partners are the one who will act as a facilitator, though the company was set in an individual task other than team works the group norms that is to be crated for this type of teams are to set in a basic level as the behavior and communication norms are to be introduced. In future the team after knowing each other well can sit and decide on future norms. To develop a healthy relationship with the each team members the norms would be implemented the company partners in order to maintain monarchy and decorum within the teams Without a set of norms it is practically difficult for a group to exist (Moral Dynamics, 2012) . As mentioned earlier the team does not consist of a team leader the team being small the ability to function to fullest is greater when compared to a larger group. Thus the norms are easy to implement.

The norms that can be implemented to the advert team of five can be in a way of focusing the meeting and gathering of the teams. As the team needs regular coordination one of the team members has to arrange for a weekly meeting. The need to arrange frequent meeting is necessary as the progress of the project can be kept up-to-date. As the team meets up frequently for meeting the team norm can be created with primary focus on it as follows: Regular Meetings: The first norms should be the regular meetings of the whole team. In this way the work delegated in the team can be updated every week by the help of meeting. Hence it is the responsibility of each team member to meet up once in every week. Punctuality: It doesnt matter how the team works on the usual days because their presence in the meeting would evaluate their weeks performance promptly. To have an organized meeting the team members should be on time to the meeting which can be excused if under any urgent circumstances. Meeting minutes: The team members individually should write the report of each meetings and the each decision made and concluded should be noted, this way it ensures there is an evidence of team members presence and understanding of the meeting is well known by each members.

Ideas sharing: The decision making authority of the team is generalized, in simple terms the ideas for the improvement of the project can be shared by each team members and should be discussed in the meeting and acceptance of all the team members the idea should be taken into considerations. If any team members are to disagree that individual should provide proper explanations.

Meeting preparations: Before meeting up the team members should be aware of the meeting reason and they must be prepared to demonstrate the value and respect for the time and convenience of the team members.

As the norms may be different form the classical norms of a team is because of the reason the norms within a smaller group do not have to correspond to the norms of the larger group within which it is embedded. The most known fact when it comes to norms is that the efficacy of norms can change over time. At times the norms which worked in history may no longer be needed, thus according to the team and objective the norms keep changing (Parks, Craig D, 2004)

3. Develop three to five topics to be included in an institutionalized or individualized role orientation for new employees that will create the norms you listed above. Clearly identify formal tactics and informal tactics, and note if tactics are sequential or random, fixed or variable, serial or disjunctive.

The planned welcoming to an organization is normally termed as new employee orientation; this is commonly shared by the HR or either by the training departments and the including the new employees supervisor (Jean Barbazette, 2012). Basically there are twelve various crucial factors that can effectively subsidize to a successful orientation of new employee norms. According to a survey held in United States (in 1985, 1988 and so on) they have come up with major twelve factors which can contribute to the success or orientation. We shall further filter the factors to cater the needs to the demand of this question to five main factors contribution. Most of the orientation programs is an continuous ongoing process, as the information is delivered to the employee in the thread line close to the time of need. The orientation usually catches up with the hiring of employee and henceforth gets continued. The New Employee Orientation (NEO) acts an program which is umbrella for the other programs which may include the review of performance and training. (Jean Barbazette, 2012). The orientation benefits become very clear both to the organization as well as the new employee. The employee should mix around with the current employee in order to work efficiently in groups.

Their training includes group discussion and ice breaking events which is in sense to flow with the future work dedication as a member of a project team. Once the employee is clear of his coemployee he can be confident and not feel neglected. Before the orientation the objective has to be clear and the time frame should be known to the new employee, in a way letting the employee know that there is no overload of informations and the objectives are clear which determines the working style of the organization. A mock project should be presented to the new employee as a part of orientation as their cooperation and their contribution can be evaluated and later be rectified according to their future performance need. In this way they can effectively implement the orientation for the new employee that can cater in injecting the norms of the team they will be working for. Not only for the new employee but for the existing employee also need frequent orientation programs which may help them know their standards and benchmark from their colleagues. (Jean Barbazette, 2012).

Formal versus Informal Tactics: While we look into the aspect of tactics either it being formal or informal we may choose to go on with the informal tactics. Before discussing the tactics that is to be implemented the definitions of formal and informal tactics can be looked upon. Formal Tactics: When tactics are formal, newcomers are segregated from existing group members during the learning process (Gareth R. Jones, 2010) Informal Tactics: When tactics are informal, newcomers learn on the job as members of their work group (Gareth R. Jones, 2010). Based on the above two types of tactics the one we can adopt for the team formed can be preferably Informal Tactics. As the team that we are currently forming are also new hence when new comers enter the organizations they can learn the jobs from their work group which provides a chance to mingle and develop a good communication option for the new comers with the existing employees. Added to the tactics it is also important to whether the process has to be Sequential or Random Tactics, or fixed or variable, serial or disjunctive. In order to understand this tactics we shall also look into their definition.

Sequential versus: When sequential tactics are used, newcomers are provided with explicit information about the sequence in which they will perform new behaviors. Sequential tactics tend to lead to an institutionalized orientation Random Tactics: When random tactics are used, the order in which socialization proceeds is based on the interests and needs of individual newcomersno set sequence is followed. ; Random tactics tend to lead to an individualized orientation. Fixed Tactics: Fixed tactics give newcomers precise knowledge of the timetable associated with completing each stage in the learning process. Fixed tactics tend to lead to an institutionalized orientation. Variable Tactics: Variable tactics provide no information about when newcomers will reach a certain stage in the learning process; the speed of socialization depends on the individual newcomer. Variable (random) tactics tend to lead to an individualized orientation.

Serial Tactics: When serial tactics are used, existing group members socialize newcomers. Serial tactics tend to lead to an institutionalized orientation; disjunctive tactics tend to lead to an individualized orientation. Disjunctive Tactics When disjunctive tactics are used, newcomers must figure out and develop their own way of behaving and are not told what to do by experienced group members. Based on the brief definition stated we shall be choosing a institutionalized orientation program with sequential fixed serial tactics method. This has been chosen to the scenario since the individuals enter an organization which is a very strange environment for them. As the days pass by if the orientation is individualized it would take possibly long time for the new comers to mingle with the existing employees. When the new comers are told about the explicit information regarding their behavior and newcomers precise knowledge of the timetable associated with completing each stage in the learning process along with existing group members socialize newcomers it becomes easier for the employees to have good understanding with each others.

If we go on with the individualized orientation it would practically take quite long for the new comers to merge with the existing employees, as there would be a feeling of stranger. It is not advisable for a advert companies to follow individualized orientation since it does not contribute in a better way for a team to function effectively. Hence the institutionalized orientation norms would be of better choice when it specially comes to the team work.

REFERENCE: 1.David Gould, Ed.D, 2006, Accessed on 28th June 2012, Retrieved from

<www.seanet.com/~daveg/vrteams.htm> 2. Gareth R. Jones, 2010, 6th edition retrieved from Organizational Theory, Design, and Change 3.Jean Barbazette, 2012, volume 1retreived from Training Needs Assessment 4.Moral Dynamics, 2012, Accessed on 28th June 2012, Retrieved from

<http://ockhamsbeard.wordpress.com/2011/07/04/moral-dynamics/> 5.Mark M. Chatfield, P.E, 2009, Accessed on 14th June 2012, Retrieved from <http://www.irism.com/selfteam.htm> 6.Parks, Craig D, 2004, Accessed on 15th June 2012, Retrieved

fromhttp://www.wsu.edu/psychology/facultystaff/experimental/facultypages/parks.html 7. Maurice L. Phipps and Cynthia A. Phipps (2000) Group Norm Setting: A Critical Skill for Effective Classroom Groups. Available from <URL:

http://www.wcu.edu/facctr/mountainrise/MR_1_1_PDF/MR_1_1_Phipps.pdf 8. Francis J. Flynn and Jennifer A. Chatman (2002) Whats the Norm Here? Social Categorization as a Basis for Group Norm Development. Available from <URL: http://www.hbs.edu/research/facpubs/workingpapers/papers2/0102/02-089.pdf