LecLure 12

undersLandlng Croups and 1eams

undersLandlng Croups
W Croup
1wo or more lnLeracLlng and lnLerdependenL lndlvlduals
who come LogeLher Lo achleve speclflc goals
lormal groups
W Work groups deflned by Lhe organlzaLlon's sLrucLure LhaL have
deslgnaLed work asslgnmenLs and Lasks
ApproprlaLe behavlors are deflned by and dlrecLed Loward
organlzaLlonal goals
lnformal groups
W Croups LhaL are lndependenLly formed Lo meeL Lhe soclal needs of
Lhelr members
amples of lormal Croups
W Command Croups
Croups LhaL are deLermlned by Lhe organlzaLlon charL and
composed of lndlvlduals who reporL dlrecLly Lo a glven
manager
W 1ask Croups
Croups composed of lndlvlduals broughL LogeLher Lo
compleLe a speclflc [ob Lask Lhelr elsLence ls ofLen
Lemporary because once Lhe Lask ls compleLed Lhe group
dlsbands
amples of lormal Croups
W CrossluncLlonal 1eams
Croups LhaL brlng LogeLher Lhe knowledge and skllls of
lndlvlduals from varlous work areas or groups whose
members have been Lralned Lo do each oLhers' [obs
W SelfManaged 1eams
Croups LhaL are essenLlally lndependenL and ln addlLlon Lo
Lhelr own Lasks Lake on LradlLlonal responslblllLles such as
hlrlng plannlng and schedullng and performance
evaluaLlons
SLages ln Croup uevelopmenL
W Iorm|ng
Members [o|n and beg|n the
process of def|n|ng the
group's purpose structure
and |eadersh|p
W Storm|ng
Intragroup conf||ct occurs as
|nd|v|dua|s res|st contro| by
the group and d|sagree over
|eadersh|p
W Norm|ng
C|ose re|at|onsh|ps deve|op
as the group becomes
cohes|ve and estab||shes |ts
norms for acceptab|e
behav|or
Performing Performing
A fuIIy functionaI group A fuIIy functionaI group
structure aIIows the structure aIIows the
group to focus on group to focus on
performing the task at performing the task at
hand. hand.
Adjourning Adjourning
The group prepares to The group prepares to
disband and is no Ionger disband and is no Ionger
concerned with high concerned with high
IeveIs of performance. IeveIs of performance.
SLages of Croup uevelopmenL
Croup 8ehavlor Model
Work Croup 8ehavlor
W lnLernal varlables AffecLlng Croup 8ehavlor
1he lndlvldual ablllLles of Lhe group's members
1he slze of Lhe group
1he level of confllcL
1he lnLernal pressures on members Lo conform Lo
Lhe group's norms
CondlLlons AffecLlng Croup 8ehavlor
W Lernal (CrganlzaLlonal)
CondlLlons
Cverall sLraLegy
AuLhorlLy sLrucLures
lormal regulaLlons
Avallable organlzaLlonal
resources
mployee selecLlon
crlLerla
erformance managemenL
(appralsal) sysLem
CrganlzaLlonal culLure
Ceneral physlcal layouL
nternal Group nternal Group
Variables Variables
ndividual competencies ndividual competencies
and traits of members and traits of members
Group structure Group structure
Size of the group Size of the group
Cohesiveness and the Cohesiveness and the
level of intragroup level of intragroup
conflict conflict
nternal pressures on nternal pressures on
members to conform o members to conform o
the group's norms the group's norms
Croup SLrucLure
W 8ole
1he seL of epecLed behavlor paLLerns aLLrlbuLed
Lo someone who occuples a glven poslLlon ln a
soclal unlL LhaL asslsL Lhe group ln Lask
accompllshmenL or malnLalnlng group member
saLlsfacLlon
8ole confllcL eperlenclng dlfferlng role
epecLaLlons
8ole amblgulLy uncerLalnLy abouL role
epecLaLlons
Croup SLrucLure
W norms
AccepLable sLandards or epecLaLlons LhaL are shared by
Lhe group's members
W Common Lypes of norms
fforL and performance
W CuLpuL levels absenLeelsm prompLness soclallzlng
uress
LoyalLy
Croup SLrucLure
W ConformlLy
lndlvlduals conform ln order Lo be accepLed by groups
Croup pressures can have an effecL on an lndlvldual
member's [udgmenL and aLLlLudes
1he effecL of conformlLy ls noL as sLrong as lL once was
alLhough sLlll a powerful force
roupth|nk
W 1he eLenslve pressure of oLhers ln a sLrongly coheslve or
LhreaLened group LhaL causes lndlvldual members Lo change Lhelr
oplnlons Lo conform Lo LhaL of Lhe group
Croup SLrucLure
W SLaLus SysLem
1he formal or lnformal presLlge gradlng poslLlon
or ranklng sysLem for members of a group LhaL
serves as recognlLlon for lndlvldual conLrlbuLlons
Lo Lhe group and as a behavloral moLlvaLor
W lormal sLaLus sysLems are effecLlve when Lhe percelved
ranklng of an lndlvldual and Lhe sLaLus symbols
accorded LhaL lndlvldual are congruenL
Croup SLrucLure Croup Slze
W Sma|| groups
Comp|ete tasks faster
than |arger groups
Make more effect|ve use
of facts
W Large groups
So|ve prob|ems better
than sma|| groups
Are good for gett|ng
d|verse |nput
Are more effect|ve |n fact
f|nd|ng
$ociaI Loafing $ociaI Loafing
The tendency for The tendency for
individuaIs to expend individuaIs to expend
Iess effort when Iess effort when
working coIIectiveIy working coIIectiveIy
than when work than when work
individuaIIy. individuaIIy.
Croup SLrucLure
W Croup Coheslveness
1he degree Lo whlch members are aLLracLed Lo a
group and share Lhe group's goals
W Plghly coheslve groups are more effecLlve and
producLlve Lhan less coheslve groups when Lhelr goals
allgned wlLh organlzaLlonal goals
1he 8elaLlonshlp 8eLween Coheslveness and
roducLlvlLy
Croup rocesses Croup ueclslon Maklng
W Advantages
enerates more
comp|ete |nformat|on
and know|edge
enerates more d|verse
a|ternat|ves
Increases acceptance of
a so|ut|on
Increases |eg|t|macy of
dec|s|on
isadvantages isadvantages
Time consuming Time consuming
Minority domination Minority domination
Pressures to Pressures to
conform conform
Ambiguous Ambiguous
responsibiIity responsibiIity
Croup rocesses ConfllcL ManagemenL
W ConfllcL
1he percelved lncompaLlble dlfferences ln a group
resulLlng ln some form of lnLerference wlLh or
opposlLlon Lo lLs asslgned Lasks
W @rad|t|ona| v|ew confllcL musL be avolded
W uman re|at|ons v|ew confllcL ls a naLural and
lnevlLable ouLcome ln any group
W Interact|on|st v|ew confllcL can be a poslLlve force and
ls absoluLely necessary for effecLlve group
performance
Croup rocesses ConfllcL ManagemenL
W CaLegorles of ConfllcL
luncLlonal confllcLs are consLrucLlve
uysfuncLlonal confllcLs are desLrucLlve
W 1ypes of ConfllcL
1ask confllcL conLenL and goals of Lhe work
8elaLlonshlp confllcL lnLerpersonal relaLlonshlps
rocess confllcL how Lhe work geLs done
Croup rocesses ConfllcL ManagemenL
W 1echnlques Lo 8educe ConfllcL
Avoldance
AccommodaLlon
lorclng
Compromlse
CollaboraLlon
Croup 1asks and Croup ffecLlveness
W Plghly comple and lnLerdependenL Lasks
requlre
ffecLlve communlcaLlons dlscusslon among
group members
ConLrolled confllcL More lnLeracLlon among group
members
WhaL ls a 1eam?
W Work 1eam
A group whose members work lnLensely on a speclflc
common goal uslng Lhelr poslLlve synergy lndlvldual and
muLual accounLablllLy and complemenLary skllls
W 1ypes of 1eams
roblemsolvlng Leams
Selfmanaged work Leams
CrossfuncLlonal Leams
vlrLual Leams
Croups versus 1eams
1ypes of 1eams
W roblemsolvlng 1eams
mployees from Lhe same deparLmenL and funcLlonal area who are lnvolved
ln efforLs Lo lmprove work acLlvlLles or Lo solve speclflc problems
W Selfmanaged Work 1eams
A formal group of employees who operaLe wlLhouL a manager and responslble
for a compleLe work process or segmenL
W CrossfuncLlonal 1eams
A hybrld grouplng of lndlvlduals who are eperLs ln varlous speclalLles and
who work LogeLher on varlous Lasks
W vlrLual 1eams
1eams LhaL use compuLer Lechnology Lo llnk physlcally dlspersed members ln
order Lo achleve a common goal
AdvanLages of uslng 1eams
W 1eams ouLperform lndlvlduals
W 1eams provlde a way Lo beLLer use employee
LalenLs
W 1eams are more flelble and responslve
W 1eams can be qulckly
assembled deployed
refocused and dlsbanded
CharacLerlsLlcs of ffecLlve 1eams
CharacLerlsLlcs of ffecLlve 1eams
W Pave a clear undersLandlng
of Lhelr goals
W Pave compeLenL members
wlLh relevanL Lechnlcal and
lnLerpersonal skllls
W hlblL hlgh muLual LrusL ln
Lhe characLer and lnLegrlLy
of Lhelr members
re unified in their re unified in their
commitment to team goals. commitment to team goals.
Have good communication Have good communication
systems. systems.
Possess effective Possess effective
negotiating skills negotiating skills
Have appropriate Have appropriate
leadership leadership
Have both internally and Have both internally and
externally supportive externally supportive
environments environments
CurrenL Challenges ln Managlng 1eams
W CeLLlng employees Lo
CooperaLe wlLh oLhers
Share lnformaLlon
ConfronL dlfferences
SubllmaLe personal lnLeresL for Lhe greaLer good
of Lhe Leam
Managlng Clobal 1eams
W Croup Member 8esources
unlque culLural characLerlsLlcs of Leam members
Avoldlng sLereoLyplng
W Croup SLrucLure
ConformlLyless groupLhlnk
SLaLusvarles ln lmporLance among culLures
Soclal loaflngpredomlnaLely a WesLern blas
Coheslvenessmore dlfflculL Lo achleve
W Croup processescaplLallze on dlverse ldeas
W Manager's rolea communlcaLor senslLlve Lo Lhe Lype of
globe Leam Lo use
urawbacks and 8eneflLs of Clobal 1eams
undersLandlng Soclal neLworks
W Soclal neLwork
1he paLLerns of lnformal connecLlons among
lndlvlduals wlLhln groups
W 1he lmporLance of Soclal neLworks
8elaLlonshlps can help or hlnder Leam
effecLlveness
8elaLlonshlps lmprove Leam goal aLLalnmenL and
lncrease member commlLmenL Lo Lhe Leam