Chapter 14 - Groups and Teams

GROUPS AND TEAMS
Chapter 14
UNDERSTANDING GROUPS
 Group
 Two or more interacting and interdependent
individuals who come together to achieve
particular goals
 Formal groups
 Work groups that have designated work
assignments and tasks directed toward
organizational goals
 Informal groups
 Groups that are independently formed to
meet the social needs of their members
2
EXHIBIT 14-1 EXAMPLES OF
FORMAL WORK GROUPS
STAGES IN GROUP DEVELOPMENT
 Forming  Performing
◦ Members join and begin ◦ A fully functional group
the process of defining the
group’s purpose, structure allows the
structure, and leadership group to focus on
performing the task at
 Storming
hand
◦ Intragroup conflict occurs
as individuals resist  Adjourning
control by the group and ◦ The group prepares to
disagree over leadership disband and is no longer
 Norming concerned with high
◦ Close relationships levels of performance
develop as the group
becomes cohesive and
establishes its norms for
acceptable behaviour
4
EXHIBIT 14-2 STAGES OF GROUP
DEVELOPMENT
EXHIBIT 14-3 GROUP PERFORMANCE/
SATISFACTION MODEL
EXTERNAL CONDITIONS
IMPOSED ON THE GROUP
 Organization’s strategy
 Authority relationships
 Formal rules and regulations
 Availability of resources
 Employee selection criteria
 Performance management system
 Organizational culture,
 General physical layout of the group’s work
space
GROUP MEMBER RESOURCES
 Member knowledge
 Abilities- determine what members can do
 Skills-Interpersonal skills—especially
conflict management and resolution,
collaborative problem solving, and
communication—consistently emerge as
important for high performance by work
groups
 Personality characteristics- positive traits
tend to be positively related to group
productivity and morale.
8
GROUP STRUCTURE
 Role
 The set of expected behaviour patterns
attributed to someone who occupies a given
position in a social unit
 Role conflict: experiencing differing role
expectations
 Role ambiguity: uncertainty about role
expectations
9
GROUP STRUCTURE (CONT’D)
 Norms
 Acceptable standards or expectations that are
shared by the group’s members
 Common types of norms:
 Effort and performance
 Output levels, absenteeism, promptness, socializing
 Dress
 Loyalty
10
 Conformity
 Individuals conform in order to be accepted by
groups
 Group pressures can have an effect on an
individual member’s judgment and attitudes
 The effect of conformity is not as strong as it
once was, although it is still a powerful force
 Groupthink:
 The extensive pressure of others in a strongly cohesive
or threatened group that causes individual members
to change their opinions to conform to that of the
group
11
EXHIBIT 14-4 EXAMPLE OF
ASCH’S CARDS
 STATUS SYSTEMS
 The formal or informal prestige grading,
position, or ranking system for members of a
group that serves as recognition for
individual contributions to the group and as a
behavioral motivator.
GROUP STRUCTURE: GROUP
SIZE
 Small groups  Social Loafing
 Complete tasks faster than  The tendency for
larger groups individuals to expend less
 Make more effective use of effort when working
facts collectively than when
working individually
 Large groups
 Solve problems better than
small groups
 Are good for getting
diverse input
 Are more effective in fact-
finding
14
 GROUP COHESIVENESS
 The degree to which members are attracted
to a group and share the group’s goals.
Highly cohesive groups are more effective than

are less cohesive ones when their goals aligns
organization goals.
EXHIBIT 14-5 GROUP
COHESIVENESS AND PRODUCTIVITY
GROUP PROCESSES: GROUP
DECISION MAKING
 Advantages  Disadvantages
 Generates more  Time consuming
complete information  Minority domination
and knowledge  Pressures to conform
 Generates more
 Ambiguous
diverse alternatives
 Increase acceptance
responsibility
of a solution
 Increase legitimacy of
decision
EXHIBIT 14-6 CREATIVE GROUP
DECISION MAKING
GROUP PROCESSES:
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
 Conflict
 Theperceived incompatible differences in a
group resulting in some form of interference with
or opposition to its assigned tasks
 Traditional view: conflict must it avoided
 Human relations view: conflict is a natural and
inevitable outcome in any group
 Interactionist view: conflict can be a positive force
and is absolutely necessary for effective group
performance
19
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
(CONT’D)
 Categories of Conflict
 Functional conflicts are constructive
 Dysfunctional conflicts are destructive
 Types of Conflict
 Task conflict: content and goals of the work
 Relationship conflict: interpersonal relationships
 Process conflict: how the work gets done
20
EXHIBIT 14-7 CONFLICT AND GROUP
PERFORMANCE
Low Level of Conflict High
High
Level of
Group
Performance
A B C
Low
Situation A B C
Level of Conflict Low or none Optimal High
Type of Conflict Dysfunctional Functional Dysfunctional
Group's Apathetic Viable Disruptive

Internal Stagnant Self-Critical Chaotic
Characteristics Unresponsive to Change Innovative Uncooperative
Lack of New Ideas
Level of Group Low High Low
Performance
21
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
(CONT’D)
 Techniques to Reduce Conflict:
 Avoidance
 Accommodation
 Forcing
 Compromise
 Collaboration
22
EXHIBIT 14-8 CONFLICT
MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES
GROUP TASKS AND GROUP
EFFECTIVENESS
 Highly complex and interdependent task
require:
 Effective communication: discussion among
group members.
 Controlled conflict: More interaction among
group members.
WHAT IS A WORK TEAM?
 Work team
 A groups whose members work intensely on a
specific, common goal using their positive
synergy, individual and mutual
accountability, and complementary skills
 Types of Work Teams
 Problem-solving teams
 Self-managed work team
 Cross-functional team
 Virtual team
TYPE OF TEAMS
 Problem-solving teams
Employees from the same department or
functional area involved in efforts to improve
work activities or to solve specific problems.
 Self-managed work team

A formal group of employees who operate
without a manager and are responsible for a
complete work process or segment
TYPE OF TEAMS
 Cross-functional team
A hybrid grouping of individuals who are
experts in various specialties and who work
together on various tasks.
 Virtual team
Teams that uses computer technology to link
physically dispersed members in order to
achieve a common goal
EXHIBIT 14-9 GROUPS VERSUS TEAMS
EXHIBIT 14-10 CHARACTERISTICS
OF EFFECTIVE TEAMS
CURRENT CHALLENGES IN
MANAGING TEAMS
 Getting employees to:
 Cooperate with others
 Share information
 Confront differences
 Sublimate personal interest for the greater
good of the team
MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
 Group Member Resources
 Unique cultural characteristics of team members
 Avoid Stereotyping
 Group Structure
 Conformity- less groupthink

 Status- varies in importance among cultures
 Social loafing- predominantly a Western bias
 Cohesiveness- more difficult to achieve
 Group processes- capitalize on diverse ideas
It’s vital that managers be sensitive to the unique

differences of each member of the global team,
EXHIBIT 14-11 GLOBAL TEAMS
UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL NETWORKS
 Social network
 The patterns of informal connections among
individuals within a group.
 Importance of social networks

 Social relationships can help or hinder its
effectiveness
 Social relationships improve team goal
attainment and increase member
commitment to the team.

Chapter 14 - Groups and Teams

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter 14 - Groups and Teams

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter 14 - Groups and Teams

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

GROUPS AND TEAMS

Highly cohesive groups are more effective than

Level of Conflict Low or none Optimal High

Type of Conflict Dysfunctional Functional Dysfunctional

Group's Apathetic Viable Disruptive

 Self-managed work team

 Conformity- less groupthink

It’s vital that managers be sensitive to the unique

 Importance of social networks

You might also like