GROUPS
Groups and Teams are different .Let us see what a group is
In OB a group is two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come
together to achieve particular objectives. Groups can either be formal or informal.
Formal group – A designated work group defined by an organizations structure.
Example -6 members of an airline flight crew are a formal group.
Informal Group - A group that is neither formally structured nor organizationally
determined ;such a group is appears in response to the need for social contract .
Example Three employees from different departments who regularly have coffee or
lunch together are an informal group.
SOCIAL IDENTITY
Social identity theory proposes that people have emotional reactions to the failure or success
of their groups because their self-esteem gets tied to whatever happens to the group. When
your group does well your own self esteem rises. You can recall the recent defeat of India in
the cricket world cup finals left so many fans disappointed.
BRUCE TUCKMANS 5-STAGE MODEL OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT :
1. FORMING – Formation stage , Unclear about individual roles. Rely heavily on leader
to answer questions about teams purpose &objectives.
2. STORMING- Conflict Resolution stage. Team members compete for positions,
members assess each other with regards to trust wordiness and emotional comfort.
Coaching style by leader is the key.
3. NORMING- Members agree on roles.Small decisions will be delegated to individuals
or small team within the group.
4. PERFORMING – Members begin to work collaborately. Team can stand on its own
with little with little interference from the leader. Team makes decisions and
disagreements are resolved positively. Need not be instructed but may ask for
assistance .The team requires a leader who delegates and oversees.
5. ADJOURNING- Task completion,Good feeling about achievements, Recognition
1. GROUP PROPERTY 1 – ROLES
Role- a set of expected behavior patterns attributed to someone occupying a given position in
a social unit. We all are required to play a number of diverse roles both on & off our jobs. We
all are required to play different roles. Role of an employee, Husband/Wife , Father/ Mother
member of a club, Member of society. Different group impose different role requirements on
individuals.
Role perception : An individual’s view how he or she is supposed to act in a given situation.
Role Expectations : How others believe a person should act in a given situation.
Psychological contract: An unwritten agreement that sets out what a manager expects from
an employee and vice versa.
Role conflict : A situation in which an individual is confronted by divergent role expectations
Interrole conflict: A situation in which the expectations of an individual’s different ,
separate groups are on opposition.
2. GROUP PROPERTY 2 –NORMS
NORMS - Acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are shared by the group’s
members. All groups have established norms.
Norms & Emotions – Individuals emotions influenced the groups emotions
Norms & Conformity – As a member of a group you desire acceptance by the group thus
you are susceptible to conforming to group norms. Evidence suggests that groups can place
strong pressures on individual members to change their attitudes and behaviors to match the
group standards.
Conformity : The adjustment of one’s behavior to align with the norms of the group.
3. GROUP PROPERTY 3 –STATUS
STATUS : A socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by
others.
4. GROUP PROPERTY 4 –SIZE & DYNAMICS
If the goal is fact-finding or idea generating then larger group should be effective .Smaller
groups of about seven members are better at doing something productive. One of the most
important finding about the size of the group concerns social loafing , tendency for
individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when alone .
5. GROUP PROPERTY 5 – COHESIVENESS
For a group to be highly functioning it must act cohesively as a unit.
Cohesiveness : The degree to which group members are attracted to each other and are
motivated to stay in the group.
What can we do to encourage group cohesiveness ?
1. Make the group smaller
2. Encourage agreement with group goals
3. Increase the time members spend together
4. Increase the groups status and the perceived difficulty of attaining membership
5. Stimulate competition with other groups
6. Give rewards to groups rather than individuals
7. Physically isolate the group
6. GROUP PROPERTY 6 –DIVERSITY
Diversity : The extend to which members of a group are similar to, or different from, one
another.
GROUP DECISION MAKING
Are group decisions preferable to those made by an individual alone ? The answer to this
question depends on a number of factors
Strengths of Group Decision Making
Groups generate more complete information & Knowledge & brings more inputs into
the decision making process
Opens opportunity to consider more approaches and alternatives
Group Members who participate in making a decision are more likely to support it
enthusiastically and to encourage others to accept it.
Weakness of Group Decision Making
Group decisions are time consuming
There are conformity pressures. You may disagree with other group members but due
to group pressure would not express your views.
In individual decision it’s clear who is accountable for the final outcome. In a group
decision the responsibility of any single member is diluted.
Groupthink : A phenomenon in which the norm for consensus overrides the realistic
appraisal of alternative course of action.
TEAMS
Difference between Groups & Teams
Work Group – A group that interacts primarily to share information , make decisions, and
help each group members perform within his or her area of responsibility.
Work Team – A group whose individual efforts result in performance that is greater than the
sum of the individual inputs.
Work groups have no need or opportunity to engage in collective work with joint effort so
the group’s performance is merely the summation of each member’s individual contribution.
There is no positive synergy that would create an overall level of performance greater than
the sum of the inputs.
Work Teams – on the other hand generates positive synergy through co-ordination .The
individual efforts result in a level of performance greater than the sum of the individual input.
TYPES OF TEAMS
1) Problem solving Teams – Groups of 5 to 12 employees from the same department
who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency,
and the work environment.
2) Self-managed Teams – Groups of 10 to 15 employees who take on responsibilities of
their former supervisors. Responsibilities include planning & scheduling work,
assigning tasks to members, making operating decisions, taking action on problems,
and working with suppliers & customers. Research results on effectiveness of self
managed teams have not been uniformly positive. Self-managed teams are not
effective when there is conflict.
3) Cross-Functional Teams : Employees from the same level but from different work
areas who come together to accomplish a task. Toyota, Honda ,Nissan NMW ,Ford
and Chrysler uses cross functional teams.
4) Virtual Teams – Teams that use computer technology to tie together physically
dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal.
What Factors determine whether Teams are successful?
Adequate resources – Scarcity of resources directly reduces the ability of a team to
perform its job effectively.
Leadership & Structure – Teams cannot function if they can’t agree on who is to do
what and ensure all members share the workload.
Climate of Trust – Trust is the foundation of leadership
Performance Evaluation and Reward System- Group-based appraisals , profit
sharing , small group incentives and other system modifications can reinforce team
effort & commitment .
TEAM COMPOSITION
Abilities of members
Personality of Members
Allocation of Roles
Diversity of Members
Cultural Differences
Size of Teams
Member Preferences
