Groups and Teams

What are Groups and Teams Group:

Two or more people working together Team:

“... intact social system complete with boundaries and differentiated roles among members...[with] one or more tasks to perform, resulting in discernable and potentially measurable group products...within an organizational context”

“A group of individuals within a larger organization, that has a common goal, whose tasks and outcomes are interdependent, and whose members view themselves and are viewed by others as a team.”

Why Do Groups Matter to People? Social needs (think back to Maslow…) Interest in the group’s activities Agreement with group’s goals / values Extrinsic benefits

Why do Teams Matter to Organizations ? Teams are “the fashion” Why?

Synergy Need for coordinated cross-disciplinary

activities Self-management

Kinds of Groups and Teams Functional groups

The boxes we see on organizational charts

May or may not be a team or include teams

Informal groups

Task groups / teams Temporary vs. standing Managed vs. self-

managed Purpose

Management Work tasks New products Organizational change

Single-function vs. cross-functional

Virtual teams

Team Performance Assessed by team, by outsiders, or

both? Team performance (Hackman,1987)

Organizational outcomes Group members’ outcomes Team’s future viability

Sources of Group Effectiveness Organizational

context Goals Resources

Group resources Knowledge Motivation Leadership

Group structure Formal structure Group roles

The task Extent of

interdependence Complexity

What Is An Effective Team? All group members understand group roles and

expectations. Group members have developed a good working

relationship. Group members are attracted to the group and are

loyal to the leader. Group members have a high degree of trust and

confidence in one another. Group activities such as decision making and

problem solving occur in a supportive atmosphere.

An Effective Team (Continued) The group leader’s role is to create a

supportive atmosphere in which group work occurs. The leader should Seek information from group members

about decisions that will affect them and Provide information that they need to do

their jobs better. The group should attempt to develop

each member’s full potential.

More On an Effective Team The process for selecting a group leader

should be based on the qualities that the individual brings to the group that encourage a supportive and open atmosphere.

Communication among members and the leader should be encouraged. If problems exist, free and open communication will bring problems to the surface.

Stages in Group Development1. Forming

Members begin to become acquainted and try out behaviors; basic norms are establishes

Slow evolution to…..

2. Storming Members struggle to set group goals, patterns of behavior

and there is a competition for leadership Rapid transformation to…..

3. Norming Members develop sense of cohesion and settle into their

roles Slow evolution to….

4. Performing• Now, the work gets done, tasks are accomplished

5. Adjourning This stage occurs only if the group will dissolve or disband

Group Roles: Task-Oriented Behavior (I) Initiating Activity

Helping the group get started; proposing solutions, suggesting new ideas; new definitions of the problem, new attacks on problem, or new organization of what has already been discussed.

Seeking Information/Opinion Asking for additional input or clarification of ideas and

opinions that have been presented. Giving Information/Opinion

Offering facts, beliefs, or additional useful information, relating one's own experience and/or feelings to group to illustrate a point.

Group Roles: Task-Oriented Behavior (II) Elaborating

Offering further clarification of points; trying to "spell out" what other members have already said, or trying to help the group imagine how a proposal would work if adopted.

Summarizing Pulling together related ideas or suggestions, restating

suggestions after the group has discussed them; or trying to organize the ideas so the group will know what has been said.

Testing Workability Making application of suggestions to real situations,

examining practicality and workability of ideas; trying to help the group test a proposed decision for workability.

Group Roles: Group-Oriented Behavior (I) Encouraging

Being friendly, warm and responsible to others; accepting others and their contributions; regarding others by giving them an opportunity or recognition.

Expressing Group Feelings Sensing feeling, mood, relationships within the group;

sharing his/her feelings or affect with other members. This starts the group toward action.

Harmonizing Attempting to reconcile disagreement; reducing tension

through "pouring oil on troubled waters"; getting people to explore their differences.

Group Roles: Group-Oriented Behavior (II) Gate-Keeping

Attempting to keep communication channels open; facilitating the participation of others; suggesting procedures for sharing opportunities to discuss group problems.

Setting Standards Expressing standards for group to achieve;

applying standards in evaluating group function and production.

How Roles Develop

Expected Role

Perceived Role

Sent Role

Enacted Role

Feedback

More About Learning Norms Norm generalization

Can you take norms from one setting and apply them to another setting?

Norm variation Who can deviate from the norms? How much deviation is acceptable?

Norm conformity How much pressure is there to conform to norms?

(groupthink…) Socialization

Problems With Group Roles Role overload

Too much to do Role ambiguity

Uncertainty about what to do Role conflict

Incompatible demands

Group Cohesion Definition Types of cohesion Antecedents and consequences

What is Cohesion? “…The ‘cement’ binding together group

members and maintaining their relationships to one another”

“The resultant of all the forces acting on the members to remain in the group”

The attraction of individuals to the team or group itself, where the individual defines herself as a member of a group, rather than as an individual

Types of Cohesion Interpersonal or social

The attraction between and among group members

Liking, friendship Task

The ability of the group to facilitate individuals’ goals

Not necessary for group members to like one another

This is the cohesion that matters

Cohesion and Group Norms

Cohesion

HighLow

Performance Norm

High

Low

Cohesion: Antecedents and Consequences Where does it come from?

Propinquity and interaction Perceived similarities in personality, status,

attitudes, demographics, etc. External frustration or threat Shared success or failure

What are the results? Higher perceptions of similarity Uniformity of thought / behavior Performance Better communications

Problems in Groups Anti-group behaviors Groupthink Conflict

Anti-Group Behavior (I) The Blocker

…tends to be negativistic and stubbornly resistant, disagreeing and opposing without or beyond "reason" and attempting to maintain or bring back an issue after the group has rejected or bypassed it.

The Recognition-Seeker …works in various ways to call attention to

himself/herself, whether through boasting, reporting personal achievements, acting in unusual ways, struggling to prevent his/her being placed in an "inferior" position, etc.

Anti-Group Behavior (II) The Dominator

…tries to assert authority or superiority in manipulating the group or certain members of the group. This domination may take the form of flattery, of asserting a superior status of right to attention, giving directions authoritatively, interrupting the contributions of others, etc.

The Avoider …makes a display of his/her lack of involvement in the

group's processes. This may take the form of cynicism, nonchalance, horseplay, etc.

Groupthink Pressures for cohesion and togetherness,

resulting in poor decisions Symptoms:

Illusion of invulnerability Rationalizing signs of problems Belief in own moral justification Stereotyped view of opposition Pressure for conformity (group members and leader) Self-censorship Illusion of unanimity Mindguards

Conflict Disagreement about a goal or the way to

reach a goal “A process that begins when one party

perceives that another party has or is about to negatively affect something the first party cares about”

Types of conflict Task Relationship Process

Conflict: Good or Bad Traditional view: all conflict is negative

and should be avoided Human relations view: Conflict is

natural and inevitable Interactionist view: Conflict is

necessary to prevent group inertia and self-criticism

Handling Conflict

Avoiding

Competing

Accommodating

Collaborating

Ass

ertiv

enes

s

Rel

atio

nshi

pCooperativeness

Goals

Compromising

Choosing A Style Personal preferences Importance of issue Cost / time Future relationship