1. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Work Groups and Teams Chapter 14

2. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 2/22 A Managerial Model of Group Factors  Two types of groups, formal and informal, exist in organizations  Groups, once evolved or formed, exhibit various typical characteristics that culminate in a unique group personality  Groups have tangible consequences called outcomes

3. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 3/22 Categories of Groups  Two types of groups are formal and informal  Formal—departments, units, project teams; membership is based on organizational position  Command group is specified by the organizational hierarchy, usually outlined on the organization chart  Task group is comprised of employees who work together to complete a specific project or job

4. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 4/22 Categories of Groups (cont.)  Informal—natural groupings of people in the workplace  Interest group members have a common interest in some particular job-related event or possible outcome  Friendship group members are drawn together by common characteristics such as age, ethnicity, politics, etc.

5. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 5/22 The Formation of Work Groups  Influences on people to join formal groups or informal groups are:  Location  Economic background  Attitude

6. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 6/22 The Development of Work Groups  Formal groups go through various stages of group and team development—forming, storming, norming, and performing  Forming  Individuals are brought together for a purpose  Group hierarchy and roles begin to develop  Storming  This is the most turbulent stage  The group confronts conflicts and keeps the group focused  Members learn to accept individual differences  Members negotiate roles

7. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 7/22 The Development of Work Groups (cont.)  Norming  Group establishes its long-term vision (shared values) and how it will function over time  The group’s norms are the unwritten rules of correct behavior and decorum  Although group norms are rarely formalized, deviations may subject members to punishment, humiliation, or ostracism  Performing  Group begins to fine-tune its work patterns  Members redefine roles as needed  Group develops skills of members, as needed

8. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Characteristics of Work Groups

9. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 9/22 Characteristics of Work Groups  Work groups have characteristics similar to those of other organizations, including leaders, standards of conduct, reward and sanction mechanisms, and political maneuvering  Role making in groups  The greater the group’s task complexity, the more roles will emerge

10. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 10/22 Characteristics of Work Groups (cont.)  Problems in role making  Role conflicts—interrole, intrarole, intersender, and person-role  Role ambiguity  Role overload  Group leader  Leader is either appointed (formal groups) or emerges (informal groups)  Leader performs two specific roles—task role and supportive role

11. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 11/22 Characteristics of Work Groups (cont.)  Group status  Members are accorded status by their groups  Leader is ranked highly in the group hierarchy  Seniority and skill influence status  Group norms and compliance  Three specific social processes bring about compliance with group norms  Group pressure  Group review and enforcement  Personalization of norms

12. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 12/22 Characteristics of Work Groups (cont.)  Group cohesiveness  Cohesiveness refers to the extent that group members are attracted to each other and to the group’s values  Conditions that enhance or reduce cohesiveness are:  Size  Spacing  Virtual teams  Dependence of members  Goal achievement  Status  Management demands and pressure

13. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 13/22 Characteristics of Work Groups (cont.)  Group politics  Political maneuvering to obtain limited resources is a common group characteristic  Cultural diversity  Members differ in age, gender, ethnicity, abilities (physical and mental), religion, and lifestyle  Diversity complicates interpersonal interactions  Diverse groups must respect other cultures and create new ways of integrating diverse viewpoints to become productive

14. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Intergroup Conflict

15. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 15/22 Intergroup Conflict  Conflict occurs between groups, within groups, between individuals, and between organizations  Many reasons exist for conflict among groups  Limited resources  Communication problems  Different interests and goals  Different perceptions and attitudes  Lack of clarity

16. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 16/22 Managing Intergroup Conflict  There are two approaches that managers use to manage intergroup conflict  Indirect—techniques managers use that don’t require their direct intervention  Direct—techniques managers use when they become personally involved

17. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 17/22 Managing Intergroup Conflict (cont.)  Indirect approach can involve:  Avoidance  Bargaining  Persuasion  Working together

18. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 18/22 Managing Intergroup Conflict (cont.)  Direct approach can involve:  Domination  Remove key figures  Establish task force  Find superordinate goals

19. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Group Outcomes: Performance and Satisfaction

20. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 20/22 Performance and Satisfaction  The purpose of group membership is to achieve group performance  Some contributors to group performance are:  Perceived freedom to participate  Perceived goal attainment  Status consensus

21. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 21/22 Developing Teams—10 Principles  Organize around processes rather than task  Flatten the hierarchy by grouping subprocesses  Give leaders responsibility for processes and process performance  Link performance objectives and evaluation of all activities to customer satisfaction  Assign performance objectives to teams, not individuals  Assign managerial tasks to teams as much as possible  Emphasize the need for workers to develop several competencies  Train team members on a just-in-time, need-to-perform basis  Put team members in touch with customers  Reward skill development and team performance

22. Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 End of Chapter 14