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

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, /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

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, /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

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, /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.

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

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, /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

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, /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

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Characteristics of Work Groups

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, /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

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, /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

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, /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

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, /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

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, /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

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Intergroup Conflict

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, /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

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, /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

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

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

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

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, /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

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, /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

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 End of Chapter 14