Understanding What are Groups & teams?

Groups Why Groups/ Teams?

& Org. & Individual

Teams

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Groups & Teams Why People Join Groups

Group - two or more people with common interests, objectives, and

continuing interaction
• Security
Work Team - a group of people with complementary skills who are
committed to a common mission, performance goals, and approach for • Status
which they hold themselves mutually accountable. • Self-esteem

Thus team places concerted actions than a group.

• Affiliation
• Power
• Goal Achievement

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Group Formation (Defining & Classifying Groups)

Group(s) Social identity theory

considers when and why individuals consider
Two or more individuals interacting and
themselves members of groups.
interdependent, who have come together to
Social identities help us understand who we are and
achieve particular objectives.
where we fit in with people.

Formal Group Informal Group In-groups and Outgroups

A designated work A group that is neither Whenever there is an in-group, there is by necessity
group defined by the formally structured now an outgroup, which is sometimes everyone else, but
organization’s organizationally determined; is usually an identified group known by the in-group’s
structure. appears in response to the members
need for social contact.
Command/Task Group
Interest/Friendship group

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Stages of Group Development The Five-Stage Model of Group Development

Forming Stage
The first stage in group development,
characterized by much uncertainty.

Storming Stage
The second stage in group development,
characterized by intragroup conflict.

Norming Stage
The third stage in group
development, characterized
by close relationships and
cohesiveness.

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…Group Development (cont’d) Tuckman’s Five-Stage Theory
of Group Development (continued)
Performing Stage
Forming Storming Norming Performing
The fourth stage in group development, when the
group is fully functional.
“What do the “How can I
Individual “How do I fit “What’s my
others expect Best perform
Issues in?” role here?”
Adjourning Stage me to do?” my role?”

The final stage in group

development for temporary “Why are we
“Can we agree
fighting over “Can we do
groups, characterized by Group “Why are we
who’s in
on roles and
The job
concern with wrapping up Issues here?” work as a
charge and who properly?”
activities rather than team?”
does what?”
performance.

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Relationship of team maturity and An Alternative Model: Temporary
performance Groups with Deadlines
Punctuated-
Possible
Failure
Equilibrium Model
PERFORMANCE

Temporary groups go
through transitions Sequence of actions:
between inertia and 1. Setting group direction
Possible
Possible Failure activity. 2. First phase of inertia
Failure
3. Half-way point transition
FORM STORM NORM PERFORM ADJOURN 4. Major changes
Immature Mature 5. Second phase of inertia
Inefficient Efficient
Ineffective Effective 6. Accelerated activity

Each stage also highlight practical implications for

manager/leader to manage groups/teams

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The Punctuated-Equilibrium Model Group/Team Effectiveness
Context Model
• Adequate Resources
• Leadership&
Structure
•
•
Climate of Trust
Perf. Eval & Reward
Implications for Managers
Sys
wrt team effectiveness
Composition
• Abilities
• Personality
Group/ Team Effectiveness
• Allocating Roles
• Diversity
• Size
• Member Flexibility
• Member Preferences Context

Process
• Common Purpose Input Process
• Specific Goals
Output
Group Level Group Process; Group
• Team Efficacy
Org. Level Behaviour Effectiveness
• Team Identity
• Cohesiveness
• Conflict Levels
• Social Loafing

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Group Characteristics (properties)
affecting Effectiveness:
Role(s)
Purpose and Mission A set of expected behavior patterns attributed to
• May be assigned or may emerge from the group someone occupying a given position in a social unit.
• Group often questions, reexamines, and modifies Task Role:
mission and purpose
those activities directly related to the effective completion of
• Mission converted into specific agenda, clear goals, the team’s work
and a set of critical success factors
Maintenance Role:
those activities essential to the effective, satisfying
interpersonal relationships within a team or group

Role Perception; Role Expectations; Role Conflict

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Norms
Acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are shared Conformity
by the group’s members.
Adjusting one’s behavior to align
with the norms of the group.
Formal & written
Performance norms - level of acceptable work
Ground rules
for Appearance norms - what to wear
meetings Social arrangement norms - friendships and the like
Allocation of resources norms - distribution and
Reference Groups
assignments of jobs and material
Important groups to which
individuals belong or hope to
belong and with whose norms
individuals are likely to
Also evolve around performance and productivity. conform.

Defying Norms: Deviant Workplace Behavior

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Example of Cards Used in Asch’s Study Status - A socially defined position or rank
given to groups or group members by others –
it differentiates group members

Sources:
Power a person has over others
Ability to contribute to group goals
Personal characteristics

Perception abt people/group

Impact of Equity Group Behaviour/

status on Performance
Grp. interaction

Norms

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Size
Social Loafing Group Cohesiveness –
The tendency for individuals to expend less effort binding force between group members together
when working collectively than when working
individually. Enables groups to exercise effective control over the
Solution could be: members
Performance •Setting the norms/ individual
How to improve Cohesiveness (Factors affecting) ?
accountability
•Inter-group Competition
•Smaller teams Groups with high cohesiveness
•Distributing group rewards
– demonstrate lower tension & anxiety
based on individual effort
•Motivated employees/Job – demonstrate less variation in productivity
Enrichment/Specialized tasks – demonstrate better member satisfaction,
•Using peer evaluation commitment, & communication
•Measure Individual
Performance/ contribution
Group Size

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Diversity Group Decision making

Extent to which members of a group are

similar to, or different from one another.
Participative Decision Making – Individuals
-Cultural who are affected by decisions influence the
-Surface Level making of those decisions
-Deep-level
Synergy
Diversity can have both be beneficial as well as a Social Decision Schemes
challenge at work place.

What are Faultlines?

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Group Decision Making Group Phenomenon

1. More knowledge through pooling of Groupthink – a deterioration of mental

group member resources efficiency, reality testing, and moral
Advantages
2. Increased acceptance and commitment to
decisions (had a voice)
judgment resulting from pressures
3. Greater understanding due to within the group
involvement in decision stages

1. Pressure in groups to conform Conditions Favoring Groupthink

2. Domination by one forceful member or •High cohesiveness
•Group homogeneity
Disadvantages dominant clique
•Decision with high
3. Amount of time required, because group consequences
is slower than individual to make a •Time constraints
decision

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 Symptoms of Groupthink Preventing Groupthink
• Ask each group member to act as critical evaluator
• Illusions of  Incomplete survey of
invulnerability • Have the leader avoid stating his opinion prior to the
alternatives group decision
• Illusions of group
morality  Failure to evaluate the • Create several groups to work on a decision
• Illusions of unanimity risks of the preferred simultaneously
• Rationalization Consequences course of action • Have outside consultant evaluate group process
• Stereotyping the enemy  Biased information • Appoint a devil’s advocate
• Self-censorship processing • Evaluate the competition carefully
• Peer pressure  Failure to work out • After consensus, encourage rethinking the position by
• Mindguards contingency plans reexamining the alternatives

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Group Polarization Foundations for Participation and
Empowerment
Group Polarization – the tendency for
Organizational Foundations
group discussion to produce shifts  Participative, supportive organizational culture
toward more extreme attitudes among  Team-oriented work design
members
Team discussion
processes
Individual Prerequisites
High risk High risk  Capability to become psychologically involved in participative
activities
Individual opinions  Motivation to act autonomously
after meeting
Individual opinions  Capacity to see the relevance of participation for one’s own
before meeting well-being

Low risk Low risk

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 Group Decision Making Techniques

Brainstorming Work Team

Self-Managed Nominal
"A team is a small number of people with
Teams Group complementary skills who are committed
Technique to a common purpose, performance goals,
Group (NGT)
G and approach for which they are mutually
Decision accountable." (Katzenbach and Smith,
Quality Circles Techniques 1993)
Delphi
and Technique
Quality Teams
Devil’s
Advocacy

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 Types of Teams Types of Teams (cont’d)
Problem-Solving Teams
Cross-Functional Teams
Groups of employees who meet for a few hours
Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from
each week to discuss ways of improving quality,
different work areas, who come together to accomplish a
efficiency, and the work environment.
task.
Studies suggest: leaders within self-directed
Eg: Quality Circles
work teams get better results with soft Early stages- time consuming
influence tactics (e.g. rational persuasion,
consultation, inspirational appeals) than hard
Self-Managed Work Teamstactics.
influence
also called self-directed teams or autonomous
work groups; teams that make decisions once • Task forces
reserved for managers
Highly inter-related jobs. • Committees

High Job satisfaction

Effectiveness- strength, norms, type of task,
reward structure

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Types of Teams (cont’d) Global Implications ( Managerial Implications)

Virtual Teams • Group Diversity +ive & -ive Influences

Teams that use computer

technology to tie together
• Virtual Organizations (groups)
physically dispersed members in
order to achieve a common goal. • Complex intra- & inter-group

• Cross-border Groups or Culturally Diverse Group

Team Characteristics
1. The absence of para-verbal and nonverbal cues
2. Limited social context
3. The ability to overcome time and space constraints

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Issues of Virtual Teams Managing Virtual Teams

• Start right away-do not unnecessarily slow things down.

• Lack of everyday non-verbal, face • Be available+ Use multiple channels +Regular meetings to connect
to face communication • Treat time zones fairly
• Acknowledge sent/received messages.
• Lack of social interaction • Be explicit about your activities/plans—tell people what you are doing
• Lack of trust and what you are thinking.
• Establish and respect deadlines—make them and stick to them.
• Cultural Clashes • Change and broaden Evaluation & Reward system to Motivate
– Showing that they are part of the team + create community of the team
• Loss of team spirit +Reward your team with things they can use + encourage informal
conversations +Reward Contribution & participation equally with performance
outcomes
• Ensure that new technology is in place + Use relevant training programs
for the use of the software
• Prioritise & train for Cultural sensitivity

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Further Reference: Comparing Work Groups and Work
Teams
Evaluating Group DM Effectiveness
TYPE OF GROUP
•Accountability: Group: Individual Teams Individual and Mutual

Effectiveness Criteria Interacting Brainstorming Nominal Electronic •Skills: Group: Random & Varied Team: Complementary
Number and quality of ideas Low Moderate High High
•Commitment to Goals: Group members may be satisfying their
Social pressure High Low Moderate Low own goals, have little concern for common objective
Money costs Low Low Low High •Teams All members are committed to common goal
Potential for interpersonal conflict High Low Moderate
Low
Commitment to solution High Not applicable Moderate Moderate
•Size: Teams have few people, small sized than a group
Development of High High Moderate Low
group cohesiveness •Strength: Team's strength depends on the commonality of purpose
and interconnectivity between individual members, whereas a
•Group's strength may come from sheer volume or willingness to carry
out a single leader's commands.

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 Quality Circles & Teams
New vs. Old Team Environments
Quality Team - a team that is part of an organization’s
New Team Environment Old Work Environment structure & is empowered to act on its decisions
Person generates initiatives Person follows orders regarding product & quality service
Quality Circles (QC) - a small group of employees who
Team charts its own steps Manager charts course
work voluntarily on company time, typically one hour
Right to think for oneself. People conformed to manager’s per week, to address work-related problems
People rock boat; work together direction. No one rocked the boat. QC’s deal with substantive issues
People cooperate using thoughts People cooperated by suppressing – Do not require final decision authority
and feelings; direct talk thoughts and feelings; wanted to get – QC’s need periodic reenergizing
along

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Design of High-Performance Virtual
Teams
• Creative combination of communication
Team Environment
channels
• Structured tasks
Team Tasks
• Moderate interdependence
• Smaller size than traditional team performing
Team Size
similar tasks
• Good communication and cross-cultural skills in
Team Composition
team members
• Some face-to-face meetings to assist team
Team Processes
development
• Important in all teams, but especially virtual
Team Trust
teams

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