Bob Travica

MIS 2000

Class 9

Group Processes and

Group Support Systems

Updated: 7 October 2012

Bob Travica

Outline

• Workgroup (Team) Concepts

• Project Team

• Group Support Systems (Types, examples)

• Team-Based Organization (case of Protegra)

• Distributed Teams

• Summary

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Workgroup Concepts

• Workgroup or team:- Collection of people working together on a specific

task for a defined period of time. - Team is an organization in small with a shorter life

span.- An organization can be team-based (e.g., Protegra;

slide 8).- Task: What needs to be done- Work roles: Who does what- Timeline: Start and end point, landmarks, schedule

• Key aspects:

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- Success conditions: member composition, communication, leadership

- Group could do more than an individual – synergy - But there may be problems in teamwork:

- some members do not put in their part (free ride)- members accept mainstream thinking without reasoning

(groupthink)

- Team types based on location: same location (collocated team) vs. different (distributed team)

- Members depend directly on each other – interdependence: can be sequential, parallel, reciprocal.

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Project Team

• Project Team (PT) is a kind of team that performs in fundamental production processes (see case later).

• PT has a key role in project-driven organizations (research, marketing, construction, public accounting, software development)

•PT has lots of autonomy as it manages work, money, time.

•PT disbands when project ends.

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Team life cycle

• A set of complex activities (phases) from team formation to team’s delivery of product and disbanding.

• Each complex activity is a process in itself:

1. Set team task Define goals and timeline Allocate budget Select members

2. Align on mission Define roles Establish leadership

3. Create project documentation (charter, plans, timelines) Make appointments Set communication means

1. Forming 2.

Storming3.

Norming4.

Performing

5. Disbandin

gFocus for IS

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Team life cycle (cont.)

4. Execute project activities Socialize Deliver product

- Execute project activities: a sub-process of connected work activities that are constrained by a precise timeline and budget allowances.

5. Create final reports Reflect on & Record experiences Close Project *

1. Forming 2.

Storming3.

Norming4.

Performing

5. Disbandin

gFocus for IS

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Group Support Systems

• Support the Performing phase (process) in the team life cycle.

1. Communication for collaboration and knowledge sharing

(e.g., private email, el. bulletin boards, chat)

2. File Sharing (e.g., Google docs, university class support systems)

NOTE: File sharing is also used in knowledge management processes)

3. Application Sharing (sharing screen and programs; figure below)

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4. Workflow Support Systems *

5. Project Management Systems (Protegra - see, Boeing-Rocketdyne**)

6. Group Decision Support System (group brainstorming and option selection via GDSS; fig. below).*** NOTE: This system also belongs to decision making systems.

Facilitator – stirs thesession

Decision makers – team or ad-hoc group

Group Support Systems

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Team-Based Organization(Protegra Case)

• Team-Based Organization is one in which project team is the basic unit. In contrast, in other types of organization the basic unit is department.

• Research organizations, public accounting, consulting, software.

• Protegra – systems and management consulting company in Winnipeg. About 70 employees; founded in 1998; a best employer; international.

• Team has 3-5 members. Roles* are divided but key decisions are made collectively. This is part of Protegra’s culture.

• Other cultural beliefs and behaviors: professionalism, fair contribution to project work, open communication, knowledge sharing, respect for others.

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• Project planning and execution at Protegra is supported by its Project Management System (PMS). PMS is a type of group support IS and it covers: Activities, people, time, financials (tracking work hours, expenses), management of versions of developed software, and sharing of project documentation.

• An example of planning project work and tracking its execution:

ActivityTime

PeopleJohn

Jean

Money: Hourly rate is entered in a separate sheet for each person, and the system multiplies it by planned time entered in this sheet. With the progress function, the budget balance is tracked.PMS generates many reports automatically.

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• Challenges for distributed teams:

o Aligning workflows over space & time; IS for communication and work support are necessary

o Following same values and norms

o Maintaining trust in others and their work

o Time synchronization

o Effective communication; should be approached as process at detailed level (timing, turn taking, checks, effectiveness for all involved – many customers); selection of channels should fit task (systems-supported vs. face-to-face)

Distributed Teams*

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Summary

• Workgroup (Team) is a Collection of people working together on a specific task for a defined period.

• Some key aspects for teams: interdependence, synergy, composition, communication, leadership.

• Project team plays key role in project-driven organizations.

• Team life cycle is a process that consists of five sub-processes.

• GSS include communication systems, file sharing, applications sharing, workflow system, project management system, & Group Decision Support System.

• Team-based organization is one in which project team is the basic unit (differentiate from org. using team as a work method). Culture and systems support crucial.

• In a distributed (“virtual”) team members work at different locations.

• To align distributed team's workflows over space and time, culture and communication processes & systems are crucial.

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