Effective Work Groups and Teams

Understanding and Managing

Organizational Behavior

Chapter 11

Sixth EditionJennifer M. George & Gareth R. Jones

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 11-1

Learning Objectives

Describe the sources of process losses and gains and understand how they affect group or team potential performance

Understand how social loafing can occur in groups and the steps that can be taken to prevent it

Differentiate among three forms of task interdependence and discuss the team performance implications associated with them

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Learning Objectives

Understand the ways in which a group’s cohesiveness affects its performance and explain which level of cohesiveness results in the highest team performance

Describe the nature of four important kinds of groups in organizations and how and why they help an organization achieve its goals

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How Nokia Uses Teams to Increase Global Effectiveness

How can teams help increase performance?

• Teams are encouraged to be innovative.

• Employees that are most knowledgeable are given opportunity to make decisions-regardless of position.

• Good communication, mutual respect, and high regard for team members

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Group Performance

What’s hurting group performance?

Microsoft’s team approach was effective

Performance evaluation emphasizing

individual performance hindered team

effectiveness

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Potential Performance

Potential performance is the highest

level of group performance possible; it

reflects the work group’s capabilities

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Performance, Process Losses, and Gains

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Exhibit 11.1

OB Today: The Rolling Stones

Initially functioned well as a group

Suffered in the 1970s as group members emphasized individual rewards

In the 1980s group refined approach

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Problems in Group Motivation and Performance

Social Loafing

Sucker Effect

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Causes of Social Loafing

• Lack of connection between inputs and

outcomes

• Perception that individual efforts are

unnecessary or unimportant

• Large group size

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Reducing Social Loafing

• Make individual contributions identifiable

• Make individuals feel that they are making valuable contributions to a group

• Remind employees why they were initially chosen for the team

• Keep the group as small as possible

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Task Interdependence

Task interdependence is the extent to

which the work performed by one member

affects what other group members do

As task interdependence increases, the

degree and intensity of the interactions

among group members who are required to

perform the tasks also increases

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Types of Task Interdependence

Pooled Task Interdependence

Sequential Task Interdependence

Reciprocal Task Interdependence

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Exhibit 11.2a

Pooled Task Interdependence

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Exhibit 11.2b

Sequential Task Interdependence

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Exhibit 11.2c

Sequential Task Interdependence

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Reciprocal Task Interdependence

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Exhibit 11.2d

Surgical Teams Have Reciprocal Task Interdependence

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Group Cohesiveness

Group cohesiveness is the attractiveness of a group to its members

High Low

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Determinants of Group Cohesiveness

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Exhibit 11.3

When Cohesiveness Is Low

• Members are not motivated to participate in the group

• Members do not effectively communicate

• Group has difficulty influencing member behavior

• Group fails to meet goals

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When Cohesiveness Is Excessive

• Time is wasted by members socializing on the job

• Conformity is stressed at the expense of needed change

• Group goal accomplishment becomes more important than cooperation with other groups to achieve the organization’s goals

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When Cohesiveness Is Moderate

• There is an appropriate level of communication and participation among members

• The ability to influence members’ behavior to ensure conformity while still allowing for some deviation

• The capacity to stress the importance of the group’s accomplishments but not at the expense of other groups and the organization

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Signs of Cohesiveness

• Low cohesiveness: Information flows slowly; group has little influence; group tends not to achieve its goals

• Moderate cohesiveness: Group members work well together; there is good communication and participation; group is able to influence its members’ behavior; group tends to achieve its goals

• Very high cohesiveness: Group members socialize excessively; high level of conformity; group achieves its goals at expense of other groups

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Consequences of High Cohesiveness When Group Goals Are Aligned with Organizational Goals

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Exhibit 11.4

Disadvantages of High Cohesiveness When Group Goals Are Not Aligned with

Organizational Goals

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Exhibit 11.5

Important Organizational Groups

• Top management teams

• Self-managed Work teams

• Research and development teams

• Virtual teams

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Effectiveness in Self-Managed Teams

• Team is truly self-managing

• Work is complex

• Work results in finished end product

• Managers are supportive of teams

• Members are carefully selected

• Members want to be part of the team

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A Cross-Functional R&D Team

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Exhibit 11.6

Ford’s Mustang Developed by a Skunk Works

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