Group Processes and Work Teams

Chapter Nine

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Group Dynamics

Group dynamics focus on the nature of groups – the variables governing their formation and development, their structure, and their interrelationships with individuals, other groups, and the organizations within which they exist

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Group

A group is a collection of two or more interacting individuals with a stable pattern of relationships between them who share common goals and who perceive themselves as being a group

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GroupsFormal groups are created by an organization and are designed to direct members toward some important organizational goal Command groups are determined by the connections

between individuals who are a formal part of the organization

Task groups are formed around some specific taskInformal groups develop naturally among an organization’s personnel without any direction from the management of the organization within which they operate Interest group Friendship group

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Types of Groups

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Group Dynamics

Roles Norms Status Cohesiveness

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Role ConceptsRoleRole: The typical behaviors that characterize a person in a social contextRole IncumbentRole Incumbent: A person holding a particular roleRole ExpectationsRole Expectations: The behaviors expected of someone in a particular roleRole DifferentiationRole Differentiation: The tendency for various specialized roles to emerge as groups developCommon RolesCommon Roles : Task-Oriented RoleTask-Oriented Role: The activities of an individual in a group who, more

than anyone else, helps the group reach its goal Socioemotional RoleSocioemotional Role: The activities of an individual in a group who is

supportive and nurturant of other group members, and who helps them feel good

Self-Oriented RoleSelf-Oriented Role: The activities of an individual in a group who focuses on his or her own good, often at the expense of others

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Norms

Generally agreed upon informal rules that guide group members’ behavior

Prescriptive normsPrescriptive norms dictate the behaviors that should be performed

Proscriptive normsProscriptive norms dictate specific behaviors that should be avoided

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Norm Development

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Status The relative social position or rank given to

groups or group members by others Formal StatusFormal Status: Attempts to differentiate

between the degrees of formal authority given employees by an organization Status SymbolsStatus Symbols: Objects reflecting the position of

any individual within an organization’s hierarchy Informal StatusInformal Status: The prestige accorded

individuals with certain characteristics that are not formally recognized by the organization

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Group Cohesiveness

The strength of group members’ desires to remain a part of their groups

Determinants of cohesiveness: Severity of initiation External threat Group size History of success

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Social Facilitation Effect

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Social Loafing

The tendency for group members to exert less individual effort on an additive task as the size of the group increases Additive taskAdditive task: A type of group task in which the

each person’s contributions can be added together with another’s

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Social Loafing

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Social Loafing and Culture

Individualistic CulturesIndividualistic Cultures: National groups whose members place a high value on individual accomplishments and personal success

Collectivistic CulturesCollectivistic Cultures: National groups whose members place a high value on shared responsibility and the collective good of all

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Overcoming Social Loafing

Make each performer identifiable

Make work tasks more important and interesting

Reward individuals for contributing to their group’s performance

Use punishment threats

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Team

A group whose members have complementary skills and are committed to a common purpose or set of performance goals for which they hold themselves mutually accountable

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Teams vs. Traditional Work Structures

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Cross-Training in Teams

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Types of Teams

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Continuum of Autonomy In work groups, bosses have

responsibility over decisions and are accountable for work outcomes. The workers themselves have very little autonomy

By contrast, in self-managed work teams, the workers themselves have responsibility over decisions and are accountable for work outcomes

Semiautonomous work groups are positioned between these two extremes

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Team Effectiveness Results

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Why Teams Fail

Lack of cooperation

Lack of support

Reluctance to relinquish control

Failure to cooperate with other teams

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Developing Successful Teams

1. Provide training in team skills

2. Compensate team performance

3. Communicate the urgency of the team’s mission

4. Promote cooperation within and between teams

5. Select team members based on their skills or potential skills

6. Be patient

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Skills Training

Team BuildingTeam Building: Formal efforts directed toward making teams more effective

Key Areas of Team TrainingKey Areas of Team Training: Being a team member Self-management

Team Training ExercisesTeam Training Exercises Role-definition exercises Goal-setting exercises Problem-solving exercises Interpersonal-process exercises

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Interpersonal Skills

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Self-Management Skills