PD Lecture 4 nature of group teams

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Lecture 4
GROUPS & WORK TEAMSGROUPS & WORK TEAMS

LEARNING OUTCOMESLEARNING OUTCOMES
• Define groups and teams
• Explain the characteristics of a group
• Discuss the development of groups and teams
• Identify the characteristics of effective team
performance
• Discuss ways to manage adverse behaviour in
a group

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION
• Much of the activity within organizations
occurs within groups – from informal
groups of employees to formal
autonomous work groups.
• Group activities can be critical to the
success of the organization.

DEFINITION OF GROUPS AND TEAMS
• A work group is a collection of people
working in the same area or placed together
to complete a task.
• A team is defined as a small number of people
with complementary skills who are committed
to a common purpose, a set of performance
goals, and an approach for which they hold
themselves mutually accountable.

Differences between a Group and a Team
Work Groups Teams
Individual accountability. Individual and mutual accountability.
Come together to share information and
perspectives.
Frequently come together for discussion,
decision making, problem solving and
planning.
Focus on individual goals. Focus on team goals.
Produce individual work products. Produce collective work products.
Define individual goals, responsibilities,
and tasks.
Define individual roles, responsibilities,
and tasks to help team to do its work;
often share and rotate them.
Concern with one’s own outcome and
challenges.
Concern with outcomes of everyone and
challenges the team faces.
Purpose, goal, approach to work shaped
by manager.
Purpose, goal, approach to work shaped
by team leader with team members.

REASONS PEOPLE JOIN GROUPS

TYPES OF GROUPS AND TEAMS
FORMAL GROUP INFORMAL GROUP
Designed by top management for
achieving organizational goals.
A natural outcome at the workplace, not
designed and planned.
Concentrates more on the performance
of a job.
Organization is coordinated by group
norms and not by norms of the formal
organization.
People are placed in hierarchy and their
status determined accordingly.
Such group associations are not specified
in the blueprint of the formal
organization.
Coordination of members are controlled
through processes and procedures.

Divisions of Formal and Informal Groups
Types Description
Primary and Secondary Groups. • A primary group has intimate, face to face association and co-
operation e,g family, neighborhood groups, friendship groups.
• A secondary group is formal. May not have any interest in the
problems and the pleasure of others.
Membership and Reference Groups • A membership group is one to which an individual really
belongs.
• A reference group is one with which an individual identifies.
The attractiveness of the reference group makes the norms of
that group more attractive to the individual who aspires for it.
Command and Task Groups • A command group is composed of subordinates who report
directly to a common supervisor e.g a production manager and
his subordinates in his department.
• A task group is usually formed to solve problem, It is
comprised of the employees who work together to complete a
particular task.
In-groups and Out-groups • In groups are a cluster of individual that have a dominant
place in social functioning.
• The out-groups are marginal in the society and referred as
minority groups

MANAGER LED AND SELF-MANAGING TEAMS
• Functional teams
• Cross-functional teams
• Self-directed work teams
• Virtual teams
• Task forces
• The problem-solving team

CHARACTERISTICS OF GROUPSCHARACTERISTICS OF GROUPS
• Size
• Norms
• Cohesiveness
• Roles

STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENTSTAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT
• Bruce Tuckman in 1965. Initially, Tuckman
identified four stages of group development,
which included the stages of forming,
storming, norming and performing. A fifth
stage was later added by Tuckman about ten
years later, which is called adjourning.
• Stage 1: Forming
• Stage 2: Storming
• Stage 3: Norming
• Stage 4: Performing
• Stage 5: Adjourning

Stage1-Forming
The first stage of group development is known as the forming stage. The forming stage
represents a time where the group is just starting to come together and is characterized with
anxiety and uncertainty.
Members are cautious with their behavior, which is driven by the desire to be accepted by
all members of the group.
Conflict, controversy and personal opinions are avoided even though members are
beginning to form impressions of each other and gain an understanding of what the group
will do together. Some believe this cautious behavior prevents the group from getting any
real work done. However, the focus for group members during the forming stage is to
become familiar with each other and their purpose, not on work.
Typical outcomes of the forming stage include things like gaining an understanding of the
group's purpose, determining how the team will be organized and who will be responsible
for what, discussion of major milestones or phases of the group's goal (including a rough
project schedule), outlining general group rules (including when they will meet) and discovery
of what resources will be available for the group to use.

Stage 2- Storming
The second stage of group development is known as the storming stage. The storming stage
is where conflict and competition are at its greatest. This is because now that group members
have an understanding of the task and a general feel for who they are as a group and who
group members are, they feel confident and begin to address some of the more important
issues surrounding the group. Such issues can relate to things like the group's tasks, individual
roles and responsibilities or even with the group members themselves.
The storming stage is where the more dominant of the group members emerge, while
other, less confrontational members stay in the comfort and security of suppressing their
feelings just as they did in the previous stage. Even though these individuals stay quiet, issues
may still exist. All members have an increased need for clarification.
Questions surrounding leadership, authority, rules, responsibilities, structure, evaluation
criteria and reward systems tend to arise during the storming stage. Such questions must be
answered so that the group can move on to the next stage. Consequently, not all groups are
able to move past the storming stage.

Stage 3- Norming
Once a group receives the clarity that it so desperately needs, it can move on to
the third stage of group development, known as the norming stage. The norming
stage is the time where the group becomes a cohesive unit.
Morale is high as group members actively acknowledge the talents, skills and
experience that each member brings to the group. A sense of community is
established and the group remains focused on the group's purpose and goal.
Members are flexible, interdependent and trust each other. Leadership is
shared, and members are willing to adapt to the needs of the group.
Information flows seamlessly and is uninhibited due to the sense of security
members feel in the norming stage.

Stage 4- Performing
At its peak, the group moves into the fourth stage of group development, known
as the performing stage. The performing stage is marked by high productivity.
Group members are unified, loyal and supportive.
Competence in all members is seen, allowing for a high level of autonomy in
decision making. Problem solving, experimentation and testing possible solutions
are high as group members are focused on task completion and achievement.
The overall objective of the group during the performing stage is to complete
their mission and fulfill their purpose though goal achievement.

Stage 5- Adjourning
Refers to the stage in which the group disbands, and
individuals may reflect on how well or badly the group
functioned.
These stages don't necessarily occur in sequence, and
progress through them over time is not necessarily bound to
occur. Furthermore, a group may pass through one stage
several times, or become stuck on one stage.
It has been found that groups tend to cycle back and forth
between the different stages.[

ADVERSE GROUP BEHAVIOUR
SOCIAL LOAFING
•Social loafing describes the tendency of individuals to put forth less effort when they are
part of a group.
DIFFUSION OF RESPONSIBILITY
•As the number of people in the group increases, people tend to feel deindividuation. This
term defines both the dissociation from individual achievement and the decrease of
personal accountability, resulting in lower exerted effort for individuals in collaborative
environments.
ESCALATION OF COMMITMENT
•Escalation of commitment occurs when we invest resources into a course of action that is
failing. Resources can be time, money, energy, etc. that we continue to put into an
investment because we don’t want to appear to be inconsistent.
GROUPTHINK
•Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical
evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints, and by isolating themselves from outside
influences.

SUMMARYSUMMARY
• A work group is a collection of people
working in the same area or placed
together to complete a task.
• A well-managed work group or team will
lead to organizational success.

PD Lecture 4 nature of group teams

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PD Lecture 4 nature of group teams