Characteristic of OB?

There are seven characteristics of OD (Newstrom, Davis, 1993):

Humanistic Values: Positive beliefs about the potential of employees (McGregor's
Theory Y).
Systems Orientation: All parts of the organization, to include structure, technology, and
people, must work together.
Experiential Learning: The learners' experiences in the training environment should be
the kind of human problems they encounter at work. The training should NOT be all
theory and lecture.
Problem Solving: Problems are identified, data is gathered, corrective action is taken,
progress is assessed, and adjustments in the problem solving process are made as needed.
This process is known as Action Research.
Contingency Orientation: Actions are selected and adapted to fit the need.
Change Agent: Stimulate, facilitate, and coordinate change.
Levels of Interventions: Problems can occur at one or more level in the organization so
the strategy will require one or more interventions.

2) define OB
Organizational behavior is an academic discipline concerned with describing,
understanding, predicting, and controlling human behavior in an organizational
environment. Organizational behavior has evolved from early classical management
theories into a complex school of thought—and it continues to change in response to the
dynamic environment and proliferating corporate cultures in which today's businesses
operate. "The task of getting organizations to function effectively is a difficult one,"
wrote David A. Nadler and Michael L. Tushman in Hackman, Lawler, and Porter's
Perspectives on Behaviors in Organizations. "Understanding one individual's behavior is
a challenging problem in and of itself. A group, made up of different individuals and
multiple relationships among those individuals, is even more complex…. In the fact of
this overwhelming complexity, organizational behavior must be managed. Ultimately the
work of organizations gets done through the behavior of people, individually or
collectively, on their own or in collaboration with technology. Thus, central to the
management task is the management of organizational behavior. To do this, there must be
the capacity to understand the patterns of behavior at individual, group, and organization
levels, to predict what behavior responses will be elicited by different managerial actions,
and finally to use understanding and prediction to achieve control
 Group Cohesion

the total field of forces which act on members to remain in the group.

Two Main Forces that act on members to stay in Group

Attractiveness of the group--individual's desire for interpersonal interactions with

other group members and a desire to be involved in the group's activities. (Sense
of satisfaction).

Means Control--benefits that a member can derive by being associated with the
group.

 
Task Cohesion

the degree to which members of a group work together to achieve common

goals.

Social Cohesion

reflects the degree to which members of a team like each other and enjoy each
other's company.

CARRON'S MODEL of Factors Affecting Cohesion

1. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

the most general and remote, refer to the normative forces holding a group
together. (contracts, scholarships, family expectations)

These influences can hold a group together, although other factors such as age,
proximity, or eligibility requirements can also play an important role.

Carron’s Model

2. PERSONAL FACTORS
refer to the individual characteristics of group members, such as participation
motives.

Three Motives

task motivation (associated with task cohesion)

affiliation motivation (associated with social cohesion)

self-motivation (attempt to obtain personal satisfaction)

Carron’s Model

3. LEADERSHIP FACTORS

include leadership style and behaviors that professionals exhibit and the
relationships they establish with their groups.

The role of leaders is vital to team cohesion.

Specifically clear, consistent, unambiguous communication from coaches and

captains regarding team goals, etc…

Carron’s Model

4. TEAM FACTORS

refer to group characteristics (individual versus team sports), group productivity

norms, desire for group success, and team stability.

The Relationship between Cohesion and Performance

Cohesion increases performance for interacting sports but decreases or shows

no effect on performance for co-acting.

Co-acting Teams--archery, bowling, golf, riflry, skiing, wrestling.

Mixed--football, baseball, track.

Interacting--basketball, hockey, soccer, volleyball.

DIRECTION OF CAUSALITY
whether cohesion leads to performance success or performance success leads
to cohesion.

Circular relationship.

OTHER FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH COHESION

Team Satisfaction--an individual factor. (Circular)

Conformity--the more cohesive the group, the more influence the group has on
its individual members.

Adherence--exercise groups. Those that feel good cohesion are more likely to
attend more classes, arrive on time, less likely to drop out, more resistant to
disruptions in group, more likely experience positive affect related to exercise,
have stronger efficacy beliefs related to exercise.

Other Factors…

Social Support--there is a positive relationship between the social support an

individual receives and her or his evaluations of group cohesion.

Stability--refers both to the turnover rate for group membership and to how long
group members have been together.

 
The more cohesive a group is, the greater an influence it will have on individual
members to conform to the group's norms.

Teams higher in cohesion can better resist disruption than teams lower in
cohesion.

Teams that stay together longer tend to be more cohesive, which leads to
improvements in performance.

PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE TEAM-BUILDING PROGRAM

TEAM STRUCTURE
Role Clarity and Acceptance--when group members clearly understand their
roles in the group. When group members are satisfied and accept their roles in
the group.

Leadership

type of leadership should coincide with type of individuals or vise versa.

Principles of Team Building

Conformity to Standards

conformity to group social and task norms contribute to enhanced cohesion.

TEAM ENVIRONMENT

Togetherness--When group members are repetitively put in close physical

proximity, feeling of cohesion increase.

Distinctiveness--the presence of group distinctiveness contributes to group

cohesion.

Principles…

TEAM PROCESSES

Sacrifices--when high status members make sacrifices for the group, cohesion is
enhanced.

Goals and Objectives--group goals are more strongly associated with team
success than individual goals. Member participation in goal setting helps
cohesion.

Cooperation--cooperative behavior is superior to individualistic behavior.

Common Barriers to Group Cohesion

Clash of personalities in the group

Conflict of task or social roles among members of the group

Breakdown in communication among group members or between the group

leader and members
One or more members struggling for power

Frequent turnover of group members

Disagreement on group goals and objectives

What Coaches or Leaders can do

Communicate effectively

everyone is comfortable expressing thoughts and feelings.

Explain Individual Roles in Team Success

Develop Pride within Subunits

Set Challenging Group Goals

Encourage Group Identity

Avoid Formation of Social Cliques

Avoid Excessive Turnover

Conduct Periodic Team Meetings

Know the Team Climate

Know something personal about each group member

What Group Members can do

Get to know members of the group

Help group members whenever possible

Give group members positive reinforcement

Be responsible

Communicate honestly and openly with the coach or leader

Resolve conflicts immediately

Give 100% effort at all times

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION

You are a new coach who has inherited a high school team that had a great deal
of dissension and infighting last season. Discuss what you would do before and
during the season to build both task and social cohesion in your team.