Groups

Definition
Two or more individuals,
interacting and
interdependent, who
come together to
achieve particular
objectives.

Formal and informal groups

(1).

Formal groups

..are those
defined by organizational structure with
designated work assignments and
establishing tasks.
For example
the six members making
up an airline flight crew are a formal
group.

Formal and informal groups

(2). Informal groups
.are those
neither formally structured nor
organizationally determined. These
groups are natural formations in the work
environment that appear in response to
the need for social contact.
For example
Three employees from different
departments who regularly eat
their lunch together is an
informal group.

Classifying Groups
Command Groups

(1).Formal

group
Task Groups
Interest Groups

2).Informal

group
Friendship Groups

Prentice Hall, 2001

Four Types of Groups

Command group.
determined by the
organization chart. It is composed of
individuals who directly report to a
given manager. An elementary school
principal and her 18 teachers form a
command group. or the area sales
manager along with his sales force.

Four Types of Groups

Task group
it is also organizationally
determined represent those working
together to complete a job task, however
a task groups boundaries are not limited
to its immediate hierarchical superior. For
instance the hiring of new employees can
be a task which can involve GM, HR
manager and a particular functional
manager.

Four Types of Groups

Interest group
are such groups that
affiliate to attain a specific objective of
shared interest. for example employees
who come together to have their
vacations schedules altered, to support a
colleague who has been fired or to seek
improvement in working conditions is an
interest group.

Four Types of Groups

Friendship group
members have
one or more common characteristics.
for example similar age or holding
similar political views

Security

SelfEsteem

Power

Status

What
Makes
People
Join
Groups?

Affiliation

Goal
Achievement

Why People Join Groups

Identity

Expectations

Group
Roles
Conflict

Prentice Hall, 2001

Perception

12

Roles
According to Shakespeare all the world is a
stage and all the men and women are
players. similarly all the group members
are actors.
Role is defined as
to engage in a set of
expected behavior that
are related to occupying
a given positionin a social
unit.

Role identity
Role Identity the ability to recognize
attitudes and behaviors consistent with a
role.
When workers are promoted
to supervisory positions vital
changes are observed in their
behavior with other workers.

Role perception and role

expectation
Role Perception
our view of how were
supposed to act in a given situation is
called role perception.

Role perception and role

expectation
Role Expectations
how others believe
you should act in a
given situation is
called role expectation.

Role conflict
Role conflict is that situation when there
is much difference in role perception and
role expectation.
That is, people expect an individual to
behave in one way and the individual
perceives to behave in another way.

Cohesiveness
The degree to which
members of the group
are attracted to each
other and motivated to
stay in the group
Related to the groups
productivity

Group Decision Making

Advantages

Disadvantages

More Diversity of Views

Dominant Individuals

Increased information

Unclear Responsibility

Higher-quality decisions

Time and money costs

Improved Commitment

Conformity pressures

Increased
Prentice Hall, 2001

acceptance

19

Group Decision
Making
Groupthin
k

Prentice Hall, 2000

Group
shift

20

Symptoms of Groupthink
Group members when making any decision, ask
for the agreement of all group members.
Some individuals in the group, who have a
difference of opinion, remain silent. They keep
quiet in order to avoid any conflict among
group members.
Their silence is considered as yes, although
their silence is meant as NO.
In groupthink sometimes minority
becomes victim of majority in
decision making.

Group shift
When a manager makes any decision individually, then
he is very careful and avoids all risks, because in case
of failure he will be solely responsible for his decision.
But when the same manager is the member of some
group, then he is making more risky decisions.
The reason is that in case of failure no single individual
could be made responsible in group decision making.
Thus in group decision making the position of a
manager shifts from normal decisions to more risky
decisions, called group shift