Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Organizational Behavior
Group Cohesiveness
Definition(s)
Commonness of attitudes or behavior Greater force holding together than driving apart Sense of belonging and feelings of morale Individuals who are attracted to each other Note that several of these definitions tend to be circular or confuse cause with effect.
Organizational Behavior
The goals of the group and the members are compatible and clearly specified The group has a charismatic leader The group has a reputation for accomplishment The group is small enough to have members opinions heard The members support one another and help each other overcome obstacles
Organizational Behavior
Agreement with organizational goals Low Performance probably oriented away from organizational goals High Performance probably oriented toward achievement of organizational goals Performance oriented toward achievement of organizational goals
Low
Organizational Behavior
Steps Managers Can Take To Enhance the Two Types of Group Cohesiveness
Socio-Emotional Cohesivness
Keep the group relatively small Strive for a favorable public image to increase the status and prestige of belonging Encourage interaction and cooperation Emphasize members common characteristics and interests Point out environmental threats (e.g., competitors achievements to rally the group)
Organizational Behavior
Steps Managers Can Take To Enhance the Two Types of Group Cohesiveness (continued)
Instrumental Cohesivness
Regularly update and clarify the groups goal(s) Give every group member a vital piece of the action Channel each group members special talents toward the common goal(s) Recognize and equitably reinforce every members contributions Frequently remind group members they need each other to get the job done
Trust
Organizational Behavior
Trust: Reciprocal faith in others intentions and behavior. Propensity to trust: A personality trait involving ones general willingness to trust others. How to Build Trust Communication (keep everyone informed; give feedback; tell the truth) Support (be available and approachable) Respect (delegate; be an active listener) Fairness (give credit where due; objectively evaluate performance) Predictability (be consistent; keep your promises) Competence (demonstrate good business sense and professionalism)
Organizational Behavior
Distrust
Trust
Organizational Behavior
Basic Distinctions Among Quality Circles, Virtual Teams and Self-Managed Teams
Self-Managed Teams Production, project, or action Delegation Production/service, technical specialists
Quality Circles
Virtual Teams
Type of team
Type of empowerment
Advice Consultation
Members
Production/service personnel
Organizational Behavior
Basic Distinctions Among Quality Circles, Virtual Teams and Self-Managed Teams (continued)
Self-Managed Teams Assigned Integrated Varies, depending on use of information technology
Quality Circles Basis of membership Relationship to organization Amount of faceto-face communication Voluntary Parallel Strictly faceto-face
Parallel or integrated
Periodic to none
Organizational Behavior
Schedule work assignments Work with outside customers Conduct training Set production goals/quotas Work with suppliers/vendors Purchase equipment/services Develop budgets Do performance appraisals Hire co-workers Fire co-workers
67% 67 59 56 44 43 39 36 33 14
Organizational Behavior
Clear purpose Informality Participation Listening Civilized disagreement Consensus decisions Open communication Clear roles and work assignments Shared leadership External relations Style diversity Self-assessment
Organizational Behavior
Organizational Behavior
Mistakes typically made by management Teams cannot overcome weak strategies and poor business practices Hostile environment for teams (command-and-control culture; competitive/individual reward plans; management resistance) Teams adopted as a fad, a quick-fix; no long-term commitment Lessons from one team not transferred to others (limited experimentation with teams) Vague or conflicting team assignments Inadequate team skills training Poor staffing of teams Lack of trust
Organizational Behavior
Problems typically experienced by team members Team tries to do too much too soon Conflict over differences in personal work styles (and/or personality conflicts) Too much emphasis on results, not enough on team processes and group dynamics Unanticipated obstacle causes team to give up Resistance to doing things differently Poor interpersonal skills (aggressive rather than assertive communication, destructive conflict, win-lose negotiation) Poor interpersonal chemistry (loners, dominators, self-appointed experts do not fit in) Lack of trust
Conflict
Organizational Behavior
Conflict: A process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party.
Functional conflict serves the organizations interests while dysfunctional conflict threatens the organizations interests.
Organizational Behavior
Positive
Neutral
Too little Negative conflict Appropriate conflict Too much conflict
Low
Moderate Intensity
High
Source: LD Brown, Managing Conflict of Organizational Interfaces, 1986, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Inc., Reading, Massachusetts. Figure 1.1 on page 8.
Organizational Behavior
Ingrained reinforced at home, school, church Managers are often evaluated and rewarded for lack of conflict part of the culture of the organization Avoid disturbing the status quo If it isnt broke do you break it or move on?
Antecedents of Conflict
Organizational Behavior
Incompatible personalities or value systems. Overlapping or unclear job boundaries. Competition for limited resources. Interdepartment/intergroup competition. Differences in perceptions or inaccurate perceptions Inadequate communication. Functional differences line and staff; production & marketing Interdependent tasks. Organizational complexity.
Organizational Behavior
Unreasonable or unclear policies, standards, or rules. Unreasonable deadlines or extreme time pressure. Collective decision making. Decision making by consensus. Unmet expectations. Unresolved or suppressed conflict.
Conflict Outcomes
Organizational Behavior
Agreement: Strive for equitable and fair agreements that last. Search for solutions (Functional consequence) Stronger relationships: Build bridges of cohesiveness, goodwill and trust for the future. (Functional consequence) Learning: Greater self-awareness and creative problem solving. Change and adapt. (Functional consequence) Focus on activity: become task oriented; less concern for individual satisfaction defeat the enemy. (Dysfunctional consequence) Develop loyalty conformance to norms tends to become important in conflict situations. (Dysfunctional consequence)
Conflict Outcomes
Organizational Behavior
Distorted perceptions: members may develop stronger opinions of the importance of their unit. Survival of the fittest. (Dysfunctional consequence) Negative stereotyping: as conflict rises, stereotypes are reinforced. See fewer distances in your group and greater differences between groups than really exist. (Dysfunctional consequence) Decreased communication: decision-making process can be disrupted. (Dysfunctional consequence) Also violence and aggression. (Dysfunctional consequence)
Organizational Behavior
Level of perceived intergroup conflict tends to increase when: Conflict within the group is high There are negative interactions between groups (or between members of those groups) Influential third-party gossip about other group is negative
Recommended actions: Work to eliminate specific negative interactions between groups (and members). Conduct team building to reduce intragroup conflict and prepare employees for cross-functional teamwork. Encourage personal friendships and good working relationships across groups and departments. Foster positive attitudes toward members of other groups (empathy, compassion, sympathy). Avoid or neutralize negative gossip across groups or departments.
Organizational Behavior
Behavior Be a good listener Be sensitive to the needs of others Be cooperative, rather than overly competitive Advocate inclusive (participative) leadership Compromise rather than dominate Build rapport through conversations Be compassionate and understanding Avoid conflict by emphasizing harmony Nurture others (develop and mentor)
Rank 1 2 Tie 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Organizational Behavior
Organizational Behavior
Organizational Behavior
High
Integrating
Obliging
Compromising Low
Dominating
Avoiding
Low
Source: MA Rahim, A Strategy for Managing Conflict in Complex Organizations, Human Relations, January 1985, p 84. Used with authors permission.
Organizational Behavior
Group Negotiations
Organizational Behavior
A give-and-take decision-making process involving interdependent parties with different preferences. Only successful negotiations have all parties walking away feeling like they have won. Managers can:
Understand the other side. Identify all needs and positions of the other group(s). Must ask questions. Attempt free exchange of information. Know all options: develop, understand, and evaluate options to resolve the conflict. Outcomes may differ if issue is renegotiated.
Organizational Behavior
Lies Puffery Deception Weakening the opponent Strengthening ones own position
Negotiation Tactics
Organizational Behavior
Good cop/bad cop Nibble: receiving an additional concession after an agreement has been reached. Joint problem solving: what can be done so that both sides win? Power of competition: outsource the group (or put the fear of that on the table) Splitting the difference: useful if groups are at an impasse Low-balling: lower other groups expectations