Chapter 10: Understanding the Nature of Groups Group = small number of people who identify and interact with

one another because of a common interest, bond, or goal Names of groups: Committee = group with a specialized task that is part of the basic structure of an organization Team = a small group that usually is given the power to make and implement decisions Advocacy group = a group set up specifically to support, protect, defend, or lobby for a cause or group; highly specialized

Characteristics of a group Limited size Shared goal Face-to-face meetings Meetings over time

Group goal = identifies what specific tasks are to be accomplished and what the expected group outcome is Prescribed goal = one that is assigned by a person in authority Emergent goal = goal set by the group itself Group works together to complete different tasks Group meeting cycle: Orientation: 1-2 meetings; introduce members, discuss group goals, determine member talent and expertise, helps group develop productive working relationships Action: middle set of meetings: members work on group goals, gather information and interact on how to complete group goal, come to conclusion on how to complete goal, group members have established areas of expertise and are able to work from their strengths to complete the group goal Implementation: last few meetings; implement solution, or present findings to a designated management group

Task group = a group that is given a specific job, or a task, to complete Importance of groups leads to benefits to organization and benefits to individual Benefits to organization: Productivity

Accuracy Creative energy Organizational commitment Community presence

Benefits to individual: Political influence Career advancement Job satisfaction

Types of task groups: Information gathering: designed specifically to gather information and relay that information to the organization, only has power to make recommendation, does not implement its decision Policy-making group: creates procedural rules that all members of the organization must follow; evaluates effectiveness of those rules, has power to implement, enforce, review, and change policies as needed Action group: plans and takes action to solve a problem, create or improve something, or effect change, has power to implement its decisions and evaluate their effectiveness, i.e. quality control team, self-managed work team

Social group = a group that someone joins for purely personal reasons Informal social group = membership is encouraged, but not required by an organization Formal social group = one in which the organization chooses members to participate in community activities Planning is important for professional organizations because the business climate constantly changes: Considerations for certain parts of plan: People involvedwho is needed to implement plan? Who is affected by the plan? How will we motivate people to participate in the plan? Occasion What is the purpose of the action being planned? When and where will it take place? Task Have we considered the impact of the plan? How much time is needed to accomplish all parts of the plan? How many people must be involved in the plan? How much money will the plan cost?

Problem = a difficulty or uncertainty, a difference between the way something should be and the way it is Problem solving = act of understanding the nature of a dilemma, creating alternative solutions, determining which solution is best, and implementing that solution

Problem solving steps: Define the problem Analyze the problem Establish criteria for the best solution List all possible solutions Choose the best solution Implement the solution

Criteria = standards or conditions that any solution must meet in order to be acceptable Brainstorming = process of quickly listing all ideas that come to mind regarding a specific topic Decision making = involves examining a set of alternatives and using reason and logic to select the best one Does the solution achieve all of the desired results? Is implementation of this solution within the groups power? Are there serious disadvantages to this solution? Consensus = collective decision, everyone willing to support Group makes decision after sufficient discussion, vote, or ask expert; final step cannot be completed until solution is chosen implementation