OB-II Session 01 to 05

Mit Vachhrajani
 Tuckman’s Five-Stage Theory

Feeling of
Team spirit is Return to
experienced Independence
Performing Adjourning

Norming

Storming Climate of open

communication, strong
Forming
cooperation and lots of
helping behavior
Roles
Goals
Trust
Dependence
 a software development team
Group Decay

Performing
De-norming
De-storming

De-forming
Erosion of
standards of Discontent
conduct surfaces and
cohesiveness Care Little beyond
their self-imposed
borders
Reference: McGrew, Bilotta & Deeney, 1999
Tuckman’s Five stages of team development
Forming
• High dependence on leader for guidance and direction.
• Little agreement on team aims other than received from leader.
• Individual roles and responsibilities are unclear.
• Leader must be prepared to answer lots of questions about the
team's purpose, objectives and external relationships.
• Processes are often ignored. Members test tolerance of system and
leader. Leader directs
Storming

• Decisions don't come easily within group. Team members vie for
position as they attempt to establish themselves in relation to other
team members and the leader, who might receive challenges from
team members.
• Clarity of purpose increases but plenty of uncertainties persist.
• Cliques and factions form and there may be power struggles.
• The team needs to be focused on its goals to avoid becoming
distracted by relationships and emotional issues. Compromises may
be required to enable progress. Leader coaches
Norming

• Agreement and consensus is largely forms among team, who respond well
to facilitation by leader.
• Roles and responsibilities are clear and accepted.
• Big decisions are made by group agreement. Smaller decisions may be
delegated to individuals or small teams within group.
• Commitment and unity is strong. The team may engage in fun and social
activities.
• The team discusses and develops its processes and working style. There is
general respect for the leader and some of leadership is more shared by
the team. Leader facilitates and enables
Performing

• The team is more strategically aware; the team knows clearly why it
is doing what it is doing.
• The team has a shared vision and is able to stand on its own feet
with no interference or participation from the leader.
• There is a focus on over-achieving goals, and the team makes most
of the decisions against criteria agreed with the leader.
• The team has a high degree of autonomy. Disagreements occur but
now they are resolved within the team positively and necessary
changes to processes and structure are made by the team.
 Punctuated-Equilibrium Model

(High)

Phase 2
Performance

Completion
First
Meeting
Transition
Phase 1
(Low)
A (A+B)/2 B
Time
 Group and Types of Groups

• A group is defined as two or more individuals,

interacting and interdependent, who have come
together to achieve particular objectives.
• Groups can be either formal or informal.
– Formal groups—those defined by the
organization’s structure
– Informal groups—alliances that are neither
formally structured nor organizationally
determined
 Why Groups?

• There is no single reason why individuals join

groups.
• Social identity theory proposes that people have
emotional reactions to the failure or success of
their group because their self-esteem gets tied
into the performance of the group.
Importance of Social Identity (Why do people Join Groups?)

• Several characteristics make a social

identity important to a person
– Similarity
– Distinctiveness
– Status
– Uncertainty reduction
 Group Properties

Roles Norms Status

Size Cohesiveness Diversity

Role and related Concepts

Role Role
Role Role Identity Role Conflict
Perception Expectations
• A set of • There are • One’s view • how others • Arises as an
expected certain of how one believe you individual is
behavior attitudes and is supposed should act in a part of
patterns actual to act in a a given multiple
attributed to behaviors given situation groups
someone consistent situation
occupying a with a role,
given and they
position in a create the
social unit. role identity
Norms

• Norms
– acceptable standards of behavior that are shared by the
group’s members
• Types of Norms
– Performance Norms
– Appearance Norms
– Social Arrangement Norms
– Resource Allocation Norms
• Conformity
• Deviant Workplace Behaviour
Asch Study
Status

– Status characteristics theory – differences in status

characteristics create status hierarchies within
groups.
– Status derived from one of three sources:
• The power a person wields over others;
• A person’s ability to contribute to group’s goals;
• Individual’s personal characteristics.
Cohesiveness

• The degree to which members are attracted to each other

and are motivated to stay in the group.
Size

Smaller Groups Large groups in

are faster at problem solving
doing Tasks do better.

Social Loafing
 Size
• The size of a group affects the group’s overall behavior.
• Smaller groups are faster at completing tasks than larger ones.
• Social Loafing
– The tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working
collectively than alone.
• Large groups in problem solving do better.
– Large groups are good at gaining input.
– Smaller groups are better doing something with input
 Diversity

• Surface Level Diversity

• Deep Level Diversity
• Research finds
– it influences group action
– Benefits and Costs of diversity
– More difference in values and option, the greater its
conflict
 Compliance
• Compliance occurs when people change their behavior as a
result of another person or group asking or directing them to
change.
• The person or group asking for the change in behavior typically
doesn’t have any real authority or power to command a
change; when that authority does exist and behavior is
changed as a result, it is called obedience.
 Techniques of getting Compliance
• A neighbour asks you to keep an eye on his house while he is on
Foot-in-the-
vacation. It’s a small request, so you agree. Later that day the
Door Technique neighbour asks if you would kindly water his plants while he’s gone.

• In this method, the larger request comes first, which is usually

refused. This is followed by a second smaller and more reasonable
Door-in-the-
Face Technique request that often gets compliance.

• In this technique, once a commitment is made, the cost of that

Lowball commitment is increased.
Technique
 Team Effectiveness
• (Perform) The team’s product meets the expectations of those
who use it.

• (Satisfied with work) The team members should meet its

member’s needs for satisfying work

• (Adapt) The team members should increase their capacity to

work and learn together in future
 Group Think
• It describes situations in which group pressures for conformity
deter the group from critically appraising unusual, minority, or
unpopular views.
 Symptoms of Group Think
• Illusions of Invulnerability (become overly optimistic)
• Unquestioned beliefs (ignore possible issues)
• Rationalizing (prevents from reconsidering their beliefs)
• Stereotyping (demonizing outgroup members)
• Self-Censorship (Hide fears and think group knows best)
• Mindguards (self appointed censors to hide information)
• Illusions of Unanimity (think everyone thinks in our way)
• Direct Pressure (pressure to conform)
 Thank You

Mit Vachhrajani
Email: mitv@iimidr.ac.in
Mobile No: 7525023983