Ch.

15 Effective Groups and

Teams
Ch.16 Promoting Effective
Communication
Facilitator: Naya Hapsari, M.Sc.

1
 Groups, Teams and
Organizational Effectiveness (1 of 3)
• Group
– Two or more people
who interact with
each other to
accomplish certain
goals or meet certain
needs.

Copyright Digital Vision/Getty Images RF

 Groups, Teams and
Organizational Effectiveness (2 of 3)
• Team
– A group whose members work intensely with each
other to achieve a specific, common goal or
objective
 Groups, Teams and
Organizational Effectiveness (3 of 3)
Two characteristics distinguish teams from
groups
1. Intensity with which team members work
together
2. Presence of a specific, overriding team goal
or objective
 Group vs Team

• A “group” is defined as two or moreindividuals:

• Interacting and interdependent
• Who may or may not have come together toachieve a particular
objective / goal
• May work simultaneously or independently of one another
• Can be either formal or informal
• Members:
• Can be similar or dissimilar in character andabilities
• Are responsible for their ownactions
• May attain success while working independently and inisolation
 Group vs Team

• A “team” is a small number of people with

complementary skills who are committed to a common
purpose, a set of performance goals, a common approach,
for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.

• The quality of the collective performance determines

the final result: success orfailure
Groups and Teams as Performance Enhancers
(1 of 2)

• Advantage of synergy
– People working in a group are able to produce
more or higher-quality outputs than would have
been produced if each person had worked
separately
Groups and Teams as Performance Enhancers
(2 of 2)

• Factors that contribute to synergy

– Ability of group members to bounce ideas off one
another
• To correct one another’s mistakes
• To bring a diverse knowledge base to bear on a
problem
• To accomplish work that is too vast for any one
individual to achieve
Groups’ and Teams’ Contributions to
Organizational Effectiveness

Jump to Appendix 1 for

description
Figure 15. 2 Types of Groups and
Teams in Organizations

Jump to Appendix 2 for

description
 Types of Groups and Teams (1 of 3)

• Formal group
– A group that managers establish to achieve
organizational goals
• Informal group
– A group that managers or nonmanagerial
employees form to help achieve their own goals
or to meet their own needs
 Types of Groups and Teams (2 of 3)

Type of Team
Top-management team A group composed of the CEO, the president, and the
heads of the most important departments
Research and development A team whose members have the expertise and
team experience needed to develop new products
Command groups A group composed of subordinates who report to the
same supervisor, also called department or unit
Task forces A committee of managers or nonmanagerial
employees from various departments or divisions who
meet to solve a specific, mutual problem; also called
an “ad hoc” committee
 Types of Groups and Teams (3 of 3)

Type of Team
Self-managed work A group of employees who supervise their own activities
team and monitor the quality of the goods and services they
provide
Virtual team A team whose members rarely or never meet face-to-face
and interact by using various forms of information
technology such as email, computer networks, telephone,
fax and video conferences
Friendship group An informal group composed of employees who enjoy
each other’s company and socialize with each other
Interest group An informal group composed of employees seeking to
achieve a common goal related to their membership in an
organization
 Keys to Effective Self-Managed Teams

• Give the team enough responsibility and autonomy

to be truly self-managing.
• The team’s task should be complex enough to
include many different steps.
• Select members carefully for their diversity, skills,
and enthusiasm.
• Managers should guide and coach, not supervise.
• Analyze training needs and be sure it is provided.
 Group Size (1 of 3)

Advantages of small groups

1. Interact more with each other and easier to
coordinate
2. More motivated, satisfied, and committed
3. Easier to share information
4. Better able to see the importance of their
personal contributions
 Group Size (2 of 3)

• Disadvantage of small groups is that members

of small groups have fewer resources available
to accomplish their goals.
 Group Size (3 of 3)

• Advantages of large groups

– More resources at their disposal to achieve group
goals
– Enables managers to obtain division of labor
advantages
• Disadvantages of large groups
– Problem of communication and coordination
– Lower level of motivation
– Members might not think their efforts are really
needed
 Group Tasks (1 of 3)

• Task interdependence
– Degree to which the
work performed by
one member of the
group influences the
work performed by
other members

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 Group Tasks (2 of 3)

• Pooled task interdependence

– The task interdependence that exists when group
members make separate and independent
contributions to group performance
 Group Tasks (3 of 3)

• Sequential task interdependence

– Exists when group members must perform specific
tasks in a predetermined order
• Reciprocal task interdependence
– Exists when the work performed by each group
member is fully dependent on the work
performed by other group members
Figure 15.3 Types of Task Interdependence

Jump to Appendix 3 for

description
 Group Roles (1 of 2)

• Group role
– A set of behaviors and tasks that a member of a
group is expected to perform because of his or her
position in the group
 Group Roles (2 of 2)

• In cross-functional teams, members are

expected to perform roles in their specialty.
• Managers should clearly describe expected
roles to group members when they are
assigned to the group.
• Role-making occurs as workers take on more
responsibility in their roles as group members.
• Self-managed teams may assign the roles to
members themselves.
 Group Leadership

• Effective leadership is a key ingredient in high

performing groups, teams, and organizations.
• A manager may appoint a member of a group
who is not a manager to be group leader or
chairperson.
• Group or team members may choose their own
leaders, or a leader may emerge naturally as
group members work together to achieve group
goals.
Figure 15.4 The Stages of Group Development
 Stages of Group Development (1 of 2)

• Forming
– Group members get to know each other and reach
common understanding
• Storming
– Group members experience conflict because some
members do not wish to submit to demands of
other group members
• Norming
– Close ties and consensus begin to develop
between group members
 Stages of Group Development (2 of 2)

• Performing
– The real work of the group is accomplished
• Adjourning
– Only for task forces that are temporary
– Group is dispersed
 Group Norms (1 of 2)

• Group norms
– Shared guidelines or rules for behavior that most
group members follow

• Managers should encourage members to develop

norms that contribute to group performance and
the attainment of group goals
 Group Norms (2 of 2)

• Conformity and deviance

– Members conform to norms to obtain rewards,
imitate respected members, and because they feel
the behavior is right
– When a member deviates, other members will try
to make them conform, expel the member, or
change the group norms to accommodate them
Figure 15.5 Balancing Conformity and
Deviance in Groups

Jump to Appendix 4 for

description
 Group Cohesiveness

• Group cohesiveness
– The degree to which members are attracted to
their group
• Three major consequences
– Level of participation
– Level of conformity to group norms
– Emphasis on group goal accomplishment
Figure 15.6 Sources and Consequences of
Group Cohesiveness

Jump to Appendix 5 for

description
 Factors Leading to Group Cohesiveness

Factor
Group Size Smaller groups allow for high
cohesiveness; low cohesiveness groups
with many members can benefit from
splitting into two groups.
Managed Diversity Diverse groups often come up with
better solutions.
Group Identity Encouraging a group to adopt a unique
identity and engage in competition with
others can increase cohesiveness.
Success Cohesiveness increases with success;
finding ways for a group to have some
small successes increases cohesiveness.
 Motivating Group Members to Achieve
Organizational Goals
• Members should benefit when the group
performs well—rewards can be monetary or
in other forms such as special recognition.

• Individual compensation is a combination of

both individual and group performance.
 Reducing Social Loafing in Groups

• Social loafing
– The tendency of individuals to put forth less effort
in a group than individually
– Results in possibly lower group performance and
failure to attain group goals
Figure 15.7 Three Ways to Reduce Social
Loafing

Jump to Appendix 6 for

description
Promoting Effective Communication
 Communication and Management

• Communication
– The sharing of
information between
two or more
individuals or groups
to reach a common
understanding

Copyright Tom Merton/age footstock RF

The Importance of Good Communication

• Increased efficiency in new technologies and

skills
• Improved quality of products and services
• Increased responsiveness to customers
• More innovation through communication
The Communication Process (1 of 4)

Jump to Appendix 1 for

description
 The Communication Process (2 of 4)

• Sender – person wishing to share information

with some other person
• Message – the information to communicate
• Encoding – sender translates the message into
symbols or language
• Noise – refers to anything that hampers any
stage of the communication process
 The Communication Process (3 of 4)

• Receiver – person or group for which the

message is intended
• Medium – pathway through which an
encoded message is transmitted to a receiver
• Decoding – critical point where the receiver
interprets and tries to make sense of the
message
 The Communication Process (4 of 4)

• Verbal communication
– The encoding of messages into words, either
written or spoken
• Nonverbal communication
– The encoding of messages by means of facial
expressions, body language, and styles of dress
The Role of Perception in Communication (1 of 3)

• Perception
– Process through which people select, organize,
and interpret sensory input to give meaning and
order to the world around them
– Influenced by people’s personalities, values,
attitudes and moods as well as their experience
and knowledge
The Role of Perception in Communication (2 of 3)

• Biases
– Systematic
tendencies to use
information about
others in ways that
can result in
inaccurate
perceptions

Copyright Doug Menuez/Getty Images RF

The Role of Perception in Communication (3 of 3)

• Stereotypes
– Simplified and often inaccurate beliefs about the
characteristics of particular groups of people
– Can interfere with the encoding and decoding of
messages
 Information Richness and
Communication Media
Managers and their subordinates can become
effective communicators by:
• Selecting an appropriate medium for each
message—there is no one “best” medium
• Considering information richness
– A medium with high richness can carry much more
information to aid understandings
 Information Richness

• Information richness
– The amount of information that a communication
medium can carry
– The extent to which the medium enables the
sender and receiver to reach a common
understanding
Information Richness of Communication Media

Jump to Appendix 2 for

description
 Face-to-Face Communication (1 of 2)

• Face-to-face
– Has highest
information
richness
– Can take
advantage of
verbal and
nonverbal signals

Copyright Allan Danahar/Getty Images RF

 Face-to-Face Communication (2 of 2)

• Management by wandering around

– Face-to-face communication technique in which a
manager walks around a work area and talks
informally with employees about issues and
concerns
 Spoken Communication
Electronically Transmitted
• Spoken communication electronically
transmitted
– Has the second highest information richness
– Telephone conversations are information rich with
tone of voice, sender’s emphasis, and quick
feedback, but provide no visual nonverbal cues
 Personally Addressed Written
Communication
• Personally addressed written communication
– Has a lower richness than the verbal forms of
communication, but still is directed at a given
person
– Personal addressing helps ensure receiver actually
reads the message
• Personal letters and e-mail are common forms
 Impersonal Written Communication (1 of 4)

• Impersonal written
communication
– Has the lowest
information richness
– Good for messages to
many receivers where
little or feedback is
expected (e.g.,
newsletters, reports)

Copyright 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation RF

 Impersonal Written Communication (2 of 4)

• Information overload
– The potential for important information to be
ignored or overlooked while tangential
information receives attention
 Impersonal Written Communication (3 of 4)

• Blog
– A website on which an individual, a group, or an
organization posts information, commentary, and
opinions and to which readers can often
respond with their own commentary and opinions
 Impersonal Written Communication (4 of 4)

• Social networking site

– A website that enables people to communicate
with others with whom they have some common
interest or connection
 Communication Networks (1 of 2)

• Communication networks
– The pathways along which information flows in
groups and teams and throughout the
organization
 Communication Networks (2 of 2)

• Type of communication network depends on

– The nature of the group’s tasks
– The extent to which group members need to
communicate with each other to achieve group
goals
Communication Networks in
Groups and Teams

Jump to Appendix 3 for

description
Organizational Communication Networks (1 of 2)

• Organization chart
– Summarizes the formal reporting channels in an
organization
– Communication in organization flows through
formal and informal pathways
– Vertical communications flow up and down
corporate hierarchy
Organization Communication Networks (2 of 2)

• Organization chart
– Horizontal communications flow between
employees of the same level.
– Informal communications can span levels and
departments.
– Grapevine
• An informal network carrying unofficial information
throughout the firm
Formal and Informal Communication
Networks in an Organization

Jump to Appendix 4 for

description
Information Technology and Communication

• Intranets
– A company-wide system of computer networks
• Advantages of intranets
– Lies in their versatility as a communication
medium
– Can be used for a number of different purposes by
people who may have little expertise in computer
software and programming
 Groupware and Collaboration Software

• Groupware
– Computer software that enables members of
groups and teams to share information with each
other to improve their communication and
performance
 How to Be Successful Using Groupware

1. Work is team-based and members are

rewarded for group performance.
2. Groupware has full support of top
management.
3. Culture of the organization stresses flexibility.
4. Groupware is being used for a specific purpose.
5. Employees receive adequate training.
 Groupware (1 of 2)

• Employees are likely to resist using

groupware when:
– People are working primarily on their own.
– People are rewarded for their own individual
performances.
– People are reluctant to share information.
 Groupware (2 of 2)

• Collaboration software
– Groupware that promotes and facilitates
collaborative, highly interdependent interactions,
and provides an electronic meeting site for
communication among team members
 Barriers to Effective Communication

• Messages that are unclear, incomplete,

difficult to understand
• Messages sent over the inappropriate medium
• Messages with no provision for feedback
• Messages that are received but ignored
Communication Skills for Managers as Senders
(1 of 3)

Table 16.2 Seven Communication Skills for Managers as Senders of Messages

• Send messages that are clear and complete.

• Encode messages in symbols that the receiver understands.
• Select a medium that is appropriate for the message.
• Select a medium that the receiver monitors.
• Avoid filtering and information distortion.
• Ensure that a feedback mechanism is built into messages.
• Provide accurate information to ensure that misleading
rumors are not spread.
Communication Skills for Managers as Senders
(2 of 3)

• Jargon
– Specialized language that members of an
occupation, group, or organization develop to
facilitate communication among themselves
– Should never be used when communicating with
people outside the occupation, group, or
organization
Communication Skills for Managers as Senders
(3 of 3)

• Filtering
– Withholding part of a message because of the
mistaken belief that the receiver does not need or
will not want the information
• Information distortion
– Changes in the meaning of a message as the
message passes through a series of senders and
receivers
 Communication Skills for
Managers as Receivers

Be a good
Pay attention
listener

Be empathetic
 Reference
Jones, R. Gareth and George, M. Jennifer. 2017.
Contemporary Management, 11th Edition. NY:
McGraw-Hill.
 Terima Kasih
Constant and frequent questioning is the first key to wisdom …
[Ibnu Sina]

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