Human Behavior in Organization (Chapter 2: Teams in Organizations)

Introduction Types of Team Structure

Team 1. Sequential Team – “top-down management”; tasks
are passed down to another person when it is
 has the ability to work together towards a
done and is repeated down the line (nakadepende
common vision;
and trabaho sa gawa ng iba)
 individual accomplishments toward
2. Synchronous Team – “cross functional
organizational objectives;
team”;everyone works together in a group with
 fuel that allows common people to attain
different specializations (sabay-sabay ginagawa
uncommon results
ang trabaho)
 team starts with a group of people engaged
together in the process of developing and moving
toward a shared vision Group Processes: Communication,
Responsibility, Accountability, Respect and
Group dynamics – meetings and all types of group Evaluation
work through the process
Groups are central to all of organizational behavior
The Group as a System
Teams: Definition, Norms and Roles
Group is a subsystem within a larger system which is
Teamwork the organization
 top priorities of business firms A system is characterized as being ‘complex with
 Benefits are: personnel empowerment, loyalty, interdependent parts…’
motivation, better customer services, increased
From a psychological point of view, a group is a
productivity , and overall success of the firm
conglomeration of people who:
Team – group of individuals cooperatively working
1. Possess a common purpose or objectives
together towards achieving similar objectives or
2. Interact with one another to accomplish their
goals; special kind of group
objectives
3 additional characteristics of a team: 3. Are aware of one another
1. Teams are typically formed by management 4. Perceive themselves to be part of the group
directive As a system the group may be either closed or open
2. Team members share responsibility for the
“Group” vs. “Aggregation of People” – people need to
specific outcomes and operations
be aware of one another to be called a group,
3. Teams typically exist in an empowering work
otherwise, they remain merely as a collection or
context
aggregate of people
Types of outcomes that differ teams from one
Why and How Groups are Formed
another:
 Formal group – formed through and by the
 Provide advice and involvement to managers in
organizational structure
the organization (advisory panels)
 Informal group – without official sanction of the
 Professionals who work on assigned or original
organization
projects (projects and development team)
 Social group – formed for purely social reasons
 Produce an outcome that is organized action
 Family and interest groups
(sports team, negotiating teams)
 Task group
NOTE: Types of work teams and their characteristics
 Work group (formal or informal)
(p. 34-35)
 Groups formed from structural viewpoint will
differ from those created from an “information
flow” viewpoint
Grouping from a Structural Design Viewpoint
Formal group exists because of the demands of the
organization
Groups from a Work-Flow Perspective
Informal groups are formed on account of people
interacting at work; people whose work is
interdependent and interrelated
Sociotechnical approach – concepts of boundary is
determined more by the necessities of the work flow
more than by the more formal structural design
Groups from a Human Perspective
The group can help the individual meet his or her
highest self-actualization needs
Concept of interaction – one common theme on how
groups are formed; interaction increases the
possibility of group forming
The Internal Operation of Groups
Group Leadership – leader connotes someone with
formal authority (boss of a formal task group);
official leader may be only a figurehead; leader
cannot be used synonymously with boss or manager
Group History
 Ad hoc groups – formed quickly on the spur of the
moment; little or no previous interaction with one
another
 Established groups – members have worked
together in the past
 4-stage process of a group:
1. Forming – orientation, testing the boundaries
of interpersonal and task behaviours
2. Storming – polarization (differences) and
conflict about interpersonal and task
requirements
3. Norming – resistance is overcome; intergroup
cohesiveness develops, roles are established
4. Performing – group is ready to settle down to
accomplish its task
Group Norm and Behavior
Group tends to develop a life history and culture of
its own
Different degrees of importance to norms are given
by groups:
 Pivotal norms – must adhere to
 Relevant norms – are not absolutely essential to
accept
Behavior Options
Rebellion – rejects all of the values and norms
Creative individualism – accepts only the pivotal
norms and rejects some or all of the relevant ones
Conformity – accepts all of the values and norms
4 dimensions of norms
1. Affective relationship with the personality of
impersonality of the relationships
2. Control, decision-making and authority
relationships deal with the equality or inequality
of power
3. Status-acceptance relationships deal with
uniqueness of individuals
4. Achievement-success relationships deal with the
matter of prestige and rank
Group Cohesion
Cohesion – solidarity or unity
Factors Affecting Cohesiveness
1. Homogeneity of the group – different values or
statuses
2. Isolation – the more a group is isolated from
others, the more likely the members will share
common values
3. Outside Pressure – outside pressure reaction is
the fastest way a group can develop solidarity
 Several forms: union-management conflict,
competition between groups, mistrust, reaction
against a dictatorial supervisor
4. Size
 Too small – may have no enough skill to
perform a task
 Too large – communications may break down
5. Atmosphere or climate – within and outside the
group (ambiance)
Importance of Group Cohesion and Solidarity
Group cohesiveness and conformity to norms are
mutually reinforcing factors (the more cohesive the
group is, the more they can influence each other)
Group Task, Building, and Maintenance Activities
The purpose of a group is to perform a task and to
accomplish specific objectives
Group has no single objective but a multiplicity of
them
Content – refers to the subject matter or to the actual
task being performed
Process – refers to the way in which the content is
handled or discussed
Different approaches to describe group process:
1. Group task activities – group task roles are:
orientation, information-seeking, clarifying, and
information-giving
2. Group-building activities – applying principles of:
harmonizing, using humor to reduce tensions, and
encouraging people to participate and
compromise
3. Self-serving activities – attention-getting,
dominating, aggression, and withdrawal; personal
interest
Observing Group Process
The group process is concerned not with the task
itself but with how the task is being accomplished
(Process > Content)
2 Basic Areas of Process
1. What to look for in the groups
2. Criteria for effective feedback to groups about
group process
What to Look for in Groups
1. Participation
2. Influence – difference between influence and
participation or amount of “air time”
3. Styles of Influence
4. Decision-making procedures – frequently a
decision is made without the members’
considering its impact on others
5. Task functions – behaviours that focus on
accomplishing the job or task
6. Maintenance Functions – ensure smooth and
effective teamwork
7. Membership – degree of a person’s acceptance or
inclusion in the group
8. Feelings – feelings generated by group discussions
are only infrequently talked about; they must be
inferred from nonverbal cues (voice tone, facial
expressions, gestures)
9. Norms – norms or standards are grounded rules
that control the behavior of a group
Criteria for Effective Feedback
Feedback – process of communicating to an
individual the information about how that person
affects others
Characteristics of effective feedback:
1. Instead of being evaluative, it is descriptive
2. It is specific, not general in nature
3. It must take into behaviour that can be controlled
by the receiver and the giver of feedback
4. Focused on behaviour that can be controlled by
the receiver
5. It is asked-for rather than imposed feedback that
is most useful
6. Timing (given asap)
7. Feedback should be checked to ensure that
communication is clear)
8. When feedback is given in a group situation, the
giver and the receiver should have the
opportunity to check the accuracy of the feedback
Temporary Groups
Temporary task group is formed to solve a particular
problem but after it has performed its task, it is
disbanded
Matrix organization – consists of project teams or
task force
Collateral organization – parallel continuously
coexisting organization
Characteristics of collateral organization
information channels are open; exchange of relevant
infos; norms encourage careful analysis; problem-
solving assistance; operates in parallel with formal
organization; inputs to the formal organization
consist of outputs from collateral organization
Group Outputs – Productivity and Satisfaction
Outputs of a group can be classified into two areas:
its productivity and satisfaction of its members
Productivity – measured by the quality and quantity
of its decisions
Satisfactions – reflected in the cohesion of the group
Other important factors are (1) group cohesion and
(2) degree to which individuals’ needs are met
Group Size
Group size affects the degree of participation,
consensus, quality of satisfaction, and the need for a
leader
The group should number no more than 5 or 6
members to obtain maximum amount of member
satisfaction
Conflict is reduced when members are seated in the
table away from each other than when seated side by
side
12. Counterproductive Norms – as a result of
manager’s action against productivity tend to
increase the cohesiveness of a group; norms
against productivity may be manifested through:
(a) violate social contracts, (b) Violate members’
expectations, (c) Provide inaccurate task info, (d)
deny job-related or needed resources, (e)
reinforce non-productive behaviour, (f)
emphasize negative environment, (g) break
promises

Advantages of a Group
Kinds of Group
1. Loyalty, support goals and objectives of a group
1. Nominal Group – members are together but do not
2. Good relationship shall instill cooperation,
directly interact; member generated ideas,
courtesy, respect and congeniality
present it, ideas are summarized and written,
3. Members support each other
independent silent voting
4. Sharing of problems when encountered as a group
2. Delphi technique/group – group participants are
5. Opportunity for incremental knowledge and
not physically present; questionnaire is
learning
distributed, summarized and put into feedback
6. Validation of worthiness and contribution
report, final summary-feedback is developed
7. Retention of learning is greater

General Guideline for Improving Group

Disadvantages of a Group
Performance
1. No individual recognition for expertise
1. Training – members understand the difference
2. Viewed as a waste of time
when content and process; most effective in live
3. No individual accountability
situations
4. Lesser rewards because it is more costly than a
2. Conflict – may avoid conflict or let it become
few individual rewards
dysfunctional
3. Type of Group – normal work group may be the
most effective for problem-solving Ways to build trust by supporting the Team
4. Kind of Group – interacting groups are the most 1. Give your time
widely used and recognized in generating ideas 2. Reward, celebration, awards
5. Quality of Ideas – ideal is a group with 7 or 12 3. Access to new technology, new equipment
members 4. Always provide information
6. Group Norms – norms or standards of behaviour 5. Respond in a timely manner
should be periodically examined 6. Compensate for extra effort
7. Group Cohesiveness – should also be periodically
examined
Changing Behavior in Organization
8. Consensus – if consensus is desired more than the
Employees can be made to achieve their dignity (1) in
quality or quantity of ideas, the group should
the work itself, (2) as subordinates, (3) in
consist of about 3 to 5 members
participating in the decision-making process, (4) in
9. Member Satisfaction – directly related to
working together
consensus and smaller sized group
10. Leader – maintenance leaders and task leaders
11. Process Observation – improve its overall
functioning
Accelerated Pace of Change
An important aspect of an organization’s
environment is that change occurs in many areas of
life
Environmentally-induced areas of change are:
1. Knowledge explosion – tremendous acceleration
in the development of knowledge
2. Rapid technological development – two other
features of technological developments are
integration and change
 New Technology and Labor – additional costs
and requires employee retraining
3. Composition of the Labor Force – unions have
been exerting influence upon human relations at
work
 Union Response to Individual Needs – union’s
demands for standardization, uniformity and
equality
4. Environmental and social issues – changes in the
internal and external environments, social issues
and relationships have induced corresponding
changes in organizational behaviour
 3 major reasons for management to be more
conscious about adjusting to changing
behaviour in organization:
o Employees have multiple interests and roles
o Unions or organized bodies represent groups
of employees
o Professional societies or voluntary
membership societies pursue professional
callings
Customer Relationships – customers are more
affluent and more educated
Shareowner Relationships – owners and managers
are increasingly different individuals
Supplier Relationships – suppliers of both materials
and services also change in availability, scope, and
interests
Public Government Relations – public or
government relations embrace the people in all other
sectors
Decision Making
Group leader – dominant role in drawing ideas and
having them accepted
Effective order of discussion to reach an
agreement:
1. Assembly of fact
2. Interpretation of facts
3. Decision on the basis of the facts
Unanimity in Agreements – without unanimity, a
group member can be held responsible for carrying
out a decision he did not support, because THE
MAJORITY RULE
Support for Decisions – most important outcome of
meetings is that those who participate in making a
decision feel more strongly motivated to implement
it
Creative Thinking in Groups – GROUPS are
generators of creative thinking. BRAINSTORMING is
among the most accepted method of creative
thinking. DERRED JUSGMENT encourage people to
propose unique ideas without any apprehension of
what others will think of them
Weaknesses of Meetings
Meetings – essential and productive part of work
organizations
1. Slowness and expensiveness – meetings offer slow
way of getting things done because it requires
more time for thinking which is time consuming
2. The levelling effect – it stresses on conformity and
compromise. The bringing of individual thinking
in line with the average quality of the group’s
thinking is referred to as LEVELLING EFFECT
3. Divided Responsibility – “actions which are
several-bodies responsibility are nobody’s
responsibility”
4. Groupthink Philosophy – when people carried to
extreme their interests in groups and begin to
worship the groups, the philosophy is termed
“groupthink”
Importance of Decision Making as a Supervisory
Skill – F.M. Lao, Jr.
Ways to be and Efficient Decision Maker – F.M.
Lao, Jr.