Group Dynamics at MegaSoft

In network organizations, virtual groups are formed across the globe. This is more important
for those who have a global presence and are backed by state-of-the-art technologies. One
such information technology-enabled services (ITeS) company is MegaSoft, based in
Kolkata, India. The company has formed virtual groups, who work together to achieve a
common goal using video conferencing supported computer technology, to communicate and
achieve results. The team leader sits at Sector-V of Salt Lake City in Kolkata, whereas his 10
team members are spread across 10 different metropolitan cities of Europe, America, and
Japan. They meet at midnight over the computer screen and exchange information about the
developments at the various client sites. The team leader, wherever required, suggests the
steps to be followed and also apprises the team members of the other courses of actions. By
definition, virtual groups do not hold face-to-face meetings. Instead, their communication and
interaction is conducted through electronic mail (e-mail) and the internet. This allows
members to witness interaction, develop a visual picture of their group members, and see
their reactions.

Team members are allocated their tasks on a weekly basis and the team leader reviews the
progress on a daily basis through the internet. Bob Alexander is the team leader, who
operates from Kolkata. Before assigning the tasks to the team members, Bob ensures that all
the 10 members understand their jobs, which are highly protocol bound. Since group
members are dispersed globally, each member has to perform individually. However, some
tasks require group members to interact and develop group responses that need to be attended
by each individual. This is required for commonness of technology support sought by
different clients, spread across the globe. In order to ensure interaction among group
members, the performance-reporting system of the company gives weightage to the
frequency of exchange of thoughts among group members, which can be monitored through
computer information available in the main server at Kolkata. This ensures forced interaction
and agreement among the group members. Another area of performance assessment, in
addition to target or goal achievement, is the degree of consensus while group members
exchange their thoughts with their team leader. Each meeting is videotaped and monitored by
the HR head to understand the group dynamics.

The results of the group dynamics are then matched with the clients’ satisfaction index,
which, inter alia, also contains certain performance related questions about individual group
members.

Summarizing the last one-year results, the company could identify the following important
issues in the group dynamics:

 Individual group members are not surfacing to the group as a whole. The company
could identify this syndrome by mapping the degree of consistency among group
members. Customer satisfaction assessment pointed out various technical aspects of
development projects about which customers feel that the members do not have
adequate knowledge. The team leader wonders why such things should happen when
he himself always clarifies their doubts and checks back their understanding over the
computer.
  Group members failed to clarify and check back less-understood issues with the team
leader on real-time basis because of time mismatch. However, expertise for
troubleshooting is adequately available with some group members, who can always be
consulted on real-time basis because of common business hours for many clients
across the globe.

 Some of the group members hardly interact with others, even informally. Group
members mostly interact only with the team leader, although during group meetings
all group members virtually remain present.

During the development of the group norms, the company identified telephone calls as the
preferred methods of communication. Each group member can access the information
provided by his/her team leader, even though it may not pertain to him/her. In addition, group
members can always call their team leader for any contingencies. The team leader feels that
although group members remain isolated from each other, they function within the given
protocol to complete their assignments.

Questions for Discussion

1. Carefully go through the case and identify the important areas that MegaSoft should
consider strengthening to enhance group cohesiveness.

2. Can you identify the several stages of group development?