Groups and Teams

Unit – 5
What will you learn ?

• Definition and Features

• Development Stages
• Groups and Teams
• Managing and Developing Effective Teams
• Conflict Management
Understanding Groups and Teams

• Group
• Two or more interacting and interdependent individuals who come
together to achieve particular goals
• Formal groups
• Work groups that have designated work assignments and tasks directed
toward organizational goals
• Informal groups
• Groups that are independently formed to meet the social needs of their
members
Examples of Formal Groups
• Command
• Task
• Cross-functional
• Self-managed

Groups that are determined by the organization chart and composed of individuals
who report directly to a given manager
Examples of Formal Groups
• Command
• Task
• Cross-functional
• Self-managed
Groups composed of individuals brought together to complete a specific job task;
their existence is often temporary because once the task is completed, the group
disbands
Examples of Formal Groups

• Command
• Task
• Cross-functional
• Self-managed

Groups that bring together the knowledge and skills of individuals from various work
areas or groups whose members have been trained to do each others’ jobs
Examples of Formal Groups
• Command
• Task
• Cross-functional
• Self-managed

Groups that are essentially independent and in addition to their own tasks,
take on traditional responsibilities, such as hiring, planning and scheduling,
and performance evaluations
Group Properties

• Roles
• Norms
• Status
• Size
• Cohesiveness
• Diversity
Group Cohesiveness
Work Groups and Teams
Types of Teams
• Problem-solving teams
• Employees from the same department and functional area who are involved
in efforts to improve work activities or to solve specific problems
• Self-managed work teams
• A formal group of employees who operate without a manager and are
responsible for a complete work process or segment
Types of Teams (cont’d)
• Cross-functional teams
• A hybrid grouping of individuals who are experts in various specialties and
who work together on various tasks
• Virtual teams
• Teams that use computer technology to link physically dispersed members in
order to achieve a common goal
Stages of Team Development

Prestage 1 Stage I Stage II

Forming Storming

Stage III Stage IV Stage V

Norming Performing Adjourning
 Stages in Group Development
• Forming
• Members join and begin the process of defining the group’s purpose, structure,
and leadership
• Storming
• Intragroup conflict occurs as individuals resist control by the group and disagree
over leadership
• Norming
• Close relationships develop as the group becomes cohesive and establishes its
norms for acceptable behavior
• Performing
• A fully functional group structure allows the group to focus on performing the
task at hand
• Adjourning
• The group prepares to disband and is no longer concerned with high levels of
performance
Creating Team Players

• Challenges for team players

• Individual resistance
• Success is not defined by individual performance but the team as a whole
• Culture
• Cultural background of individualism or collectivism will affect team development
Roles

• Task-oriented roles
• Roles performed by group
members oriented towards
task accomplishment
• Maintenance roles
• Roles performed by group
members oriented towards
maintaining good relations
within the group
Shaping Team Behavior
• Selection
• Individual should have technical and interpersonal skills
• Training
• Workshops can help individuals become team players
• Rewards
• Given to encourage team work rather than individual accomplishments
Characteristics of Effective Teams
Team Effectiveness Model
Characteristics of Effective Teams
• Have a clear understanding of their goals
• Have competent members with relevant
technical and interpersonal skills
• Exhibit high mutual trust in the character
and integrity of their members
• Are unified in their commitment to team
goals
• Have good communication systems
• Possess effective negotiating skills
• Have appropriate leadership
• Have both internally and externally
supportive environments
Turning Groups into Effective Teams
• Group Cohesiveness
• The degree to which members are attracted to a group and share the
group’s goals
• Highly cohesive groups are more effective and productive than less cohesive
groups when their goals align with organizational goals
The Relationship Between Cohesiveness and
Productivity
Cohesiveness

High Low

Strong Increase Moderate Increase

in Productivity in Productivity

Decrease in No Significant Effect

Productivity on Productivity
Tips for Managers: Increasing Group Cohesiveness
• Increasing socio-emotional cohesiveness
• Keep the group relatively small
• Strive for a favourable public image to increase the status and prestige of
belonging
• Encourage interaction and cooperation
• Emphasize members’ common characteristics and interests
• Point out environmental threats (e.g., competitors achievements) to rally the group
Tips for Managers: Increasing Group Cohesiveness
• Increasing instrumental cohesiveness
• Regularly update and clarify the group’s goal(s)
• Give each group member a vital “piece of the action”
• Channel each group member’s special talents toward the common goal(s)
• Recognize and equitably reinforce every member’s contributions
• Frequently remind group members they need each other to get the job done
 Managing Group Conflict
• Conflict
• The perceived incompatible differences in a group resulting in some form
of interference with or opposition to its assigned tasks
• Traditional view: conflict must it avoided
• Human relations view: conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in any group
• Interactionist view: conflict can be a positive force and is absolutely necessary for
effective group performance
 Managing Group Conflict (cont’d)
• Categories of Conflict
• Functional conflicts
• Dysfunctional conflicts
• Types of Conflict
• Task conflict: content and goals of the work
• Relationship conflict: interpersonal relationships
• Process conflict: how the work gets done
Managing Group Conflict
Low Level of Conflict High

High

Level of
Group
Conflict and
Performance
Group
A B
Performance
C

Low

Situation A B C

Level of Conflict Low or none Optimal High

Type of Conflict Dysfunctional Functional Dysfunctional

Group's Apathetic Viable Disruptive

Internal Stagnant Self-Critical Chaotic
Characteristics Unresponsive to Change Innovative Uncooperative
Lack of New Ideas

Level of Group Low High Low

Performance
Conflict Process
Managing Group Conflict (cont’d)

• Techniques to Reduce Conflict:

• Avoidance
• Accommodation
• Forcing
• Compromise
• Collaboration
 Forcing Collaborating

Resolving conflicts by Resolving conflicts by

satisfying one’s own seeking an advantageous
needs at the expense solution for all parties.
of another’s.

Conflict Resolving conflicts by

Resolution each party's giving up

something of value.

Techniques Compromising

Resolving conflicts by
Resolving conflicts by placing another’s needs
withdrawing from or and concerns above
suppressing them. your own.

Avoiding Accommodating

Uncooperative Cooperative
Cooperativeness
Preventing Social Loafing

• Social Loafing
• The tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working
collectively than when working individually
Teams Aren’t Always the Answer

• Three questions to ask to determine the appropriateness of a team

approach:
• Can the work be done better by more than one person?
• Does the work create a common purpose or set of goals that is more
than the aggregate of individual goals?
• Are the members of the group interdependent?
End of Unit 5