Group versus Team

1. Group versus Team • Group • Two or more members with a clear leader who perform independent jobs with individual accountability, evaluation, and rewards. • Team • A small number of members with shared leadership who perform interdependent jobs with both individual and group accountability, evaluation, and rewards.

2. Benefits of Groups • Level of Effort: groups often unleash enormous energy and creativity. • Satisfaction of Members: groups reduce boredom and often increase people’s feelings of dignity and self-worth. • Expanded Knowledge and Skills: groups gain the intellectual resources of several members. Exhibit 10–1

3. Group Performance Model Group EffectivenessBased on Two Outcomes Productive Output Personal Satisfaction 1 2

4. Group Types • Formal • Recognized (and established) by the organization. • Informal • Self-formed, not officially recognized by the organization. • Functional Groups • Members from a limited organizational area. • Cross-Functional Groups • Members from different organizational areas and/or levels.

5. Group Types (cont’d) • Command • Consists of managers and their employees. • Task Groups • Consists of employees selected to work on a specific objective. • Task Force • Temporary group formed for a specific purpose. • Standing Committee • A permanent group that works on continuing organizational issues.

6. Formal Work Groups Vertical: • Composed of manager and subordinates in a formal chain of command. • Sometimes called a functional team. • May include three or four levels.

7. Formal Work Groups Horizontal: • Drawn from several departments • Given a specific task • May be disbanded after the task assignment is complete • Two most common types of teams are: • Tasks forces • Committees

8. Task Force &Committee Advantages • Allow for exchange of information. • Generate suggestions for coordinating units that are represented. • Development of new ideas and solutions for existing problems. • Assist in the development of new practices and policies.

9. Work Group Characteristics Two things to be aware of: • Size-- • Ideal size is thought to be 7. • Variations of from 5 to 12 typically are associated with good team performance. • Small teams (2-4 members) show more agreement, ask more questions. • Large teams (12 or more) tend to have more disagreements. • Member Roles-- • Task specialist role spend time and energy helping the team reach its goal. • Socio-emotional role support team members’ emotional needs.

10. Five Stages of Team Development 1 Forming: Orientation, break the ice Leader: Facilitate social interchanges Storming: Conflict, disagreement Leader: Encourage participation 2 3 Norming: Establishment of order and cohesion Leader: Help clarify team roles, norms, values 4 Performing: Cooperation, problem solving Leader: Facilitate task accomplishment 5 Adjourning: Task completion Leader: Bring closure, signify completion

11. Group Process • Group Process • Refers to the patterns of interaction that emerge as members perform their jobs. • Group Process Dimensions • Include roles, norms, cohesiveness, status, decision making, and conflict resolution.

12. Group Process (cont’d) • Group Roles • Task roles • Do and say things that directly aid the accomplishment of the group’s objectives. • Maintenance roles • Do and say things to develop and sustain the group process. • Self-interest roles • Do and say things to hurt the group and help the individual.

13. Group Process (cont’d) • Group Norms • The group’s shared expectations of its members’ behavior. • Norms develop spontaneously through the interactions of group members. • Compliance with norms is enforced by the group. • Leaders should work toward maintaining and developing positive norms.

14. Group Process (cont’d) • Group Cohesiveness • The extent to which members stick together. • Factors positively influencing cohesiveness: • Agreement with and commitment to objectives • Small size • Homogeneity among group members • Equal member participation • Focus on external competition • A successful group

15. Group Process (cont’d) • Status within the Group • Status is the perceived ranking of one member relative to other members in the group. • Based on performance, job title, wage or salary, seniority, knowledge or expertise, interpersonal skills. • High status members have a strong influence on the group and its performance.

16. Planning Meetings Objectives Participants and Assignments Agenda Date, Place and Time Leadership Technology Conducting Meetings Three Parts of Meetings Identify Objectives Cover agenda items Summarize and review assignments Meeting Leadership Skills

17. Meeting Leadership Skills (cont’d) • Handling Problem Members • Silent • Talker • Wanderer • Bored • Arguer

18. Rules of Goose, orHow to Lead • There are four rules of being a good goose: • Flocks of geese fly in a "V" formation because it is the most aerodynamically efficient formation for the flock as a whole. The beat of the leader's wings creates a pressure wave to either side, which the two following geese ride like surfers, and with a beat of their own wings, they add a little more energy to the wave and pass it on to the goose behind. • 2) When a goose moves out of formation, it immediately senses the loss of efficiency for the group and adjusts. • 3) There is no real leader. When the lead goose gets tired, it drops back and another goose which is rested steps up to the more demanding position. • 4) Geese constantly encourage the leader and each other while in flight. When geese honk, they are not saying hurry up, or get out of my way! Instead they are saying, "We are right behind you, and we appreciate the fine job you are doing."

19. Determinants ofGroup Cohesiveness • Group interaction: the more time spent together, the more cohesive the group. • Shared goals: if members agree on goals, the group will be more cohesive. • Personal attraction to the group: similar attitudes and values, and enjoy being together.

20. Causes of Group Conflict • Scarce Resources: include money, information, and supplies. • Jurisdictional Ambiguities: conflicts emerge when job boundaries and responsibilities are unclear. • Communication Breakdown: poor communications result in misperceptions and misunderstandings of other people and teams. • Personality Clashes: personality clashes are caused by basic differences in personality, values, and attitudes. • Power and Status Differences: occur when one party has disputable influence over another. • Goal Differences: conflict often occurs simply because people are pursuing conflicting goals.

21. A Model of Styles to Handle Conflict Assertive Competing Collaborating Assertiveness (Attempting to Satisfy one’s own concerns) Compromising Avoiding Accommodating Unassertive Uncooperative Cooperative Cooperativeness (Attempting to satisfy the other party’s concerns)

22. Facilitating Communications • Focus on facts • Develop multiple alternatives • Maintain a balance of power • Never force a consensus

23. Potential Cost of Groups • Free Riding: team members who attains benefits from group membership but do not do a proportionate share. • Coordination Cost: time and energy required to coordinate the activities.

24. Avoiding Groupthink • Ask all members to participate, especially if they have different views than those being adopted. • Welcome all ideas. “There are no dumb ideas!” • Ask one member to play “devils advocate”.