chapter 10 the nature of work groups and teams. chapter 10 the nature of work groups and teams...

chapter

1010THE NATURE OF

WORK GROUPS AND TEAMS

CHAPTER 10 The Nature of Work Groups and Teams

Copyright © 2002 Prentice-Hall

What is a Group?• A set of two or more

people who interact with each other to achieve certain goals or to meet certain needs.

• Attributes:– Interdependence among

members– Members’ goals are both

shared and independent

22



Types of Work Groups

Formal Work Group - A group established by management to help the organization achieve its goals.

Informal Work Group - A group that emerges naturally when individuals perceive that membership in a group will help them achieve their goals or meet their needs.

33



Types of Formal Work GroupsCommand GroupCommand Group - consists of subordinates who report to the same supervisor.

Task ForceTask Force - consists of people who come together to accomplish a specific goal.

TeamTeam - consists of people who work intensely together to achieve a common group goal.

Self-Managed Work TeamSelf-Managed Work Team - consists of people who are jointly responsible for ensuring that the team accomplishes its goals and who lead themselves.

44



Types of Informal Work Groups

Friendship GroupFriendship Group - consists of people who enjoy each other’s company and socialize with each other on and off the job.

Interest GroupInterest Group - consists of people who come together because they have a common goal or objective related to their organizational membership.

55



66



77



Characteristics of Work GroupsSizeSize: measured by the number of full-time members who work together to achieve the group’s goals.Group CompositionGroup Composition: the degree of similarity among group members.Group FunctionGroup Function: the work that a group performs as its contribution to the accomplishment of organizational goals.Group StatusGroup Status: the implicitly agreed-upon, perceived importance for the organization as a whole of what the group does.Social FacilitationSocial Facilitation: the effect that the physical presence of others has on an individual’s performance.

88



Group Size Advantages(Table 10.1)

Potential Advantagesof Smaller GroupsInteractions among group membersare more frequent.

Information is more easily sharedamong group members.

Group members recognize theircontributions to the group.

Group members are motivated andcommitted to the group’s goals.

Group members are satisfied.

Potential Advantagesof Larger GroupsGroup has many resources at itsdisposal to accomplish its goals,including members’ skills, abilities,knowledge, and experience.

Group can have greater division oflabor, so group members focus onparticular tasks. When group membersfocus on particular tasks, they generallybecome skilled at performing them.

99



Disadvantages of Large Groups

• Communication problems can arise as the number of members increases.

• Coordination problems become more significant.

• The larger the group, the greater the potential for conflict and duplication of effort.

1010



Group Composition Homogeneous groups are groups in which

members have many characteristics in common. Heterogeneous groups are groups in which

members have few characteristics in common. Criteria for determining homogeneity or

heterogeneity– Demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, race,

ethnicity, educational background)

– Personality traits, beliefs, and values

– Skills and abilities

– Work experience

1111



Group Composition Advantages(Table 10.2)

Potential Advantagesof Homogeneous Groups

Group members like and getalong well with each other.

Group members share information,have low levels of conflict, andhave few coordination problems.

Potential Advantagesof Heterogeneous Groups

Group makes good decisionsbecause diverse points of vieware represented.

Group performs at a high levelbecause the group has a variety ofresources at its disposal.

Note: To reap the advantages of heterogeneity, it is important for group members to understand each other’sdifferences and points of view and use these diverse perspectives to enable the group to perform at a high level.

1212



1313



Role ConceptsRoleRole - a set of behaviors or tasks that a person is expected to perform by virtue of holding a position in a group.Role RelationshipsRole Relationships - the ways in which group and organizational members interact with one another to perform their specific roles.

May be formally specified or emerge informally

Role TakingRole Taking - performing the responsibilities that are required as part of an assigned role. Role MakingRole Making - taking the initiative to create a role by assuming responsibilities that are not part of an assigned role.

1414



Rules• Rules are generally formal statements that specify

which behaviors are required of group members and which behaviors are forbidden.

• Advantages of rules:– Help groups ensure that their members will perform

behaviors that contribute to group and organizational effectiveness and avoid behaviors that impair performance and goal attainment.

– Facilitate the control of behavior because group members and managers know how and when role occupants are expected to perform their assigned tasks.

– Facilitate the evaluation of individual group members’ performance levels because their behavior can be compared to the behavior specified by the rule.

– Help newcomers learn the right way to perform their roles.

1515



Advice to Managers

• Make sure members of the groups you manage clearly understand their roles and role relationships by providing clear explanations, being available to answer questions, and clearly communicating the reasons for and nature of any changes in roles and role relationships.

• Make sure rules are clearly written and clearly communicated to newcomers. Periodically review rules with existing group members as needed.

• Ask members of the groups you manage to let you know of any changes that they think need to be made in existing roles and written rules.

• Make sure members of the groups you manage clearly understand their roles and role relationships by providing clear explanations, being available to answer questions, and clearly communicating the reasons for and nature of any changes in roles and role relationships.

• Make sure rules are clearly written and clearly communicated to newcomers. Periodically review rules with existing group members as needed.

• Ask members of the groups you manage to let you know of any changes that they think need to be made in existing roles and written rules.

1616



Norm Concepts• Norms are informal rules of conduct for behaviors

considered important by most group members.• Bases for conformity to group norms:

– ComplianceCompliance - assenting to a norm in order to attain rewards or avoid punishment.

– IdentificationIdentification - associating oneself with supporters of a norm and conforming to the norm because those individuals do.

– InternalizationInternalization - believing that the behavior dictated by a norm is truly the right and proper way to behave.

• Idiosyncrasy Credit is the freedom to violate group norms without being punished that is accorded to group members who have contributed a lot to the group in the past.

1717



Conformity and Deviance• Conformity is good when norms help a group control

and influence its members’ behavior so that the group can accomplish its goals.

• Deviance occurs when a member of a group violates a group norm. Typical responses to deviance include– Getting the deviant to change– Expelling the deviant– Changing the norm in question

• Groups need both conformity and deviance to accomplish their goals and perform at a high level. Conformity ensures that a group can control members’ behaviors while deviance forces group members to reexamine the appropriateness of group norms.

1818



1919



Advice to Managers When a member of a work group behaves differently from other group

members, encourage group members to consider whether existing norms are appropriate.

To facilitate a group’s development of norms that help the organization achieve its goals, make sure that group members benefit when the organization reaches its goals.

Distribute rewards such as pay to group members on the basis of performance. When individual performance levels can be identified, base rewards on individual or group performance. When individual performance levels cannot be identified, base rewards on group performance.

Once group and organizational goals are aligned, periodically observe group behavior in order to uncover dysfunctional norms. Discuss dysfunctional norms with group members, and suggest an alternative behavior that might help the group and organization better reach its goals.

2020



Socialization

The process by which newcomers learn the roles, rules, and norms of a group.

2121



Role Orientation• Role Orientation: The characteristic way in

which members of a group respond to various situations.

• Institutionalized Role Orientation: Newcomers are taught to respond to situations in the same way that existing group members respond to similar situations.

• Individualized Role Orientation: Newcomers are taught that it is acceptable and desirable to be creative and to experiment with changing how a group does things.

2222



Institutionalized vs. IndividualizedSocialization Tactics

Institutionalized• Collective Tactics• Formal Tactics• Sequential Tactics• Fixed Tactics• Serial Tactics• Divestiture Tactics

Individualized• Individual Tactics• Informal Tactics• Random Tactics• Variable Tactics• Disjunctive Tactics• Investiture Tactics

2323



Collective vs. Individual Tactics

• Collective Tactics: Newcomers go through a common learning experience.

• Individual Tactics: Newcomers are taught individually how to behave.

2424



Formal vs. Informal Tactics• Formal Tactics:

Newcomers are segregated from existing group members during the learning process.

• Informal Tactics: Newcomers learn on the job as members of their new work group.

2525



Sequential vs. Random Tactics• Sequential Tactics:

Newcomers are provided with explicit information about the sequence for new behaviors.

• Random Tactics: The order of socialization is based on the interests and needs of individual newcomers.

2626



Fixed vs. Variable Tactics• Fixed Tactics:

Give newcomers precise knowledge of the timetable associated with completing each stage in the learning process.

• Variable Tactics: Provide no information about when newcomers will reach a certain stage in the learning process.

2727



Serial vs. Disjunctive Tactics• Serial Tactics:

Existing group members socialize newcomers.

• Disjunctive Tactics: Newcomers must figure out and develop their own way of behaving and are not told what to do by experienced group members.

2828



Divestiture vs. Investiture Tactics• Divestiture Tactics:

Newcomers receive negative interpersonal treatment from other members of the group until socialized.

• Investiture Tactics: Newcomers immediately receive positive social support from other group members.

2929

chapter 10 the nature of work groups and teams. chapter 10 the nature of work groups and teams...

Documents