Download - Chapter Fourteen Group Dynamics and Teamwork. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.Chapter Fourteen | 2 Chapter Objectives Define

Chapter Fourteen

Group Dynamics and Teamwork

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Chapter Fourteen | 2

Chapter Objectives

• Define the term group.• Explain the significance of cohesiveness, roles,

norms, and ostracism in regard to the behavior of group members.

• Identify and briefly describe the six stages of group development.

• Define organizational politics and summarize relevant research insights.

• Explain how groupthink can lead to blind conformity.


Chapter Objectives (cont’d)

• Define and discuss the management of virtual teams.

• Discuss the criteria and determinants of team effectiveness.

• Explain why trust is a key ingredient of teamwork and discuss what management can do to build trust.


Fundamental Group Dynamics

• What Is a Group?– Two or more freely interacting individuals who share a

common identity and purpose

• Types of Groups– Informal groups: A collection of people seeking

friendship and acceptance that satisfies esteem needs– Formal groups: A collection of people created to do

something productive that contributes to the success of the larger organization


Figure 14.1: What Does It Take to Make a Group?


Fundamental Group Dynamics (cont’d)

• Attraction to Groups– Attractiveness of the group– Cohesiveness of the group

• Roles– Socially determined ways of behaving in specific

positions• A set of expectations concerning what a person must, must

not, or may do in a position• The actual behavior of a person who occupies the position



• Norms– Norms are the standards (degrees of acceptability and

unacceptability) for conduct that help individuals judge what is right or good or bad in a given social setting.

– Norms are culturally derived and vary from one culture to another.

– Norms are usually unwritten, yet have a strong influence on individual behavior.

– Norms go above and beyond formal rules and written policies.



• Reasons That Groups Enforce Norms– To facilitate the survival of the group– To simplify or clarify role expectations– To help group members avoid embarrassing situations– To express key group values and enhance the group’s

unique identity

• Ostracism– Rejection by the group for violation of its norms


Figure 14.2: Norms Are Enforced for Different Reasons


Group Development

• Characteristics of a Mature Group– Members are aware of each other’s assets and

liabilities.– Individual differences are accepted.– The group’s authority and interpersonal relationships

are recognized.– Group decisions are made through rational discussion.– Conflict is over group issues, not emotional issues.– Members are aware of the group’s processes and their

own roles in them.


Six Stages of Group Development

• Stage 1: Orientation– Uncertainty about most everything is high.

• Stage 2: Conflict and change– Subgroups struggle for control; roles are undefined.

• Stage 3: Cohesion– Consensus on leadership, structure, and procedures is

reached.

• Stage 4: Delusion– Members misperceive that the group has reached

maturity.


Six Stages of Group Development (cont’d)

• Stage 5: Disillusion– Subgroups form with disenchantment, diminished

cohesiveness, and diminished commitment to the group.

• Stage 6: Acceptance– A trusted and influential group member steps forward

and moves the group from conflict to cohesion so that it becomes highly effective and efficient.

– Member expectations are more realistic.


Figure 14.3: Group Development from Formation to Maturity

Source: Group Effectiveness in Organizations, by Linda N. Jewell and H. Joseph Reitz, p. 20. Used with permission of the authors.


Organizational Politics

• What Does Organizational Politics Involve?– The pursuit of self-interest at work in the face of real or

imagined opposition

• Effects of Organizational Politics– Hinders organizational and individual effectiveness– Is an irritant to employees– Can have significant ethical implications


Research on Organizational Politics

– The higher the level of management, the greater the amount of politics.

– The larger the organization, the greater the politics.– Staff personnel are more political than line managers.– Marketing people are the most political; production

people are considered the least political.– 61% of employees believe organizational politics helps

advance one’s career.– 45% of employees believe that organizational politics

detracts from organizational goals.


Political Tactics

• Posturing: “One-upmanship” and taking credit for others’ work

• Empire building: Gaining control over human and material resources

• Making the supervisor look good: Engaging in “apple polishing” or “brown nosing”

• Collecting and using social IOUs: Exchanging reciprocal political favors by making someone look good or covering up someone’s mistakes


Political Tactics (cont’d)

• Creating power and loyalty cliques: Facing superiors as a cohesive group rather than alone

• Engaging in destructive competition: Sabotaging the work of others through character assassination


Antidotes to Political Behavior

• Strive for a climate of openness and trust.• Measure performance results rather than

personalities.• Encourage top management to refrain from

political behaviors.• Strive to integrate individual and organizational

goals through meaningful work and career planning.

• Practice job rotation to encourage broader perspectives and understanding of the problems of others.


Conformity and Groupthink

• Conformity– Complying with the role expectations and norms

perceived by the majority to be appropriate in a particular situation


Research on Conformity

• The Hot Seat (Asch)– Following the Immoral Majority

• Individuals tend to go along with the group (blind conformity) when faced with overwhelming opposition by the group.

• Groupthink (Irving Janis)– Groupthink is a mode of thinking (blind conformity) that

people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members’ strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action.


Figure 14.4: The Asch Line Experiment


Groupthink (cont’d)

• Symptoms of Groupthink– Excessive optimism– An assumption of inherent morality– Suppression of dissent– A desperate quest for unanimity


Conformity and Groupthink (cont’d)

• Preventing Groupthink– Avoid using groups as rubberstamps.– Urge each group member to think independently.– Bring in outside experts for fresh perspectives.– Assign someone the role of devil’s advocate.– Take time to consider possible effects and

consequences of alternative courses of action.– Engage in cooperative conflict (Tjosvold).


Teams, Teamwork, and Trust

• Cross-Functional Teams– Task groups that are staffed with a mix of specialists

focused on a common objective• Cross-functional teams may or may not be self-managed.• Membership is assigned, not voluntary.• Challenge is getting specialists to be boundary spanners.


Virtual Teams

• Task groups with members who are physically dispersed yet linked electronically to accomplish a common goal– Face-to-face contact is minimal or nonexistent.– Primary forms of communication are electronic

interchanges (e-mail, voice mail, web-based project software, and videoconferences).


What Makes Workplace Teams Effective?

• Innovative ideas• Accomplishment of goals• Adaptability to change• High person/team commitment• Being rated highly by upper management


Source: Reprinted from JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, 7, Hans J. Thamhain, "Managing Technologically Innovative Team Efforts Toward New Product Success," pp. 5-18, Copyright l990, with permission from Elsevier Science.

Figure 14.5: A Model of Team Effectiveness


Trust: A Key to Team Effectiveness

• Trust Is:1. A belief in the integrity, character, or ability of others

2. The primary responsibility of the manager

3. The key to establishing productive interpersonal relationships

4. A vehicle for encouraging self-control, reducing the need for direct supervision and expanding managerial control


Figure 14.6: Trust and Effective Group Interaction

Source: Reprinted from "Trust and Managerial Problem Solving," by Dale E. Zand, published in ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCE QUARTERLY, 17, no. 2 (June l972) by permission of Administrative Science Quarterly. © l972 by Cornell University.


Six Ways to Build Trust

1. Communication: Keep people informed.

2. Support: Be an approachable person.

3. Respect: Delegate important duties and listen.

4. Fairness: Evaluate fairly and objectively.

5. Predictability: Be dependable and consistent.

6. Competence: Be a good role model.


Terms to Understand

• Social capital• Group• Informal group• Formal group• Cohesiveness• Role• Norms

• Ostracism• Organizational politics• Conformity• Groupthink• Cross-functional team• Virtual team• Trust

Download - Chapter Fourteen Group Dynamics and Teamwork. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.Chapter Fourteen | 2 Chapter Objectives Define

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