understanding work groups - chapter 14

8/6/2019 Understanding Work Groups - Chapter 14

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Chapter 14

UNDERSTANDING WORKGROUPS


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Management Talk

Teams, training, and increased authority for workers are

key elements of quality-improvement effortsTo help

accomplish their objectives, teams are aided by

company-trained employees, who provide skills trainingand serve as resources throughout all phases of the

teams work.

National Institute of Standards and Technology, describing its

1992 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner, AT&TNetwork Systems Group (Lucent Technologies)


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Objectives

Explain the difference between formal and

informal work groups

Discuss group norms, group cohesiveness, and

group conformity

Understand why individuals conform to group

norms

Recognize the importance of work groups to anorganization

Suggest ways to build effective work groups


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Understanding Management

When Lucent Technologies spun off from itsparent company, AT&T, it gained the freedom toorganize its workforce differently. Most Lucentemployees work in teams designed to foster

efficiency, creativity, and innovation. Thisapproach gives employees the flexibility to solveproblems and invent new products. In fact,Lucent can boast of earning about two patentsper working day, as well as the Malcolm Baldrige

National Quality Award.


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Management Skills

Why would it be important for tam

members to receive continual training?

If you were on a team responsible for

inventing a communications system, what

qualities would you appreciate in your

team members?


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Sec. 14.1: How Groups Behave

Brainwrite/Brainstorm:

What are the pros and cons of group work?

What kinds of group work have you

experienced?


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What Youll Learn

The differences between formal and

informal work groups

Why employees join informal work groups The factors that influence how groups

behave

The meaning of

groupthink.


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Why is this important?

To supervise groups effectively, managers

must understand the dynamics of group

behavior


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Groups Within Organizations

Two or more people who interact to meet a

shared goal

A shared sense of purpose sets a group

apart from just a gathering of people


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Types of Groups

1. Formal Work Groups

Exist for short or long period

of time

Task Force A single goal to resolve a

problem or design a new

product

Functional Group Consists of manager and all

the employees he or she

supervises in an ongoing

manner


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Types of Groups

2. Informal Work Groups Formed voluntarily by members of an organization

Develop personal contact and interactions amongpeople

Interest Groups

Share a purpose or concern Women executives form a group to share ideas about

issues facing women in management

The workplace is where socialization takes placeand friendships emerge

Affects of Informal Work Groups

Productivity Morale

Success ofManagers

Sense of Loyalty

Work for or against organizational goals


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Groups Within Organizations

Management does not recognize informal

groups that revolve around friendship, interests,

or shared working space and tasks.

An understanding of informal groups canimprove managers work with formal work

groups

Satisfaction from informal groups should be

duplicated in a formal work group environment


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Group Norms

Informal rules a group adopts to regulate the

behavior of group members

Expectations of group members to improve:

Productivity levels

Operating procedures

Other work-related activities

Group norms can be written, spoken, or acted out by

group members to show new members how to

behave


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Group Behavior

Group Cohesiveness

Degree of attraction among group members, or who tightly knit a groupis

More Cohesiveness = Greater likelihood that Group Norms will befollowed

Factors affecting cohesiveness of informal work group

Size Small work groups

Success High Success

Status High Status

Outside PressuresConflicts with management increase group cohesiveness (Us Against

Them)

Stability of

MembershipLong-StandingMembers

Communication Easy lines of communication in social Areas

Physical Isolation Forces workers into close contact with each other and strengthens bonds


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Group Behavior

Group Conformity Degree to which group members accept

and follow group norms

Group seeks to control membersbehavior for two reasons:

Independent behavior can causedisagreements that threaten a groupssurvival

Consistent behavior creates anatmosphere of trust that allows membersto work together and socializecomfortably

Individuals conform to group normswhen they are:

Similar to personal attitudes, beliefs, andbehavior

Do not agree with the groups norms butfeel pressure to accept them


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Group Behavior

Group Pressure and Conformity

Group pressure can break-down a group when one

member goes above and beyond the rest of the group

(Case Study) A textile employee began to produce more than thegroup norm of 50 units per day. After two weeks, the group started

to pressure this worker to produce less, and she quickly dropped to

the groups level. After three weeks, all the members of the group

were moved to other jobs except for this worker. Once again, her

production quickly climbed to double the group norm.

Why would the other workers try to slow their co-worker down?

Was it fair for other workers to try to slow her down?


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Group Behavior

Groupthink

When group members lose their ability to think asindividuals and conform at the expense of their good

judgment

Members become unwilling to say anything against the group orany member

Groupthink members will justify any action, stereotype outsidersas enemies of the group, and pressure unwilling members toconform

Groupthink is disruptive because it affects employees

ability to make logical decisions

Imagine that you are the new manager of adepartment that has succumbed to groupthink.What steps would you take to encourage individualthinking?


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Extension Activity!!!

Have students write an opinion piece, act

out a workplace situation, or design a

cartoon illustrating the concept ofgroupthink


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14. 1: Chapter Summary

Organizations have two kinds of work groups,formal and informal

Informal work groups develop around friendship,

shared interests, or similar work responsibilities

Informal groups have their own norms, arecohesive, and develop ways to maintainconformity


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Sec. 14.2: Managing Formal Groups

Review the explanation formal groups and

predict what role managers play in helping

formal groups succeed

What qualities might be helpful to a

manager in the team building process?


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What Youll Learn

The importance of formal work groups How managers can influence group

cohesiveness and conformity

Methods of encouraging teamwork in formal

groups The characteristics of successful group leaders

Why is this Important?

Formal work groups are an important way of organizing work and managers

must help them succeed.


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The Importance of Formal Work

Groups

Groups have more knowledge and information

than individuals

Ease the process of communicating and solving

problems

Creates more efficiency

Managing groups effectively will enable a

company to: Improve production

Maintain a competitive edge (advantage)

Managers must overcome cultural and gender

differences


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Influencing Work Groups

Hawthorne Effect giving special attention to agroup of employees changes the employeesbehavior

Job factor variance

Employee pay

Supervision

Lighting

Length of rest periods

Number of hours worked


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Building Effective Work Groups

Managers are responsible for developing sharedvalues and group loyalty in formal work groups

Linking-Pin Concept

Since managers are members of overlapping groups,

they link formal work groups to the total organization Managers improve communication and ensure that

organizational and group goals are met

Managers themselves are the linking pins


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Team Building

Process of establishing a cohesive group that workstogether to achieve its goals

M

anagers can encourage teamwork by: Selecting group members carefully

Creating a positive work environment

Building Trust

Increasing Group Cohesiveness


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Creating Groups

Identify qualified people

Make the group attractive to these individuals

Increase of pay Job Satisfaction

Benefits that are provided just like an informal workgroup

Consider office layout and physical factorsaffecting groups ability to work togethersuccessfully


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Youve got to pick a few people and really trust them.- Bill Gates, Microsoft

Building TrustSharing responsibility and making decisions together

Trust enables members to stick to the group normsManagers must:

Have faith in employees

Recognize the interests of the organization, the group, and theemployees

Become personally involved, take a real interest in groupmembers, share information, and exhibit honesty

What kinds of managerial problems might arise ifemployees lose confidence or trust in a manager?


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Influencing Group Cohesiveness and Conformity Managers can affect formal group performance levels to

those individuals who are highly competitive and eager

to succeed by:

Keeping groups small Selecting group members carefully

Finding a good personality fit between new and old employees

Developing an office layout that improves communication

Creating clear goals

Inspiring group competition Rewarding groups rather than individuals

Isolating groups from each other


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Whether on the court or off, what I call for in mypeople is full awareness and attention.

- Phil Jackson, Former Coach of the 6-time NBA

Champion Chicago Bulls

Jacksons approach teaches individuals:

To value the needs of the team

To surrender their egos so that the end result is bigger

than the sum of its parts


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Quality Circles

A group of employees from a single work unit (such as adepartment) who share ideas on how to improve quality

Encourage employees in decision making

Membership is usually voluntary

Members share a common bond performing similar tasks

Encourages communication and trust among members and

managers

Inexpensive way to provide employees with training while giving

them a sense of control over their work lives

May solve problems that have been around for years

Me becomes Us in a good quality circle


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Groups and Leaders

Informal groups select a leader most capableof satisfying the groups needs

Gaining Acceptance

M

anagers assigned to formal work groupsmust work to gain acceptance as leaders

What makes a good teacher, makes a good

manager?

Know their subject well Communicate information effectively

Treat students with respect

Make fair judgments


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Groups and Leaders

Encouraging Participation

Managers encourage participation and shared

responsibility, acting more like a coach than a

manager

How does one encourage team spirit?

Provide the group with a shared vision

Lead by example (Attitude and Performance)

Encourage group to listen and support all members Function within a cohesive group


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14. 2: Chapter Summary

Formal work groups often lack the loyalty andshared values that characterize informal groups,so managers work hard to encourage

participation Managers can build effective teams by selecting

the right candidates, building trust, andencouraging group cohesiveness

In order to be good team leaders, managersmust be accepted by the group, understand howto provide a vision, and lead by example


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Speech Skills

You have been a member of many formal and

informal groups in your life. Examples of

such groups may include a youth group, a

sports team, co-workers at a summer or part-time job, or neighborhood friends. Some of

the groups have been effective and some

have not. Think about the most effective and

ineffective groups you have been in. Preparea brief presentation describing the

characteristics of each group.


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Assessing Team Skills

Within the class, organize team to compete in apaper airplane contest where each team willcompete for distance and flight time. Have eachgroup select a captain, then work together to

create cohesiveness. Methods may includepracticing together, engaging in a group activity,or sharing personal information. Keep record ofthe methods your group uses. Once the contesthas been completed, compare your methods

and results with those of the other teams. Whatmethods did the winning team use that havemade them successful?


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Assessing Academic Skills

You are a manager at a family-oriented

restaurant chain. In the past year, two new

restaurants have opened in the area. Both of

them have done poorly, despite good locations.You must put together a task force to find ways

to boost the new restaurants revenues. Decide

where you would find people for the task force.

Then compose a memo for senior managementpresenting your proposal and explaining your

reasons for choosing these employees.

understanding work groups - chapter 14

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