Session 9: Managing Work

Groups
And Work Teams

MGNT 1020
Professor Liu
What Is a Group?
• A group is two or more interacting and interdependent
individuals who come together to achieve specific
goals.
• Formal and informal groups
• Formal groups are work groups that are defined by the
organization’s structure and have designated work
assignments and specific tasks directed at
accomplishing organizational goals.
• Informal groups are social groups that occur naturally
in the workplace and tend to form around friendships
and common interests.
 • Command groups—groups that are determined by the
organization chart and composed of individuals who
report directly to a given manager.
• Task groups—groups composed of individuals brought
together to complete a specific job task; their existence is
often temporary because when the task is completed,
Types of the group disbands.

Formal • Cross-functional teams—groups that bring together the

knowledge and skills of individuals from various work
Groups areas or groups whose members have been trained to do
each others’ jobs.
• Self-managed teams—groups that are essentially
independent and that, in addition to their own tasks,
take on traditional managerial responsibilities, such as
hiring, planning and scheduling, and evaluating
performance.
Five Stages
of Group
Developme
nt
Five Stages of Group
Development
• Stage I: Forming—group members (1) join the group and then (2)
define the group’s purpose, structure, and leadership.​

• This stage involves a great deal of uncertainty as members “test

the waters” to determine acceptable behaviors and is complete
when members begin to think of themselves as part of a group.​
Five Stages of Group
Development

• Stage II: Storming—the period of intragroup conflict about who will

control the group and what the group needs to be doing. ​

• This stage is complete when a relatively clear hierarchy of

leadership and agreement on the group’s direction is evident. ​
 Five Stages of Group
Development
• Stage III: Norming—close relationships develop and the group
becomes cohesive and demonstrates a strong sense of group
identity and camaraderie.
• This stage is complete when the group structure solidifies and
the group has assimilated a common set of expectations
regarding member behavior.
Five Stages of Group
Development

• Stage IV: Performing—the last stage of development for

permanent work groups in which the group structure is in
place and accepted by group members.
• Their energies have moved from getting to know and

understand each other to working on the group’s task.

Five Stages of Group
Development

• Stage V: Adjourning—the group prepares to disband—

particularly for temporary groups.
• Attention is focused on wrapping up activities instead

of task performance.
Stages of Group Development


The group development model is a general framework that
underscores the dynamic nature of groups.

Some groups don’t get beyond the forming or storming
stages.

Some groups don’t always proceed sequentially from one
stage to the next.
 Major
Concepts
related to
Group
Behavior
 
Norms are acceptable standards shared by the
Norms and group’s members.

Conformity 
The desire to be accepted as a part of a group
may leave one susceptible to conforming to
the group’s norm or exert pressure that is
strong enough to change a member’s attitude
and behavior (e.g., groupthink).

Managers should create a climate of
openness in which employees are free to
discuss without fear of retaliation.
 
Group cohesiveness is the degree to
Group which members are attracted to one
another and share the group’s goals.
Cohesivene 
Attention! A cohesive group is not
necessarily an effective group.
ss 
What’s more important is the degree
to which the group’s attitude aligns
with its formal goals or the goals of
the larger organization.
Group Cohesiveness

Group Cohesiveness and Productivity

Group Size Small groups (that is, 5-7 members) are


better at:

completing tasks more quickly

figuring out what to do and getting
jobs done


Large groups (that is, 12 members or
more) are better at:

problem solving

gaining diverse input
Drawbacks of Large Groups:


Individual productivity of each group member declines as the
group expands, which is known as social loafing—reducing effort
because dispersion of responsibility encourages individuals to
slack off.

Individuals may be tempted to become “free riders” and coast on the
group’s efforts if they think their contributions can’t be measured.

Managers should provide a means by which individual efforts can be
identified.
Groups vs.
Teams
Groups versus Teams

Work groups share information Work teams work intensely on a specific,

and make decisions to help each common goal using their positive synergy,
member do the job efficiently and individual and mutual accountability, and
effectively. complementary skills.
 They do not engage in collective work  Such increases are “potential”—
that requires joint effort. nothing inherent in the creation of
work teams guarantees that positive
synergy will occur.
 Making
Teams
Effective
The Team
Effectiven
ess Model
 Adequate resources outside the group—including timely information,
proper equipment, encouragement, adequate staffing and assistance—
Dimensi sustain team effectiveness.

on 1:
Context Team leadership and structure help agree on the specifics of work and how
and all the team members’ individual skills fit together.

Context
ual Trust among team members facilitates cooperation, reduces the need to
Factors monitor each other’s behaviors, and bonds members around the belief that
others won’t take advantage of them.

Performance evaluation and reward system, including group-based

appraisals and profit-sharing, reinforce team effort and commitment.
 Part of a team’s performance depends on
its members’ knowledge, skills, and
abilities.

Dimensio
n 2: Personality significantly influences
Compositi individual behavior.

on
Important roles played by work team
members.
Team Composition and Effectiveness

Team Member Roles

 Team diversity is another factor that can
influence team effectiveness.

Dimensio
n 2: Size of teams can impact effectiveness.
Generally, the most effective teams have
Compositi five to nine members.
on (con'd)
Team member preferences and flexibility
need to be considered.
Dimension Important work design elements that


increase team effectiveness include:

3: Work 


Autonomy
Using a variety of skills
Design 
Being able to complete a whole and
identifiable task or product

Working on a task or project that has
a significant impact on others
In other words, generating meaningful
outputs for the organization.
 Dimension 4: Team Processes
An effective team has a common plan and purpose. This common purpose provides direction,
momentum, and commitment for team members.

Teams also need specific goals that facilitate clear communication and help teams maintain their
focus on getting results.

Team efficacy describes when teams believe in themselves and believe they can succeed. Effective
teams have confidence in themselves and in their members.

Effective teams need some conflict that is managed.

Effective teams work to minimize the tendency for social loafing.