10-1©2005 prentice hall 11 the nature of work groups and teams chapter 11 the nature of work groups...

10-1 ©2005 Prentice Hall

Chapter 1111The Nature of Work The Nature of Work

Groups Groups and Teamsand Teams


Chapter Objectives

Describe the different types of work groups and the difference between a group and a team

Appreciate the characteristics of work groups and their effects on the behavior of group members

Describe how groups control their members through roles, rules, and norms


Chapter Objectives

Appreciate the need for conformity and deviance in groups and why and how group goals need to be aligned with organizational goals

Understand the socialization process and how socialization tactics can result in an institutionalized or an individualized role orientation


When Is A Group A Group?

Interactivity Mutual Goal


Types of Work Groups

Formal Work Groups

CommandGroups

TaskForces

TeamsSelf-

ManagedWork Teams


Types of Work Groups

Informal Work Groups

FriendshipGroups

Interest Groups


Figure 10.2 Five-Stage Model of Group Development

Forming

Storming

Norming

Performing

Adjourning


Team Development: Stages Model

Forming

Storming

Norming

Performing

Adjourning • Adjourning (Dissolution)– Task completion and termination of roles

• Performing (Work)– High task and goal orientation

• Norming (Structure)– Cohesiveness and roles develop

• Storming (Conflict)– Disagreement and tension among members

• Forming (Orientation)– Members become familiar with each other

Adapted from Exhibit 11-4: Models of Team Development


First Stage:• Norming Activities• Focus on

Socioemotional Roles

Team Development: Punctuated Equilibrium Model

Second Stage:• Performing Activities• Focus on Task Roles

Task deadline approaches or half-way mark in teams’ tenure

Adapted from Exhibit 11-4: Models of Team Development


Work Group Characteristics

Work GroupCharacteristics

Group Size

Group Status

Group Composition

Group Function

Group Efficacy

SocialFacilitation


How Large Should A Group Be?

Benefits of Small Groups Regular interaction Ease of sharing

information Recognition of

individual contributions to group

Strong identification with group

Higher group satisfaction

Benefits of Large Groups More resources Division of labor


Social Loafing

Social loafingSocial loafing: The tendency for individuals to exert less effort when they work in a group than when they work alone.

Proposed causes of social loafing:– Lack of connection between inputs and outcomes– Perception that individual efforts are unnecessary

or unimportant– Both causes are linked with group size

Sucker effectSucker effect: A condition in which some group members, not wishing to be considered suckers, reduce their own efforts when they see social loafing by other group members.

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Ways to Reduce Social Loafing

Make individual contributions identifiable

Make individuals feel that they are making valuable contributions to a group

Keep the group as small as possible

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Avoiding Social Loafing

Make Individual Contributions Visible– Evaluation system in which everyone’s individual

contributions are noted– Smaller rather than larger teams– Monitor who oversees everyone’s contributions

Foster Task Cohesiveness– Team-level rewards to increase pressure– Teamwork training to develop a sense of cohesiveness– Select “team players” for teamwork

• High on agreeableness• High on conscientiousness


Table 10.2 Group Composition

Benefits of Homogeneous groups– Collegiality amongst

group members– Information sharing– Low levels of

conflict– Few coordination

problems

Benefits of Heterogeneous groups– Diversity of views

represented– High performance– Variety of resources


Group Function

Communicates how work behaviors contribute to goal achievement

Provides sense of meaning (task identity)


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Advice to Managers

Whenever feasible, make individual contributions or individual levels of performance in a group identifiable, and evaluate these contributions.

When work is performed in groups, let each member know that he or she can make an important and worthwhile contribution to the group.

When you are unable to evaluate individual contributions to a group, consider having group members evaluate each other’s contributions and rewarding group members on the basis of group performance.

Keep work groups as small as possible while making sure that a group has enough resources (member knowledge, skills, experiences) to achieve its goals.

Whenever feasible, make individual contributions or individual levels of performance in a group identifiable, and evaluate these contributions.

When work is performed in groups, let each member know that he or she can make an important and worthwhile contribution to the group.

When you are unable to evaluate individual contributions to a group, consider having group members evaluate each other’s contributions and rewarding group members on the basis of group performance.

Keep work groups as small as possible while making sure that a group has enough resources (member knowledge, skills, experiences) to achieve its goals.

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Task Interdependence

Thompson’s model of group tasks helps managers identifyTask characteristics that can lead to process losses.The most effective ways to distribute outcomes or rewards to group members to generate high motivation.

The model is based on the concept of task interdependence, which is the extent to which the work performed by one member of a group affects what other members do. There are three types:

Pooled Task InterdependenceSequential Task InterdependenceReciprocal Task Interdependence

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Pooled Task Interdependence: each member of a group makes separate and independent contributions to group performance.Sequential Task Interdependence: requires specific behaviors to be performed by group members in a predetermined order.Reciprocal Task Interdependence: the activities of all work group members are fully dependent on one another so that each member’s performance influences the performance of every other member of the group.

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As task interdependence moves from pooled to sequential to reciprocal interdependence, the potential for process losses increases because

Identifying individual performance becomes increasingly harder.Coordination becomes more difficult.

The potential for process gains also increases as task interdependence becomes more complex because of the increased likelihood of synergy.

Synergy: A process gain that occurs when members of a group acting together are able to produce more or better output than would have been produced by the combined efforts of each person acting alone.

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Advice to Managers

When a group task involves pooled interdependence, allocate individual tasks to group members to avoid duplication of effort, and evaluate individual levels of performance and reward group members for their individual performance.

When a group task involves sequential interdependence, do as many of the following as feasible: Monitor on-the-job behaviors of group members. Reward group members for group performance. Assign workers with similar ability levels to the same group. Reward workers for good attendance. Have multiskilled workers available to fill in when needed.

When a group task involves reciprocal interdependence, do as many of the following as feasible: Keep group size small. Make sure that each group member knows that he or she can make a contribution. Reward group members for group performance. Increase physical or electronic proximity of members. Encourage clear and open communication. Encourage members to help one another as needed.

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Signs of CohesivenessLow cohesivenessLow cohesiveness: Information flows slowly within the group, the group has little influence over its members’ behavior, and the group tends not to achieve its goals.Moderate cohesivenessModerate cohesiveness: Group members work well together, there is a good level of communication and participation in the group, the group is able to influence its members’ behavior, and the group tends to achieve its goals.Very high cohesivenessVery high cohesiveness: Group members socialize excessively on the job, there is a very high level of conformity in the group and intolerance of deviance, and the group achieves its goals at the expense of other groups.

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Factors Contributing to Group Effectiveness

Group Efficacy Group composition Ability to work well together Coordination of efforts Resources Shared information Development of effective strategies


Types of Social Facilitation Effects

Social Facilitation Effects

Audience Effects Co-Action Effects


Figure 10.3 Social Facilitation

Social Facilitation

Presence of othergroup members

enhances performance

of repetitive tasks

Presence of othergroup members

impairsperformance

of difficult tasks


Group Member Control Mechanisms

Roles

NormsRules


Advantages of Rules

Ensure that members perform desired behaviors

Facilitate control of behavior Facilitate evaluation of individual

performance Provide information for newcomers


Why Do Group Members Conform to Norms?

Compliance Identification Internalization


How Can Groups Respond to Deviants?

Attempt to change deviant Expel deviant Change norm


Figure 10.4 The Relationship Between Levels of Conformity and Deviance


Socialization and Role Orientation

Role Orientations

Institutionalized Individualized


Table 10.3 Socialization Tactics

Tactics Leading To An Institutionalized Orientation

Collective tactics Formal tactics Sequential tactics Fixed tactics Serial tactics Divestiture tactics

Tactics Leading To An Individualized Orientation

Individual tactics Informal tactics Random tactics Variable tactics Disjunctive tactics Investiture tactics

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