Group behavior, teams and conflicts

UHS 2062 LECTURES at UTM Skudai.Prepared by Siti Rokiah Siwok, March 2010

srsiwok@gmail.com

IntroductionEmployee seldom work in isolation ( Mullins,

2006).Groups are characteristics of all social

situations ( Mullins, 2006). Most employee behaviour takes place in

groups or teams; thus important to understand group dynamics (Aamodt, 2007)

People in groups influence each other in various ways.

Groups may develop hierarchies and leaders .Style of leadership affect groups.

Definition of a groupAny no. of people interacting with one

another, psychologically aware of one another and perceived themselves to be in a group ( Schein, 1988 in Mullins 2006)

A definable membership, group consciousness, shared purpose, interdependence, interaction and ability to act in a unitary manner ( Adair, 1986 in Mullins 2006)

Definition of a groupFour criteria must be met (Gordon,

2001 in Aamodt, 2007): Members see themselves as a unitGroup must provide rewards to

membersMembers of the group share a common

goalCorresponding effects(whatever

happens to a member affects every other member).

Reasons for joining a groupAssignmentPhysical proximity AffiliationIdentificationEmotional supportAssistance or helpCommon interestCommon goals

Groups or teams?Not all groups are teams“ Teams occurs when a number of people

have a common goal and recognize that their personal success is dependent on the success of others. They are all interdependent…” ( Crainer, 1998, in Mullins 2006)

Group or team?TEAM GROUP

Size Limited Medium or large

Selection Crucial Immaterial

Leadership Shared or rotating Solo

Perception Mutual knowledge understanding

Focus on leader

Style Role spread coordination

Convergence conformism

Spirit Dynamic interaction

Togetherness persecution of opponents

(Belbin, 2000 in Mullins 2006)

Factors affecting Group PerformanceGroup cohesivenessGroup homogeneityStability of

membershipIsolationExternal pressureGroup sizeGroup status

Group ability and confidence

Personality of group members

Communication network

Group rolePresence of othersIndividual

dominance

Factors affecting Group PerformanceGroup cohesiveness

It is the extent to which group members like and trust each other, committed to accomplish a team goal and share a feeling of group pride ( Beale, Cohen, Burke & McLendon, 2003 in Aamodt, 2007)

Group homogeneityIt is the extent to which members are similarHomogeneous or heterogeneous will lead to the best group

performance? Stability of membership

The greater the stability, the greater the cohesivenessThus members who remain for long periods of time are more

cohesive and perform better than groups that have high turnover (Bell, 2005 in Aamodt, 2007)

Factors affecting Group PerformanceIsolation

Group that is isolated tends to be highly cohesiveExternal pressure

Groups that are pressured by external forces tend to be highly cohesive; which can be explained by the phenomena psychological reactance ( Brehm, 1966 in Aamodt, 2007)

Group size Groups are most cohesive and perform best when

the size is small.However, not all small group are always the best;

also depends on the tasks.

Factors affecting Group PerformanceGroup status

The higher the group status, the greater is the cohesiveness; thus a group can be made more cohesive by increasing its status, at least in the eyes of the members.

Group ability and confidenceGroups with high-ability members outperform groups with low-

ability membersGroups whose members believe that their team can be

successful perform better than those whose members are not confident.

Personality of group membersGroups with members who score high in openness and emotional

stability will perform better that groups whose members do not have these characteristics ( Bell, 2005 in Aamodt, 2007)

Factors affecting Group PerformanceCommunication network

Communication network affects groups’ performance

The best network depends on the situation and the goals of the group.

A good leader must choose the best communication network which facilitates the achievement of the group’s goals.

Factors affecting Group PerformanceGroup role

The extent to which the members of a group assume their roles affect group performance

Members roles must fall into one of these categories: (1) task-orientated roles, such as offering new ideas

and coordinating new activities (2) social-oriented roles, such as encouraging

cohesiveness and participation (3) individual role

Factors affecting Group PerformancePresence of others

Social facilitation provides the positive effects of the presence of others, but for easy tasks or well learned tasks.

Individual dominanceIf the leader has an accurate solution to a

problem in the group, then the group performs at high level.

Group conflictsWorking together in a group or teams always

presents the potential for the occurrence of conflicts.

Conflict is the psychological and behavioral reaction to a perception that another person is keeping you from reaching a goal, taking away your right to act in a particular way or violating the expectancies of a relationship.

Key component to conflict is perception.The level of conflict is a function of the

importance of the goal, behavior or relationship.

Dysfunctional and functional conflictsMost conflicts results in lower team

performance, and lower members satisfaction,

Most conflicts are dysfunctional , as the conflicts prevents people from working together, lessens productivity and increases turnover.

Moderate degree of conflict , called functional conflicts can result in better performance- stimulate new ideas, increase friendly competition and increase team effectiveness.

Moderate conflicts reduce the risks of larger conflicts.

Types of conflictsInterpersonal conflictIndividual – group conflictGroup –group conflict

What are the causes of conflicts?

Causes of conflictsCompetition of resourcesTask independenceJurisdictional ambiguityCommunication challengesBeliefsPersonality( Aamodt, 2007)

Conflicting stylesAvoiding styleAccommodating style Forcing styleCollaborating styleCompromising style

Determining conflict styleOrganization Conflict Inventory II

(Rahim and Magner, 1995) Cohen Conflict Response Inventory

(Cohen, 1997)

Resolving conflictPrevention /prior to conflict

occurrenceWhen conflict first occursThird -party intervention

Prior to conflict occurring An organisation should have a formal policy

on how conflict to be handled, which states that :Employees should first try to resolve their own

conflicts If the above is not successful, employees can

utilise a third party intervention Employees should receive training on the

causes of conflict, ways to provent conflict and strategies to resolve it.

When conflict FIRST occursThe two parties should be encouraged to

use conflict resolution skills which they had learned. These skills include: Expressing a desire for cooperationOffering complimentsAvoiding negative interactionEmphasizing mutual similaritiesHighlighting common goals

When conflict FIRST occursKey to resolving conflict is to reduce tension

and increase trust between the 2 parties; which can be accomplished by :Stating an intention to reduce tension Publicly announcing steps to be taken to

reduce tension. Inviting the other side to take action in to

reduce tension. Making sure all initiative are unambiguous.

Third party interventionIf conflict cannot be resolved, good

to seek help-third party intervention, through mediation or arbitration.

Summary Groups consists of multiple members who

perceive themselves as a unit a and sharer common goal or goals

People joining groups due to a need for affiliation, a need for identification with success, a need for emotional support, a need for assistance, common goals , physical proximity and assignment.

Many factors contribute to a group success.

Summary Teams have four developmental stages;

namely forming, storming, norming and performing.

The team approach is not always the best.Conflict has many causes, such as

competition of resources etc.People react to conflict differently Conflict is part of life in an organization

and can be managed wisely and successfully.

Reference:Aamodt, M.G (2007). Industrial

/organizational psychology. An applied approach. Belmont, CA: Thomson.

Mullins, L.J. ( 2006). Essentials of Organisational Behaviour. England: Prentice Hall