Chapter 6 – Fundamental Concepts of Group Behavior PDF

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Chapter 6 – Fundamental Concepts of Group Behavior Fundamentals of Group Behavior:  What is a group?  Two or more freely interacting people with shared norms and goals and a common identity Four Sociological Criteria of a Group: Collective Norms Members of group share attitudes, opinions, feelings or actions that guide their united behavior Collective Goals Members share same outcome(s) Members are not forced into associating with each other; they exercise Two or More Freely free as desired Interacting Individuals Common Identity Members share core self-concepts, descriptors, characteristics and aspects that differentiate them from others. Formal and Informal Groups:  A Formal Group – formed by a manager to meet organizational goals  Task forces, Committees, Work groups  An Informal Group – formed by friends or those with common interests Tuckman’s Five Stage Group Development Process:  Stage 1: Forming – “ice-breaking” stage; uncertainty high; mutual trust low; if no formal leader emergent leader will step in  Stage 2: Storming – time of testing leader’s policies & assumptions; subgroups form; subtle forms of rebellion occur; many groups stall in this stage because power politics erupt at this stage  Stage 3: Norming – group cohesiveness (a “we” feeling) develops  Stage 4: Performing – focus is on solving task problems; climate of open communication, strong cooperation, and helping behavior; group achieves more than any one individual  Stage 5: Adjourning – the work is done; rituals such as parties, award ceremonies, graduations can provide closure Punctuated Equilibrium Model:  Connie Gersick – Punctuated Equilibrium Model  More appropriate for projects and student group assignments where meeting a deadline is very important  Group members try to do two things: 1. Develop strategies to complete a task 2. Develop the structure and processes for interpersonal relationships Group Member Roles:  Role – sets of behaviors that persons expect of occupants of a position  Both task and maintenance roles need to be performed if a work group is to accomplish anything  Task Roles – Task-oriented group behavior  Maintenance Roles – Relationship-building group behavior Task Roles: Assigned Task Roles Initiator Information seeker/giver

Description Suggests new goals or ideas Clarifies key issues

Opinion seeker/giver Elaborator Coordinator Orienter Evaluator Energizer Procedural technician Recorder

Clarifies pertinent values Promotes greater understanding through examples or exploration of implications Pulls together ideas and suggestions Keeps group headed toward its stated goal(s) Tests group’s accomplishments with various criteria such as logic and practicality Prods group to move along or to accomplish more Performs routine duties (e.g. handing our materials or rearranging seats) Performs a “group memory” function by documenting discussion and outcomes

Maintenance Roles: Assigned Maintenance Roles Encourager Harmonizer Compromiser Gatekeeper Standard setter Commentator Follower

Description Fosters group solidarity by accepting and praising various points of view Mediates conflict through reconciliation or humor Helps resolve conflict by meeting others halfway Encourages all group members to participate Evaluates the quality of group processes Records and comments on group processes/dynamics Serves as a passive audience

Norms and Social Conformity:  A norm is an attitude, opinion, feeling, or action – shared by two or more people – that guides their behavior  Norms are more encompassing than roles  Social norms reflect group evaluations of what is right and wrong  Conformity to social norms occurs when individuals within the same group converge their thoughts, feelings, and behavior  Conformity can be both beneficial and dysfunctional for the organization Norm Development:  Norms develop in various combinations of the following four ways: 1. Explicit statements by supervisors or co-workers 2. Critical events in the group’s history 3. Primacy  first behavior sets a pattern 4. Carry-over behaviors from past situations Enforcing Norms: Norm “Make our department look good in top management’s eyes” “Success comes to those who work hard and don’t make waves” “Work well with others, not as a lone star” “Customer service is our top priority” Transition from Work Group to Team:

Reason for Enforcement Group/organization survival Clarification of behavioral expectations Avoidance of embarrassment Clarification of central values/unique identity

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A work group becomes a team when: 1. Leadership becomes a shared activity 2. Accountability shifts from strictly individual to both individual and collective 3. The group develops its own purpose or mission 4. Problem solving becomes a way of life 5. Effectiveness is measured by the group’s collective outcomes and products

Teams Defined:  Teams are defined as a small number of people with complementary skills who hold themselves mutually accountable for common purpose, goals and approach  Teams are task groups that have matured to the performing stage Developing Teamwork Competencies:  Five critical team competencies: 1. Orients the team to a problem-solving situation 2. Organizes and manages team performance 3. Promotes a positive team environment 4. Facilities and manages task conflict 5. Appropriately promotes perspective Self-Managed Teams:  Self-Managed Teams – groups of employees granted administrative responsibility for their work  Research concludes that self-managed teams have:  A positive effect on productivity  A positive effect on attitudes such as responsibility & control  No significant effect on attitudes such as job satisfaction & organizational commitment  No significant effect on absenteeism or turnover  Team advisors relied on these influence tactics:  Relating, Scouting, Persuading, and Empowering Virtual Teams:  A virtual team is a physically dispersed task group that conduct its business through technology  Virtual teams follow the same process as face-to-face teams  Internet chat rooms create more work and yield poorer decisions than face-to-face teams  Groupware (software) facilitates interaction amongst team members requires training and hands-on experience  Inspirational leadership promotes creativity Team Building Helps Teamwork:  Team-building is experiential, active learning aimed at improving internal functioning of groups through better communication and less dysfunctional conflict  Team builders discourage lectures and routine classroom discussions; they prefer active vs. passive learning  Experiential learning techniques such as interpersonal trust exercises, conflict role-playing sessions, and competitive games are common Trust – A Key Ingredient of Teamwork:  Trust – reciprocal faith in others’ intentions and behavior; must be earned; cannot be demanded  An absence of trust within a team can threaten a team’s success  For our purposes in OB, we discuss 3 particular forms of trust: 1. Contractual trust. Trust of character

2. Communication trust. Trust of disclosure 3. Competence trust. Trust of capability How to Build Trust:  Six Guidelines for building trust – Communication, Support, Respect, Fairness, Predictability, Competence Threats to Group and Team Effectiveness:  Groupthink vs. Groupshift  8 classic symptoms:  Invulnerability, Inherent morality, Rationalization, Stereotyped views of opposition, Selfcensorship, Illusion of unanimity, Peer pressure, Mindguards Social Loafing:  Social Loafing – decrease in individual effort as group size increases  It occurs when:  The task is perceived to be unimportant, simple, or not interesting  Group members think their individual input is not identifiable  Group members expect co-workers to loaf Facilitators of Effectiveness:  Eight attributes of high-performance teams: 1. Participative leadership. Creating an interdependency by empowering, freeing up, and serving others. 2. Shared responsibility. Establishing an environment in which all team members feel as responsible as the manager for the performance of the work unit. 3. Aligned on purpose. Having a sense of common purpose about why the team exists and the function it serves. 4. High communication. Creating a climate of trust and open, honest communication. 5. Future focused. Seeing change as an opportunity for growth. 6. Focused on task. Keeping meetings focused on results. 7. Creative talents. Applying individual talents and creativity. 8. Rapid response. Identifying and acting on opportunities. Building Effective Teams:  Team charters and performance strategies  Team composition  Team adaptive capacity...