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51 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Group
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a collection of two or more people who work with one another regularly to achieve common goals
Members are mutually dependent on one another to achieve common goals Members interact with one another to pursue those goals |
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Effective group
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one that achieves high levels of task performance, member satisfaction, and team viability
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Effective groups achieve high levels of:
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Task performance
Members attain performance goals regarding quantity, quality, and timeliness of work results Members satisfaction Members believe that their participation and experiences are positive and meet important personal needs Team viability Members are sufficiently satisfied to continue working together on an ongoing basis |
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Synergy
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the creation of a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts
Group synergy is the goal |
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Why groups are good for organizations
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Groups are good for people
Groups can improve creativity Groups can make better decisions Groups can increase commitments to action Groups help control their members Groups help offset large organization size |
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Situations in which groups are superior to individuals
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When there is no clear expert in a particular problem or task
When problem solving can be handled by a division of labor and the sharing of information When creativity and innovation are needed |
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Potential benefits for group members
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People learn from each other and share job skills and knowledge
Groups are important sources of need satisfaction for their members |
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Social loafing
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The tendency of people to work less hard in a group than they would individually.
Reasons for social loafing Individual contributions are less noticeable in the group context Some prefer to see others carry the workload |
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Ways of preventing social loafing
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Define roles and tasks to maximize individual interests
Raise accountability by making individuals’ performance expectations clear and identifiable Tie individual rewards to performance contributions to the group |
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Social facilitation
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The tendency for a person’s behavior to be influenced by the presence of others
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Social facilitation theory
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indicates that working in the presence of others creates an emotional arousal or excitement that stimulates behavior and therefore affects performance
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Formal groups
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Officially designated to serve a specific organizational purpose
May be permanent or temporary Permanent work groups are command groups Temporary work groups are task groups |
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Types of formal groups
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Cross-functional teams or task forces
Engage in special problem-solving efforts drawing on input of the functional areas Project teams Formed to complete a specific task with a well-defined end point Virtual group Members work together via computers |
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Informal groups
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Emerge without being officially designated by the organization
Types of informal groups Friendship groups Interest groups |
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Forming stage
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Initial entry of members to a group
Member challenges Getting to know each other Discovering what is considered acceptable behavior Determining the group’s real task Defining group rules |
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Storming stage
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A period of high emotionality and tension among group members
Member challenges Hostility and infighting Formation of coalitions and cliques Clarification of members’ expectations |
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Norming stage
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Sometimes called initial integration
The point at which the group really begins to come together as a coordinated unit |
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Performing stage
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Marks the emergence of a mature, organized, and well-functioning group
Structure is stable Members are motivated by group goals |
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Adjourning stage
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A well-integrated group is:
Able to disband when its work is finished Willing to work together in the future Particularly important for temporary groups |
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Tasks
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Technical demands of a task
Routineness, difficulty, and information requirements |
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Social demands of a task
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Relations, ego involvement, and controversies over ends and means
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Goals, rewards, and resources
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Long-term performance relies on:
Appropriate goals Well-designed reward systems Adequate resources |
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Technology
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Provides the means to get work accomplished
The right technology must be available for the task at hand Workflow technology can affect the way group members interact |
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Membership characteristics
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A group must have the right skills and competencies available for task performance and problem solving
In homogeneous groups, members are very similar to one another In heterogeneous groups, members vary in age, gender, race, and ethnicity |
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Diversity-consensus dilemma
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The tendency for increasing diversity among group members to make it harder for group members to work together, even though the diversity itself expands the skills and perspectives available for problem solving.
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FIRO-B theory
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Identifies individual differences in how people relate to one another in groups
Based on needs to express and receive feelings of inclusion, control, and affection |
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Status
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A person’s relative rank, prestige, or standing in a group
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Status congruence
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Occurs when a person’s position within the group is equivalent in status to positions held outside the group
When status incongruence is present, problems will likely occur |
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Group size
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Can make a difference in a group’s effectiveness
As group size increases, performance and member satisfaction increase up to a point Problem-solving groups should have 5 to 7 members |
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Workgroup behaviors
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Required behaviors — those that are formally defined and expected by the organization
Emergent behaviors — those that group members display in addition to what the organization asks of them |
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Member relationships
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Activities
the things people do or the actions they take Interactions interpersonal communications and contacts Sentiments the feelings, attitudes, beliefs, or values held by group members |
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Intergroup dynamics
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The dynamics that take place between two or more groups
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Ways to achieve positive intergroup dynamics
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Refocusing members on a common enemy or goal
Negotiating directly Training members to work more cooperatively Refocusing rewards on contributions to the total organization and how much groups help each other |
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Decentralized communication network
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all group members communicate directly and share information with each other
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Centralized communication network
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One person acts as a central control point
Information flows among group members through the person in charge Control person collects and redistributes information and task contributions |
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Restricted communication network
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polarized subgroups contest each other’s positions
sometimes maintain antagonistic relations with one another |
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Decision by lack of response
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One idea after another is suggested without any discussion-taking place
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Decision by authority rule
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The chairperson, manager, or leader makes a decision for the group
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Decision by minority rule
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Two or three people are able to dominate or “railroad” the group into making a decision to which they agree
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Decision by majority rule
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Formal voting may take place, or members may be polled to find the majority viewpoint
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Decision by consensus
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Discussion leads to one alternative being favored by most members and the other members agree to support it
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Decision by unanimity
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All group members agree totally on the course of action to be taken
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Potential advantages of group decision making
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More knowledge and expertise is applied to solve the problem
A greater number of alternatives are examined The final decision is better understood and accepted by all group members More commitment among all group members to make the final decision work |
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Potential disadvantages of group decision making
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Individuals may feel compelled to conform to the apparent wishes of the group
The group’s decision may be dominated by one individual or a small coalition Group decisions usually take longer to make |
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Groupthink
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the tendency of members in highly cohesive groups to lose their critical evaluative capabilities
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Ways to avoid groupthink
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Assign the role of critical evaluator to each group member
Have the leader avoid seeming partial to one course of action Create subgroups that each work on the same problem Have group members discuss issues with outsiders and report back |
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Ways to avoid groupthink
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Invite outside experts to observe and react to group processes
Assign someone to be a “devil’s advocate” at each meeting Write alternative scenarios for the intentions of competing groups Hold “second-chance” meetings after consensus is apparently achieved |
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Brainstorming
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Group members actively generate as many ideas and alternatives as possible
All criticism is ruled out “Freewheeling” is welcomed Quantity is wanted “Piggy-backing” is welcomed |
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Nominal group technique
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Puts people in small groups of six to seven members and asks everyone to respond individually and in writing to a “nominal” question
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Delphi technique
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Involves generating decision-making alternatives through a series of survey questionnaires
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Computer-mediated decision making
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Group decision making takes place across great distances with the aid of group decision support systems
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