Managing Work Groups and Teams
MANAGEMENT
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Ricky W. Griffin
TWELFTH EDITION
Part Five: The Leading Process
Chapter Eighteen: Managing Work Groups and Teams
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Groups are a ubiquitous part of organizational life.
Groups and Teams in Organizations
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Group
Consists of two or more people who interact regularly to accomplish a common purpose or goal.
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Types of Groups and Teams
A functional group
is a permanent group created by the organization to accomplish a number of purposes with an unspecified time horizon.
An informal or interest group
is created by its members for purposes that may or may not be relevant to those of the organization.
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Figure 18.1
Types of Groups in Organizations
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Types of Groups and Teams
A task group
is created by the organization to accomplish a relatively narrow range of purposes within a stated or implied time horizon.
A team
is a group of workers that functions as a unit, often with little or no supervision, to carry out work-related tasks, functions, and activities.
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Table 18.1
Types of Teams
Source: From Fortune, September 5, 2004. Copyright © 2004 Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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Groups and Teams in Organizations
Why people join groups or teams
Interpersonal attraction draws people to form informal or interest groups.
Group activities may appeal to some.
The group’s goals may appeal to some.
Joining a group may satisfy an affiliation need.
There are often instrumental benefits that come from joining a group.
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Characteristics of Groups and Teams
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Groups
Role structures
Behavioral norms
Cohesiveness
Leadership
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Role Structures
A role consists of the part individuals play in groups in helping the group reach its goals.
A task specialist role concentrates on getting the group’s task accomplished.
A socioemotional role provides social and emotional support to others on the team.
The group’s role structure
is the set of defined roles and the interrelationships among those roles that group members define and accept.
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Role Structures
When role structures are disrupted, people experience ambiguity, conflict, or overload.
Role ambiguity
arises when the sent role is unclear and the individual does not know what is expected of them.
Role conflict
occurs when the message and cues composing the sent role are clear but contradictory or mutually exclusive.
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Norms define the boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable behavior.
Behavioral Norms
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Norms
Standards of behavior the groups accepts and expects of its members.
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Behavioral Norms
Norms do not generalize or transfer from one group to the next.
Norm variation allows some leniency.
Team factors, initial stimulus, individual traits, and situational factors affect norm conformity.
Group members can adapt to the norm or ignore it.
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Behavioral Norms
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Socialization
The generalized norm conformity occurring as a person makes the transition from being an outsider to becoming an insider.
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Cohesiveness
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Cohesiveness
Is the extent to which members are loyal and committed to the group, the degree of mutual attractiveness within the group.
In a highly cohesive team, members work well together, support one another, and effectively reach their goals.
A team that lacks cohesiveness is not very coordinated, members do not support one another, and they have difficulty achieving their goals.
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Formal and Informal Leadership
Most functional groups have an appointed, formal leader.
An informal leader
is a person who engages in leadership activities but whose right to do so has not been formally recognized by the organization or group.
These may be the same person, but may not.
Desirable if working in the best interests of the organization, detrimental if not in the best interests.
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Conflict is an inevitable element of interpersonal relationships.
The Nature of Conflict
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Conflict
Is a disagreement between two or more individuals or groups.
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Causes of Conflict
Interpersonal conflict
can be caused by differences in personality, beliefs, perceptions, or excessive competitiveness.
Intergroup conflict
may occur due to interdependence, differences in goals, and resource competition.
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Table 18.3
Methods of Managing Conflict
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Managing Conflict in Organizations
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Negotiation
Is the process in which two or more parties (people or groups) reach agreement on an issue even though they have different preferences regarding that issue.
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Managing Conflict in Organizations
Four primary approaches to negotiation dominate the research.
Individual differences – identify a negotiator with appropriate characteristics and personality.
Situational characteristics are often beyond control of the negotiators.
Game theory is dependable but complex and tedious with unrealistic assumptions.
Cognitive approaches know negotiators deviate from rationality and attempt to predict when.
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