assistance needed b

1. Discuss the interpersonal nature of organizations.

2. Define a group and illustrate their importance in

organizations.

3. Identify and discuss the types of groups commonly found

in organizations.

4. Describe the general stages of group development.

5. Discuss the major group performance factors.

6. Discuss intergroup dynamics.

7. Describe group decision making in organizations.

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.

Chapter Learning Objectives After studying this chapter you should be able to:

9–3 © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

The Interpersonal Nature of Organizations

• Interpersonal relations and group processes

pervade all organizations and are vital in

managerial activities

–Interpersonal dynamics—types of interactions

• Between individuals

• Between groups

• Between individuals and groups

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Outcomes of Interpersonal Behaviors

Need

Satisfaction Conflict

Social

Support Synergy

Results of

Interpersonal Relations

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The Nature of Groups

• Group Defined

–Two or more people who interact with one another

such that each person influences and is influenced by

each other person

• Categorization of Groups

–By degrees of formalization

• Formal groups—established by organization

• Informal groups—self-created by members

–By degrees of permanence

• Permanent

• Temporary

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Characteristics of Groups

• Members may identify a little or not at all with the

group’s goal

• Members may satisfy needs just by being members

• Behavior of individuals both affects and is affected by

the group

• Accomplishments of groups are strongly influenced by

the behavior of their individual members

• The work group is the primary means by which

managers coordinate individuals' behavior to achieve

organizational goals

• The behavior of individuals is key to the group’s success

or failure

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use

FIGURE 9.1

A General Model

of Group Dynamics

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Types of Groups

Categorization of

Groups

Formal Groups

Command

Task

Affinity

Informal Groups

Friendship

Interest

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use

Table 9.1 Classification Scheme for Types of Groups

RELATIVELY

PERMANENT

RELATIVELY

TEMPORARY

Formal Command Groups Task Groups Affinity Groups

Quality-assurance

department

Cost-accounting

group

Search committee

for a new school

superintendent

Task force on new-

product quality

New-product

development

group

Informal Friendship Groups Interest Groups

Friends who do many

activities together

(attend the theater,

play games, travel)

Bowling group

Women’s network

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Stages of Group Development

• Four-Stage Development Process of Groups

1. Mutual acceptance

2. Communication and decision making

3. Motivation and productivity

4. Control and organization

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use

FIGURE 9.2 Stages of Group Development

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Group Performance Factors

Composition Cohesiveness Size Norms

Factors Affecting

Group Performance

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Group Performance Factors

• Group Composition

–The degree of similarity or difference among group

members on factors important to the group’s work

• Homogeneity

– Degree to which members are similar in one or several ways that are critical to the group’s work

• Heterogeneity

– Degree to which members differ in one or more ways that are critical to the group’s work

9–14 © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

Group Performance Factors (cont’d)

• Group Composition (cont’d)

–Variables relating to group composition

• Productivity

• Type of task

• Organizational diversity

– Cultural traits: distrust, stereotyping, and communication

– Effects of diversity on cooperation and understanding in organizational alliances across country and culture boundaries

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Group Performance Factors (cont’d)

• Group Size

–Is the number of members of the group

–Affects resources available to perform the task

–Affects degree of formalization of interactions,

communication, and participation

–Can increase the degree of social loafing

9–16 © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

Group Performance Factors (cont’d)

• Factors that Determine Ideal Group Size

–Group members’ ability to interact and influence each

other (maturity of the group)

–Maturity of individual group members

–Group tasks

–Ability of the group leader

to deal with communication,

conflict, task activities

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Group Performance Factors (cont’d)

• Group Norms

–Are the standards against which the appropriateness

of the behaviors of members are judged

–Determine behavior expected in a certain situation

–Result from:

• Personality characteristics of members

• The situation

• The historical traditions of the group

–Are enforced only for actions that are important to

group members

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Group Performance Factors (cont’d)

• Purposes of Norms

–Help the group survive

–Simplify and increase predictability of expected

behaviors of group members

–Help the group to avoid embarrassing situations

–Express the group’s central values for membership

identification and identify the group to others

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Group Performance Factors (cont’d)

• Group Cohesiveness

–Is the extent to which a group is committed to staying

together

–Results from forces acting on the members

• Attraction to the group

• Resistance to leaving the group

• Motivation to remain a member of the group

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use

FIGURE 9.3 Factors That Affect Group Cohesiveness and

Consequences of Group Cohesiveness

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use

FIGURE 9.4 Group Cohesiveness, Goals, and Productivity

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Intergroup Dynamics

Characteristics

of each of the

groups

Organizational

setting in which

groups interact

Task and

situational

bases of

interaction

Primary Factors Influencing

Intergroup Interactions

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use

FIGURE 9.5

Factors That

Influence Intergroup

Interactions

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Group Decision Making in Organizations

Group

Polarization Groupthink

Group

Problem

Solving

Factors Affecting

Group Decision Making

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Group Decision Making (cont’d)

• Group Polarization

–The tendency for a group’s average post-discussion

attitudes to be more extreme than its average pre-

discussion attitudes (risky “shift” or toward a more

conservative view)

• Why Polarization Occurs

–Increasing confidence from shared opinions

–Persuasive arguments convincing weaker supporters

–Individuals substituting group responsibility for

individual responsibility for the decision

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Group Decision Making (cont’d)

• Groupthink

–A mode of thinking that occurs when members of a

group are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group and

the desire for unanimity offsets their motivation to

appraise alternative courses of action

• Effects of Groupthink

–Consideration of and focus on fewer alternatives

–Failure to perceive non-obvious risks and drawbacks

of an alternative

–Rejection of expert opinions

–Ignoring potential for setbacks or actions of

competitors in not developing contingency plans

9–27 © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

Groupthink

Strong group

cohesiveness

Leader’s

promotion of

a preferred

solution

Insulation of

the group

from experts’

opinions

Conditions Favoring the

Development of Groupthink

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use

FIGURE 9.6 The Groupthink Process

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Symptoms of Groupthink

• Illusion of invulnerability

• Collective efforts to rationalize/discount warnings

• Unquestioned belief in the group’s inherent morality

• Stereotyped views of “enemy” leaders

• Direct pressure on a member

• Self-censorship of deviations

• Shared illusion of unanimity

• Emergence of self-appointed “mind-guards”

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use

Table 9.2 Prescriptions for Preventing Groupthink

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Group Decision Making (cont’d)

• Participation

–Is the degree to which employees should be involved

in decision process

• Benefits of Participation

–Helps in judgmental problem-solving situations

–Produces more and better decisions

–Helps in solving complex problems

–Creates a greater interest in the task

9–32 © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

Group Decision Making (cont’d)

• Group Problem Solving Difficulties

–Factors limiting the generation-of-alternatives phase

• Immediate reactions to alternatives discourages further

proposals of alternatives

• Experience, status, and power of some members intimidates

less confident members

• Limitations on idea generation imposed by the group leader

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Group Decision Making (cont’d)

Brain-

storming

Nominal

Group

Techniques

Delphi

Technique

Group Problem Solving

Techniques

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.

• After reading the chapter:

–Which interpersonal behaviors have you seen at work or

in classes that suggest that people have social needs?

–Which of the groups to which students commonly belong

could be defined as command groups?

–What conflicts could occur when informal and formal

groups overlap in an organization?

Organizational Behavior in Action