Organizational Behavior

1. Why is it useful for a manager to understand group behavior? Why is it useful for an employee?

2. Recall a situation in which you may have encountered or observed groupthink (either as a member of a group or as a target or simple observer).

3. Why is it important to make a distinction between “group” and “team”? What kinds of behaviors might be different in these assemblages?

4. How are other organizational characteristics different for a team-based organization?

5. Some say that changing to a team-based arrangement “just makes sense” for organizations. What are the four primary reasons why this might be so?

6. If employees are happy working in the traditional boss-hierarchical organization, why should a manager even consider changing to a team-based organization?

7. Explain the circumstances under which a cross-functional team is useful in organizations.

8. Why is planning the change important in the implementing process?

9. What can happen if your organization prematurely starts building a team-based organization by clarifying the mission and then selecting the site for the first work teams?

10. What are two of the most important issues facing team-based organizations?